Wooden Plough Planes - Wedges or or Screw Arms?

[Andrew Ahern]

Hi All,

I'm looking to add a wooden plough plane to my tool chest and am looking for opinions or perspectives on the serviceability of a wedged arm design vs. a screw arm design. While I tend to prefer the screw arm on aesthetic grounds, I am looking for a solid user to replace a Stanley 45 that I'm not too thrilled with. I'll most likely order one from a tool dealer as I haven't been able to find one locally.

Does anyone have any advice/experience using either of these designs?


Thanks,

Andrew

[Zach Dillinger]

I prefer the wedge style plow myself. They are simple to adjust, provided you have a light touch with a plane hammer, and frees you from having to deal with turning the nuts on a screw arm plane. These are very often sticky, oblong and overall tougher to use. That is my preference.

If I may be so bold, I did write an article about the different styles of wooden planes. You can find it here: (http://eatoncountywoodworker.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-care-and-feeding-of-wooden-plow.html) or at our friend Wiktor Kuc's site here. (http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/zDillinger/plowPlane-Care/plowPlanes-01.asp)

[Jim Koepke]

Andrew,

Welcome to the Creek. Your profile doesn't show your location.

If you are anywhere near Portland, OR I would be happy to let you test drive my wedge armed plow.

It might even be possible to convince you the Stanley 45 is a much better plane for the purpose.

What problems are you having with the #45?

jtk

[Andrew Ahern]

Thanks for the link Zach. Good things to consider.

Jim, thanks for the welcome. I'm afraid I'm a fair ways from Portland (Toronto, Ontario) but thanks for the offer none the less.

The 45 does an ok job but I'm find it a bit top heavy and prone to roll. I'm a lefty so I have to hold the fence over the top with my right hand which is a little awkward and adds to the off-balance feel.
I have a wooden moving fillister that I quite like even with a right hand fence. The difference is that being untoted I can hold it closer to the work. My thinking is that a wooden plough will have a similar feel.

[Jim Matthews]

I have both.

I find the wedged versions are awkward to hold, and clunky in lateral adjustment.
I just purchased an older Record with all the original blades.

It's a breeze to set up, and easy to handle.

Spare yourself some heartache, and buy the LV version.
It's superior to what I own, and ready to use.

[Jim Koepke]

The 45 does an ok job but I'm find it a bit top heavy and prone to roll. I'm a lefty so I have to hold the fence over the top with my right hand which is a little awkward and adds to the off-balance feel.

If your #45 is a type 7 or later, it is possible to move the fence to the other side. It might still be a little awkward but it might be better than trying to work it with your arms crossed.

jtk

[Steve Voigt]

Question for Zach (or anyone, really): I'd like to know your opinion on the Yankee-style plow. How does it compare to the wedge arm? Is the fence more secure/ less secure/ the same?
For those who aren't familiar with the Yankee, it uses unthreaded arms that are secured with thumbscrews rather than wedges.
Like the OP, I'm a lefty, and I'm tired of compromising with righty joinery planes. I plan to build my own plow, and I'm leaning toward a the Yankee style, unless someone wants to convince me otherwise. I plan to use Brass thumbscrews and inlay some steel wear strips on the arms.
Anyway, if anyone has thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.Sorry for the minor hijack.

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Andrew

I know that you are asking about a woodie, but how about Veritas' left- or right handed Small Plow Plane. This is light, handed correctly for you, and very well balanced. The fence sets up very easily and accurately.

I am not keen on either the screw- or wedge fences on ploughs. They are tricky to set up as not automatically parallel to the skate. As a result I built a bridle plough ..

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BridlePloughBuild_html_m4741b4d5.jpg

Barrett & Sons (http://www.dlbarrettandsons.com/Planes.html) make these, or you could build your own (http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BridlePloughBuild.html).

Cheaper to get the Veritas. :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Tony Wilkins]

Do Barrett and Sons still make planes? I tried to reach them a while back and never got in touch with them?

and +1 on the LV small plow. Wonderfully set up tool and it has a lefty version. And they're a Canadian company to boot.

[David Weaver]

Wedge or screw is fine. I think the more important points for a plow plane are that it's still straight or can be made straight, that it's in decent functional condition and that the irons match the plane (or if they are replacements, do so at least reasonably well).

I've had two screw arm plows (still have one) and a wedge arm plow that I haven't yet used - and LV's plow.

The LV plane is definitely tighter and more accurate than older wooden plows, but it doesn't really make a difference in day to day work, it's not a matter of one being a sniper rifle and the other one a blunderbuss.

There are, though, a lot of screw arm plow planes out there that are chipped badly in the threads, or more importantly, the boxwood nuts are too tight on the screw and don't work freely (or broken from having been too tight).

[Zach Dillinger]

Question for Zach (or anyone, really): I'd like to know your opinion on the Yankee-style plow. How does it compare to the wedge arm? Is the fence more secure/ less secure/ the same?
For those who aren't familiar with the Yankee, it uses unthreaded arms that are secured with thumbscrews rather than wedges.
Like the OP, I'm a lefty, and I'm tired of compromising with righty joinery planes. I plan to build my own plow, and I'm leaning toward a the Yankee style, unless someone wants to convince me otherwise. I plan to use Brass thumbscrews and inlay some steel wear strips on the arms.
Anyway, if anyone has thoughts on this, I'd love to hear them.Sorry for the minor hijack.

Steve, the Yankee plow works ok. Virtually every one I've ever seen, including the example that is in my collection, has damage to the body of the plane where the wood surrounding the tapped holes has split, or where the wooden screw threads have stripped off the thumbscrews. This leads me to believe that people tighten the fence down too much. The final conclusion of this is that it is increasingly difficult to get the fence to hold its setting as the plane wears in, requiring more and more screw pressure until the body finally splits or the thumbscrew shreds itself. If you can mitigate this wear by using metal screws / tapped holes in the plane, you might have a shot. It certainly would be easier to construct than a dual-wedge arm plane.

[Andrew Ahern]

Hi Derek,

I've also considered the Veritas, and may very well end up with one simply based on them making a left handed model. There's a Lee Valley in town so I may head down and try one out.

Amazing plane btw! Might be on my build list someday when my skills are up to par.

Cheers
Andrew

[Steve Voigt]

Steve, the Yankee plow works ok. Virtually every one I've ever seen, including the example that is in my collection, has damage to the body of the plane where the wood surrounding the tapped holes has split, or where the wooden screw threads have stripped off the thumbscrews. This leads me to believe that people tighten the fence down too much. The final conclusion of this is that it is increasingly difficult to get the fence to hold its setting as the plane wears in, requiring more and more screw pressure until the body finally splits or the thumbscrew shreds itself. If you can mitigate this wear by using metal screws / tapped holes in the plane, you might have a shot. It certainly would be easier to construct than a dual-wedge arm plane.

Thanks Zach, that's very helpful info.