Question about Veritas skew rabbet plane

[Dennis Droege]

My pair of Veritas skew rabbet planes came yesterday (Saturday here in the states). This morning, I unboxed them and set them up--and found that the cutting edge of the right plane, with the blade fully retracted, stops 3/32" below the sole. The cutting edge of the left plane, with the blade fully retracted, stops 3/64" below the sole. I have looked at them thirteen ways, and it appears to me that the only way to gain a shallower cut is to grind the oblong cut in the blade to allow more retraction. I will not grind, cut or otherwise modify anything until I have spoken to someone at Lee Valley tomorrow. I'm just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

Regards,
Dennis Droege

[David Bassett]

I just checked my (RH) Skew (NOT rabbet, but) BLOCK plane and a new blade retracts well behind the sole using the depth adjuster.

It's hard to imagine LV / Veritas let two bad planes/irons slip through QC, so I've got to wonder if you've assembled them incorrectly. However the only thing I see that would affect the minimum blade projection without screwing up something bigger is the iron has two engagement holes for the adjuster's pin. Did you perhaps use the upper hole instead of the lower one? (As the blade is sharpened away you'll need to use the upper hole once you run out of adjuster travel for the shorter blade.)

Good luck! (You don't give a location, but this is a case where I'd really like to be Canadian so I could just run it to one of their stores.)

ETA: Sorry! Fixed my statement above. I was talking about the wrong plane in the text.

[Jim Koepke]

Dennis, Can you post images?

That could help a lot before the day is done.

jtk

[Dennis Droege]

Thanks, Derek. Here are two images. One shows that there is only one notch in the blade for the adjuster and the other shows the blade protruding 3/32" past the sole of the plane.423556423558

[Richard Line]

I think this is a bevel down plane. Your pictures show the blade bevel up. Try flipping the blade over and putting into the other hand plane. Of course I may all wet, as I've never seen one of these planes, but looking at the web site, it seems to be bevel down.

[David Bassett]

I just checked my (RH) skew rabbet plane...

First, my bad. I have and checked a Skew Block plane... so that post was irrelevant. (I'll go back & edit it to, try and, reduce confusion.)

Now, to your actual problem. Your pictures look like you have the irons bevel up. The Veritas instruction page (https://assets.leevalley.com/Original/10092/59999-veritas-skew-rabbet-plane-c-01-e.pdf) shows the iron bevel-down (on page 3.)

I think that means you have the LH iron upside down in the RH plane, but don't actually have either to check.

Again, good luck.

ETA: yeah, what Richard said. (Sorry I type slow.)

[Jim Koepke]

I think this is a bevel down plane. Your pictures show the blade bevel up. Try flipping the blade over and putting into the other hand plane. Of course I may all wet, as I've never seen one of these planes, but looking at the web site, it seems to be bevel down.


First, my bad. I have and checked a Skew Block plane... so that post was irrelevant. (I'll go back & edit it to, try and, reduce confusion.)

Now, to your actual problem. Your pictures look like you have the irons bevel up. The Veritas instruction page (https://assets.leevalley.com/Original/10092/59999-veritas-skew-rabbet-plane-c-01-e.pdf) shows the iron bevel-down (on page 3.)

I think that means you have the LH iron upside down in the RH plane, but don't actually have either to check.

Again, good luck.

ETA: yeah, what Richard said. (Sorry I type slow.)

Looks that way to me from a quick check of the website:


The 9 3/4" long ductile cast iron body is machined with a 45° blade bed and weighs 3 1/2 lb.

With a 45º bed angle it would be a tough push with a bevel up blade.

Try swapping the blades around and get back to us.

Don't feel bad, we have all had our forehead slapping moments.

jtk

[lowell holmes]

Contact Lee Valley, Rob Lee is really helpful.

https://www.kensaq.com/web?qo=semQuery&ad=semA&q=lee%20valley%20woodworking%20tools&o=766195&ag=fw5&an=msn_s&rch=intl1536

[Dennis Droege]

It's usually something I've overlooked. I'll check it out. Thanks.

[Dennis Droege]

Richard Line called it. I had installed the wrong blade in each plane. Thanks for the help.

[Dennis Droege]

Thanks, Jim. I don't beat myself up much. I've discovered the humor in something like this.

[Christopher Charles]

Man, I wish I had that problem when I got mine... I only got the RH so there was only one way to set up-LOL. Enjoy the new toys and fwiw, I think it is a great tool, but does require some practice to dial in both the set up and especially technique.

Best,
Chris

[Tom Bender]

DOH reminds me of the time I put the chain on a chain saw backwards. Just wouldn't cut.

[Dennis Droege]

I've done that, too, and I've been a certified arborist--

[Rob Lee]

Richard Line called it. I had installed the wrong blade in each plane. Thanks for the help.

Dennis -

I will admit that I've done the same thing myself once - setting up a display at a new store, I mixed up the blades and bodies on the skew rabbets....

It such an obvious mistake - that it's very difficult to "see"....

:)

Hope you enjoy the planes (and thanks for your order!)

Cheers -


Rob

[Matthew Springer]

One thing I thin Derek pointed out to me too on those LV Skew rabbets. Don't curl your offhand fingers up under the plane sole like we sometime do on a bench plane. It's super easy to cut yourself on the fingers of your offhand if you curl them up under (which I do a lot on bench planes). Don't Ask me how I Know That (DAMHIKT).

[Dave Zellers]

DOH reminds me of the time I put the chain on a chain saw backwards. Just wouldn't cut.

Yep. When I was newish, but plenty experienced enough to know better, I installed a dado backwards in a RAS.

Unlike a chainsaw however, it did cut. Just slowly. Very slowly. Wasn't till I was done and removed it that I saw my mistake.

Never told anyone.:confused: