Plane for cedar?????

[Bryan Ferguson]

Trying to plane red cedar. I am having problems w/ tear out because of grain changes around small knots. What is the best way to deal w/ this. Higher blade angle 50d (currently using LV low angle jack w/38 d blade), go to a toothed blade bc of the knots? Or just be prepared to spend a lot of time w/a card scraper?

[Jerry Palmer]

Bryan,
I think the last choice mentioned might be your best bet. Really soft woods pose greater tearout issues, IME, than harder woods simply because the grain is easier to tear out in softer woods. Just as cutting joinery in soft woods with chisels requires a lot more attention to the sharpness of the edge in use, so it is also with plane blades in softer woods, but I think to an even greater extent.