Osvaldo Cristo
08-02-2020, 7:11 PM
Although I spent last 30 years in power woodworking as hobby, I had had a few very cheap manual planes, including two number 4 and one block plane – all Stanley, new, (very) low priced and with the consequences in the manufacturing quality. I got trauma from chip breakers as I never had success to adjust them properly.
Around three years ago I decided to try again, this time with different approach: I made a diligent research in the internet in order to learn more about the construction and uses of those beasts (in the process I discovered this site). I went to a high quality, high priced tool maker selecting Lee Nielsen. Also, I decided to stay far away from chip breakers.
I went first to a BU block plane followed by BU Jack plane. They looked me all I needed considering I am mainly a power tool user and I have severe space limitation in my small 104 square foot workshop.
Today is a great day as I finished the preparation of my last iron for the Jack plane, so now I have the complete iron set I planned a couple of years ago to use my Jack plane as a real platform for different functions:
The standard 25 degrees iron for end grain
The standard toothed 25 degrees to turn wood surface not slipped
The standard 90 degrees iron to scrap the most difficult grains
One very slightly cambered micro beveled iron at 50 degrees for smoothing
One strongly cambered iron micro beveled at 35 degrees to use as scrub plane iron
Actually, I just finished the last one and I did not have a chance to test. All four other irons were already tested and approved!
The two cambered irons were prepared according to a paper authored by Derek except I have neither a decent belt sander nor a Tormek, so I used muscle power, a set of diamond stones and stropping. It worked. Crazily sharp.
Now my Jack plane is really a “jack of all trades”. Thanks all, specially Derek, to generously share your experience.
Around three years ago I decided to try again, this time with different approach: I made a diligent research in the internet in order to learn more about the construction and uses of those beasts (in the process I discovered this site). I went to a high quality, high priced tool maker selecting Lee Nielsen. Also, I decided to stay far away from chip breakers.
I went first to a BU block plane followed by BU Jack plane. They looked me all I needed considering I am mainly a power tool user and I have severe space limitation in my small 104 square foot workshop.
Today is a great day as I finished the preparation of my last iron for the Jack plane, so now I have the complete iron set I planned a couple of years ago to use my Jack plane as a real platform for different functions:
The standard 25 degrees iron for end grain
The standard toothed 25 degrees to turn wood surface not slipped
The standard 90 degrees iron to scrap the most difficult grains
One very slightly cambered micro beveled iron at 50 degrees for smoothing
One strongly cambered iron micro beveled at 35 degrees to use as scrub plane iron
Actually, I just finished the last one and I did not have a chance to test. All four other irons were already tested and approved!
The two cambered irons were prepared according to a paper authored by Derek except I have neither a decent belt sander nor a Tormek, so I used muscle power, a set of diamond stones and stropping. It worked. Crazily sharp.
Now my Jack plane is really a “jack of all trades”. Thanks all, specially Derek, to generously share your experience.