Beading with the LV Plow Plane

[Charles Bjorgen]

This is a kind of redo on an older thread in which someone asked if it was possible to cut beads with the LV Plow Plane. After watching a Woodwright's Shop episode in which Roy showed the various dedicated planes along with combo planes and even a screw in a block of wood for making beads, I thought I would research this a bit. Various Google links took me right back here where the very question was discussed. Derek had posted his thoughts on using 45 beading irons in the LV Plow (Plough). This morning I bought a couple of 45 beading irons from a seller on the bay, 3/8 and 3/16", and will try them out.

Those other discussions are one to two years old now. Just wondering if there are any new thoughts on this subject? I know Rob was asked if his company planned to make any such cutters. I'm also aware of LV's beading tools. Just trying to maximize my existing plow plane purchase.

[Jim Koepke]

Looking at the LV Small Plow plane it looks like it doesn't have a second skate to support the blades on the far side. Not sure if the Wide Blade Conversion Kit would remedy this.

I do not recall how thick the LV Small Plow blades happen to be. The blades from a Stanley 45 are about 1/8" thick.

It will be interesting to see what you find.

jtk

[Charles Bjorgen]

Good thought. I have the wide blade conversion kit and will keep this in mind.

[Charles Bjorgen]

Well, I've spent a little time with Stanley 45 beading cutters in my LV Plow plane and am having mixed results. The cutters definitely needed some sharpening and I will work further on them. The Conversion Kit does add a second skate for support under the wider blades. The depth adjuster has to be removed in order to use these blades.

What's puzzling to me is how much to adjust the depth while starting the cut. Do I need to gradually creep up on the profile I want to cut or should I set it to the depth of the cove of the cutter? That does not seem to work at all. I know that the wide cutters supplied by LV each is supplied with a depth stop. Should I be using these? Back to the LV manual, I guess.

[Richard Verwoest]

Seems using the wider blade with the depth stop would be best. With the extra skate. File the profile into it yourself with a chainsaw file, then hone. I have thought about doing this myself, but have yet to get around to it. Also, when making the bead, you want to take shallow cuts, and start at the far edge of the work piece, and work backwards. Does that make sense? Haaa....

Hoss

[Tom M King]

It helps to choose your piece of wood wisely too. A super sharp iron solves all sorts of problems, but you don't want a board with grain coming back up out of the edge towards you. I have Record cutters that came with a 440C (or something close to that) that I bought new, but it has the most awful depth stop adjustment, so I use those cutters in a 55, and it works like a charm. A dedicated molding plane works the best, but then you are limited to the location it gives you. Some allow beading in a field with a follower as a guide, and those work pretty good too. I also have a Stanley, and LV beaders that work great, and they got called on for making reproduction reeded mantles for an early 19th Century house.

In any case, with any of these tools, it absolutely pays off to select you wood for the purpose.

[Charles Bjorgen]

Yes, it makes sense and that's pretty much what I've been doing. I may need to find some better, straighter grained wood than the stuff I've been trying. I finally did add the auxiliary fence to the plow plane today and that sure helps steady things. Next step is to try the 1/4" LV tongue cutting blade and see how that goes. I probably should have started with that.