Wedgie problem

[Randall Houghton]

Ok wooden plane experts I've looked all over the place for imformation on how to make a wedge fit in a wooden plane so that the iron adjusts properly and have found zip. I read the restoration books and the wooden plane making book by Whelan and have yet to find a description of how to fit a wedge to the iron and the plane body. I have several HNT Gordon planes and several beech planes and have had problems with all off them after they adjust to the desert climate. I've have had some sucess with the Gordons as they seem to be the most stable(hard Aussie wood) but the beech planes are really giving me fits! Any help would really be appreciated.
Regards
Randy

[Philip Edwards]

Randy
A well fitted wedge is very important on a woody, as you have found out.
When fitting a wedge I first insert it and visually check the fit - look down the abutments and check for gaps. If there is nothing obvious the next check is the "wiggle check". Gently wiggle the wedge side to side - it will pivot around the high point. Use a scraper to remove a few shavings from the high point and try again. As the wedge becomes a better fit it will be harder to find a single pivot point.
If you want to tweak a little further you need a pencil - rub pencil onto the surface of the abutments and tap in the wedge. It will leave marks on the high points. Gently scrape away the high points until the pencil covers most of the wedge (especially the lower half of the wedge.
When the wedge fits correctly the plane will be a lot easier to set up and adjust - I hope this has been of help.
Best regards
Phil

[Zahid Naqvi]

I think Phil got it, I myself employ the wiggle method, keep removing the high spots until you can't pivot the wedge anymore.

[Randall Houghton]

Phillipand Zahid thanks for your response. I gave it a try and was able to improve the fit of the wedge considerably. I 'm still tweaking trying to improve adjustability. I do have one other issue and that is I have several planes that are single iron(no chip breaker) and was wondering how critical the fit of the bottom side of the wedge to the profile of the top of the iron was? Does this fit have a bearing on the fit of the wedge to the abutments on the plane body? Thanks for your help and sorry about the long pause before I responded.
Regards
Randy

[Larry Williams]

Randy,

I prefer the wedge to fit tightly against the iron. This will prevent occasional shavings being caught in a void between the two.

On your earlier question, I find it a lot easier to fit bench plane abutments to the wedge. To do this easily, the wedge has to be straight and true. I'd offer more but it could easily be construed as commercial so I'll stop here.

[Barry Vabeach]

Randy, I am not the epert like Larry, though I bought one of his planes. While the best result is even contact along the bottom of the wedge and the top of the iron the full length of the iron and on the left and right sides, I shoot for contact at the very end of the wedge (closest to the sole of the plane ) and then again somewhere near the top of the plane and a little "loose " in between. While smoke from a candle, or a pencil, can tell you where there is rubbing, I use the thinnest feeler gauge and then pare the top edge of the wedge so that the feeler gauge won't slip between the iron and the wedge when the wedge is pushed in by hand. Sometimes it looks like it is tight down there but the feeler gauge says otherwise. Good luck Barry

[Wiley Horne]

Randy,

Good advice here from Philip, Zahid, and Barry, and I wish Larry Williams would talk more about wedges and adjustments.

I would like to reinforce a bit what Barry said, about the importance of getting the fit right down low and up top especially. In this regard, one of the prime things to look for if the wedge is not acting right, is check whether it has gone convex on the lower side--the side which is against the iron. If it has, gently scrape the convexity in the middle portion of the wedge, checking continuously and testing, and you will likely improve the fit. Then refinish. I like dewaxed shellac, because it adds a bit of tack. Larry, please straighten this out, if I am wrong!

Wiley

[Zahid Naqvi]

I'd offer more but it could easily be construed as commercial so I'll stop here.

Are you kidding me! you will never run out of attentive listeners on this forum. For wood plane junkies it's about as good as it gets.