The ideal plough plane..

[Jake Darvall]

I know the following plane doesn't 'look' ideal, but its the concepts behind it that are, I feel.

Because the ideal plough is yet to be made in my opinion, I've modified an old 45 in an attempt to own one. And its turned out to be the most reliable plough I've ever used....ie. no annoying surprises. Consistantly works how I want it to. No stuffing about.

Here it is, along with its modified blades, and setup tools. I've labelled the mods.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/38sss.jpg

Its all about obtaining an accurate plough cut. A common cut, but yet still quite tricky to get them spot on with a regular plough plane. Which tends to make the powered router attractive eh.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/35sss.jpg

More often than not my results are substandard with a regular plough....ie. those shoulders arn't crisply cut at 90 and the plough floor isn't square. and its not entirely my fault ! .....the plough plane designs are to blame as well.

Seems the best way to try and describe what I think is the 'ideal' plane, is to run through how I tuned this old 45 ..... Hopefully, I'll be clearer that way.

First, I'll introduce this setup block I recommend you make. Or something like it..... It allows you to easily check your planes settings.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/1sss.jpg
Add a deep fence face first....A deep fence face I've found when rubbing off a deep timber face will provide excellent stability.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/2sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/3sss.jpg

Fence setup now......Now have to make sure the skates both run perpendicular to your new fence. Often there a little off, which will only affect accuracy.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/4sss.jpg

If theres a gap anywhere between the skates and block, you've got a problem... I think you should really lap your planes skates square, until its all gapless.

The technique I use is with a squared block of thick timber......spray adhere the sandpaper down.....and whilst running that fence tight against the wood(always), the skates run on the grit,,,,taking the high spots off, just like lapping a bench plane..
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/5sss.jpg

Fence and skates ok........now the blades.

Flaring the blades

IMO all plough blades should flare. Meaning, the width of the blades edge should be wider than the rest of the body further up.... Really makes all the difference I've found.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/39sss.jpg

Old wooden plough plane blades seemed to have it....but modern ploughs like my 45 seemed to skip the concept unfortunetly.

Without it, you've got a caustrophobic environment for your plane.

I feel you can understand the problem better by relating it to what it feels like using a hand saw without enough set. There prone to bind up in there own kerf. To fix the problem you put more set on the teeth and the saw will work better because the width of the cut (kerf) is wider than width of the saw body above it.

Well, I see a plough cut as being similar to a saw cut in that respect. A plough blade that doesn't flare; thats just a rectangular blank, is like trying to handsaw without enough set.

Flared blades wouldn't improve things I'd imagine, if we all moved like robots. But we don't. And particularily when we are pushing the plane with the fence rubbing a thin edge(or using a very wide blade), we're prone to wobble the plane off vertical a little. Like this sort of thing.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/40sss.jpg
For combination planes, with multiple skates like the stanley 45, 50..etc flared blades I've found are a godsend....because the skates grip the blade closer together. This tends to solve a lot of those fiddly alignment problems of fence and skates. The plane just has more freedom to move.

If you decide not to to use flared blades you must be extra careful to ensure skates and fence are all in parallel with one another. Even say 1mm askew and you risk a jam up...so use callipers.
Anyway, this is how I ground my plough blades flared.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/7sss.jpg

more next post...

[Jake Darvall]

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/8sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/9sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/10sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/11sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/12sss.jpg

Sharpening the blades

Now that the blades are flaring at the sides, have to think about sharpening the business end of the blade right. Which will no doubt take some practise. But its worth learning.

I grind my blades freehand. Its just an uncomplicated method I find appealing. But I suppose you could do it with some clever honing guide.
Ultimately in a nut shell, this is how the blade edge should present to the wood in order for it to cut well with accuracy.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/13sss.jpg

I feel the need to have a tool to make frequent checks while sharpening to ensure alls well..... This is what I use.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/14sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/15sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/16sss.jpg
more next post

[Jake Darvall]

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/17sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/18sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/19sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/20sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/21sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/22sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/23sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/24sss.jpg

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/26sss.jpg

[Jake Darvall]

Depth stops

Ideally I think you should use 2 depth stops. Can get away with only using one for the smaller blades, but I'd say you'd have to be pretty talented to get consistantly good results using just one depth stop with the wider ones.

The presence of a second depth stop will ensure the floor of your plough cut runs parallel to the face. See, if you've only got one depth stop, when it rubs the timber, the planes encouraged to rock over, overcutting the floor...ie. its being held up on one side. Can be hard to avoid, especially with a wide blade.

The problem though is that most ploughs don't have a good second depth stop design (IMO)...

So I made a second depth stop especially for my stanley 45. Here it is....
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/36sss.jpg

And this is how I setup my depth stops.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/41sss.jpg

Set your fence distance.

Now everythings set......... there shouldn't be any need for test cuts.
- fence running perpendicular to skates and depth stops
- depths stops at the same height
- blades peaking the same amount past each skate
- blades flared for good clearence
- blades edge straight and sharp

Make your cut

So, probably best to start with a fine shaving to get a crisp looking shoulder.

Then to speed up, coarsen the shaving maybe...fine up again as you near depth....or just stick with one blade setting all the way through....up to you. Spose that depends on how polite the wood is.

Have to keep the plane as verical as possible.....
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/43sss.jpg

Despite that, you may be leaning over slightly every pass such that you end up overcutting one side too much after a few passes. ....so ever now and again I'd get my eye down close and inspect it so I know how to correct my style....
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/44sss.jpgSee,

so the flared blade saved me.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/45sss.jpg

So, there you go. No reason I think why one can't get consistant result like these everytime with a good plough plane.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d74/apricotripper/46sss.jpg

[Chris Updike]

This was the most awesome, informative and thorough post I've ever seen. Thank you so much.

[Maurice Metzger]

A whole bunch of good ideas there, Jake. I think a lot of them would apply to any plough, not just a 45.

Maurice

[Louis Bois]

Beauty Jake! Thanks for taking the time to document your improvements!

[Don Orr]

Absolutely wonderful dissertation and photos of an excellent idea. Strong work as usual Jake. I appreciate that you explain not only what you do, but the why behind it and show examples of what things should NOT look like. Your illustrations and annotations make all the difference. Thanks for taking the time to put this all together. That final cut is beautiful!

[John Schreiber]

That is one ugly plane, but that is one beautiful plane. I've never seen a plow work so well. Thanks for showing us how.

[Dan Racette]

my chin hurts from hitting the floor. That is a jaw dropper!

[Ian Smith]

Nice work Jake. As others have already stated, this is a great post.

[Ken Werner]

Hats off to you Jake. Thanks a bunch.

[David Marcus Brown]

An awesome post!

Someone send this to Robin Lee before he finalizes the designs on his plough plane(s)! :eek:

[Bob Hallowell]

Jake,
That was an awesome post and a great read. Thank you for taking the time to do it.

Bob

[Jake Darvall]

My pleasure.... :)

[Brad Saltvick]

Jake,

I am a long time lurker on this forum and one other. I have been reading alot about hand tools and have purchased several old Stanley Bailey planes with the intent to clean up and use.

This thread taught me alot about plough planes and how to set them up. I appreciate the time and effort you took to display a wonderful tutorial.

My question. With the flared blade, which obviously works well, aren't you in danger of running out of blade at some point? Not running out of blade actually, but the ability to plow a 1/2 inch dado or any other specific width is lost if you sharpen the blade too many times.

Do you just have multiple blades on hand to keep one at each specific width? Or am I over thinking this? Sharpening is a skill I have yet to master but on my chisels and plane irons, the length does change ever so slightly.

Brad

[Jake Darvall]

My question. With the flared blade, which obviously works well, aren't you in danger of running out of blade at some point? Not running out of blade actually, but the ability to plow a 1/2 inch dado or any other specific width is lost if you sharpen the blade too many times.

Do you just have multiple blades on hand to keep one at each specific width? Or am I over thinking this? Sharpening is a skill I have yet to master but on my chisels and plane irons, the length does change ever so slightly.

Brad

Hello Brad,

I see where your coming from.....The blades will eventually get too short anyway to be gripped by the planes clamp down, and will just have to replace.

...buts also, due to the flaring as that blade is resharpened over and over the actual width of the cut gets smaller and smaller......very gradually of course...but even if you use them regularily we'd be talking years I'd say.

...but because the width gets smaller and smaller, you can't really refer to
it as say a 1/2" blade anymore eh......the process will never be like using a powered router whose router bits will always cut the set width.

yep, so there's a disadvantage in flared blades....but personally I'd prefer to have that so I can have a workable plane. Else I'd just use a router. I just don't like risking a messy cut.

So, for joinery you'll obvious have to make the fit to your groove.....ie...choose a blade from the set that closest resembles the width your after,,,,accept their widths as something you can't change and work to it. Shouldn't be a problem.

Since the plough cuts quite reliable I'd be tempted to use the plane for cutting the rebates in say glazing bars (then cut off after)..found this process to be more accurate than a rebate plane or a fillister cause there's two depth stops in play........drawer bottoms....... or rebating two pieces simultaneously (uno, cut the plough in half).......you can rebate normally with the plough as well of course...but only one depth stop used for that....

[Brad Saltvick]

Jake,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my question. I see the obvious benefit to the flared blade. The pictures are dramatic!

Again, Thanks for the informative post.

[Jim Dunn]

This was the most awesome, informative and thorough post I've ever seen. Thank you so much.

And I can honestly say I agree with the above. My only statement beyond that is I'm not much of a neander and really don't have a plane like that either. If I did I'd be grinding the blade instead of writeing this;)

[Jake Darvall]

Hey, no problem. Appreciate the kind feedback.

I enjoy experimenting and trying to understand these problems so I can attempt a fix :rolleyes: . Bit odd I suppose. I guess the process of writing it all out clarifys it all for myself as well.