What angle on the edge

[steven c newman]

Of the iron on a low angle block plane? I have a Millers Falls #1455 on the way to the house. Bedding angle is 12 degrees. Do I just sharpen to 25 degrees on the iron? This will be my first "Low Angle" block plane. NIB, no less! Or, at least it still has the box with it. :D

@ $25 it is also the most expensive Block Plane I've ever bought. Looks like a decent tune up will be needed, though. Should be here in the shop around friday....:rolleyes:

[David Weaver]

Start at 25 degrees for softwood. Move it up 5 degrees if hardwood, examine what it does, and if it chips and you don't like it, creep it up a degree or two at a time. It won't take more than 35 degrees to have a chip free edge, and if you love a low angle so much that you don't care about the chipping, you can always keep it closer to 25.

[Winton Applegate]

Just what David said.
In very rare cases you may find your self all the way up to 45° and even more.
As shallow as possible is best.
Beyond chipping of the blade edge tear out is the other factor. If you get tear out in the wood surface and you know the edge is properly sharp and for sure you have the full 12° clearance meaning you haven't put some kind of back bevel on the flat side of the blade or rounded the edge from using a ruler technique or went to the strop too many times before sharpening on the stones.
Then if the wood is still tearing out go steeper on the bevel angle.

[bridger berdel]

since I have plenty of block planes, the lowest angle one is kept with a bevel angle as low as I can keep it short of edge failure. it really shines when working end grain.

[steven c newman]

Well, the item showed up today! Millers Falls #1455287908ain't he cute? With a label on the cap iron, no less! Iron looks sharp, may have to just hone it a bit. Knob is a black painted hard wood. Should be a lot of fun to use, after a quick tune up?

[steven c newman]

Ok, not so quick a tune up. Sole needed some work, even had some burrs on the toe. Cap iron needed a polishing, too. Iron still had the factory edge, and it was out of square, to boot. Got all those items fixed up this afternoon. Messy job. Angle the factory put on it is 25 degrees on the iron, plus a bed at 12 degrees. Bed was smoothed a bit as well. Some Black Walnut as a test track, with a Stanley 9-1/2 to compare results287923not sure which of these two is the oldest. Both tried their luck on the edge grain. 9-1/2 made wide thin shavings, the 1455 made tight curlies Qs like a spill plane. Might go back and regrind the bevel to 30 or 35 degrees? maybe...