Lever Cap Pressure Setting.

[Richard Gillespie]

:confused: Being self taught, when it comes to cast iron planes, isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm convinced that my teacher is a dummy.

I thought that the pressure of the lever cap had to be enough to prevent movement of the iron in any direction. Therefore, I've been setting it to just below the level that I can't operate the release. This may be the reason the lever cap on my fathers block plane broke but that's another story.

Yesterday, I watched a video from the Canterbury Workshop on cast iron planes. I was blown away when I saw the gentleman doing the demonstration adjust both the depth knob and lateral adjustment lever on a plane with the lever cap set. Is this the correct adjustment or is like I've been doing, releasing the lever cap making an adjustment resetting the lever cap (what a pain if it is unnecessary)?

Thanks in advance for the help!

Rick

[Alan Turner]

The video is correct, in my view. In fact, you can put so much pressure on the lever cap as to throw the sole out of flat on some planes. Not much pressure is needed.

[Roger Bell]

Reasonably firm and snug should be the feel when setting or releasing the lever. Not tight. And definitely not too tight.

[James Carmichael]

I thought the same thing at first, Richard. Now I turn the screw just tight enough to so that the lever cap cams into place and I can adjust the depth without taking everything loose.

My Stanley #7 doesn't even have a lat adjustment lever as the top of the frog is broken off (bought it before I knew the difference ) but it works fine, I just push on the iron to adjust laterally.

[Scott Quesnelle]

Sounds like yours are way too tight.

Should be able to operate the lever cap with just your thumb.
I love being able to just give the wheel a 1/4 spin..

Start off the blade isnt' making a cut (But is close) advance a 1/4-1/2 turn taking a pass. Repeat until you get shavings. Then plane away.

Scott