One Reason to not Drag a Plane Back

[Jim Koepke]

My grandson Mike was here helping me this summer with a few projects. A couple of my planes and a set of chisels were given to him along with some other tools so he could do a little woodworking back in California.

While instructing him on using a plane he asked me if dragging the plane back across the work was bad for the blade. His grandfather on his father's side also does some woodworking and lives much closer to him. My suspicion was that he may have heard this bit off wisdom from his grandpa Pete. My answer was that it can rub against the blade and may dull it a bit quicker. As being the one who also sharpens the blade, it doesn't bother me so much. Then my thoughts on the subject turned to how many woodworkers plane against a stop. If one drags the plane back against the work, it may pull the work away from the stop and cause more inconvenience than having to sharpen a blade a bit more often.

Today a thin piece of stock was being planed and instead of using a 'doe's foot' it occurred to me to use one dog as a stop and another on each side of the piece being worked to hold it from wondering:

415080

This piece of poplar is about 5/16" thick. Before adding a third dog near the front of the bench, about every three strokes the work piece would wander and need to be reset.

Just another way to hold a piece whilst planing.

jtk

[ken hatch]

My grandson Mike was here helping me this summer with a few projects. A couple of my planes and a set of chisels were given to him along with some other tools so he could do a little woodworking back in California.

While instructing him on using a plane he asked me if dragging the plane back across the work was bad for the blade. His grandfather on his father's side also does some woodworking and lives much closer to him. My suspicion was that he may have heard this bit off wisdom from his grandpa Pete. My answer was that it can rub against the blade and may dull it a bit quicker. As being the one who also sharpens the blade, it doesn't bother me so much. Then my thoughts on the subject turned to how many woodworkers plane against a stop. If one drags the plane back against the work, it may pull the work away from the stop and cause more inconvenience than having to sharpen a blade a bit more often.

Today a thin piece of stock was being planed and instead of using a 'doe's foot' it occurred to me to use one dog as a stop and another on each side of the piece being worked to hold it from wondering:

415080

This piece of poplar is about 5/16" thick. Before adding a third dog near the front of the bench, about every three strokes the work piece would wander and need to be reset.

Just another way to hold a piece whilst planing.

jtk

Jim,

I tend to agree although I usually slightly pick up the heel on the return stroke, mostly out of habit.

Good on you, ain't no reason to lock wood down to plane it. Most of the time there is a better way than a vise.

ken

[Prashun Patel]

I think I read a post (george wilson? warren mickley?) where they tested how fast a blade dulled by dragging vs lifting the heel. I was surprised to learn that it did. It was significantly quicker, IIRC.

Jim, do you find the effect insignificant?

[steven c newman]

Sometimes...you just have to lift the plane up, and carry it back to the starting point....like when jointing a LONG board...

[Jim Koepke]

I think I read a post (george wilson? warren mickley?) where they tested how fast a blade dulled by dragging vs lifting the heel. I was surprised to learn that it did. It was significantly quicker, IIRC.

Jim, do you find the effect insignificant?

For me the effect isn't significant since my planes are usually lifted for the return. On the occasions where my plane has been dragged back, it hasn't been enough to be noticed one way or the other.

My tendency, most likely, is to sharpen blades sooner than others might. To me, sharpening more often seems to make for less time spent sharpening.

jtk

[Nicholas Lawrence]

In the viseless bench video Mike Siemsen makes that point, and I think it is a good one.

[Jim Koepke]

My guess is woodworkers have been somewhat aware of the idea since shortly after they had planes to use.

jtk

[Marinus Loewensteijn]

In the viseless bench video Mike Siemsen makes that point, and I think it is a good one.

I just wonder how many Gramarcy holdfasts would be needed. 4?

I like the idea better than having a vise, I often screwed a thin piece of timber to the workbench and planed against that or used an F-clamp to hold items against the front of the bench. For ever I was bumping into the sharp ends of the F-clamps. (I had build a Moxon bench that had the spindles moving to the back so nothing much was sticking out but my son took it with him when he visited me.)

[Nicholas Lawrence]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yvhn-PAfEW4

Video is at the link. Two holdfasts, but most work is done with a combination of different stops.

The point Jim makes is a really good one, and is shown at about 10:30 in the video.