Using a block plane

[Katherine Bercaw]

I've started using planes and I've been getting the hang of my Stanley and a shoulder plane.

Last night I tried using the block plane (LN - honed) on some end grain and I'm not having any luck. The plane is catching & jumping across the surface and I'm getting thick fluff as a shaving. If I back the blade off more (ie retract) I don't seem to get any cut.

What am I doing wrong? Can someone post a picture of what a end grain shaving using a block plane should look like?

Thanks

[Johnny Kleso]

If the blade moves back the lever cap is to loose..

If it skids and digs in then the blade is out to much...

If you have a vise clamp a board in it or clamp a thin board as a bench stop and use it to rest the front of your board against so you dont need to hold it and use two hands on the plane...


Set the plane for a super light cut by eye and feel...

Then try to plane the whole board or at least a large section before lowing the blade..

Many times people try to get the full shaving to quick and dont relise how un flat your board is and cause the plane to choke on the hills and valleys of the board..

For end grain cuts you need a vise....

[Eddie Darby]

Is this a low angle block plane?

[Katherine Bercaw]

it's a low angle version


If the blade moves back the lever cap is to loose..

If it skids and digs in then the blade is out to much.......

I've been using a vise. The plane was skidding and then digging in on end grain.

So, I just put some scrap in and adjusted it on long grain. It was set for too deep of a cut. I got it set for a paper thin cut and then tried the end grain again. Unless I'm using full body weight pressing on it all I'm getting is fuzz.

Did I adjust it too much the other way?

[Stu Gillard]

Surgically sharp blade : check
Is the LN's bottom flat (silly question I know)

I've found that digging in, then no cut when adjusted in can be a symptom of a less-than-flat plane sole.

[Jim Koepke]

Planing end grain usually does not result in nice fluffy shavings like cutting with the grain will do. Sometimes I will get long shavings, but this is usually only in soft woods like cedar or pine. These shavings will break apart fairly easily and will still not come out like the curls one gets when going with the grain.

It may be easier if you skew the plane up to 45° when cutting end grain. It is also best to not go off the edge if you have not chamfered all the way around the end grain. It can cause the wood to split when you get to an edge.

If I can get my wife to cooperate, I will try to take some pictures and post them before going to bed tonight.

jim

[Jim Koepke]

This was just done in pine which is a fairly soft wood. Cedar may be a little easier. Many variables will affect this. Dryer wood versus wetter sticky wood. Hard and soft, the way the grain is going.

With this piece which I just grabbed real quick from the scrap pile, there was a bit of noise either way it was planed. One direction was kind of low chattering and the other was high pitched squealing. The high pitch squeal is better than chatter imo.

Sometimes, it seems just dust comes out. This is OK if it is smoothing the end grain. Mostly end grain planing is for squaring up an out of square sawn end or to put a chamfer on the corners.

The plane used here is an old Stanley 65.

Notice the smoothness on the right side of the wood. That is what was done in the current direction of the plane. The other side was done with the plane being used with the board turned around in the vise. Surely you can guess which way was squealing and which way was chattering.

The other picture is just my 2¢

jim

[Jim Koepke]

Interesting when you get to the bottom of a thread, there is often related threads listed for viewing. Here is one by Derek Cohen reviewing a block plane with lots of pictures and cutting some end grain.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=53106

jim

[Jeff Bratt]

The shavings look a little different and break apart easily - but are still fluffy. The adjustment should be for a very thin shaving, and the blade needs to be very sharp. This is cherry.

If the blade catches and jumps it's probably out too far and/or not sharp enough. "Full body weight" should not be required for this.

86232

[mike holden]

An additional trick is to wet the fibers with mineral spirits. This is a "last resort" type of trick due to the odor, but, it should be in your "bag of tricks"
Mike

[Alex Yeilding]

Pay attention to the ring direction. In Jeff's photo, if the plane is used skewed at an angle similarr to the way it is resting in that photo, the blade will at any time be cutting several of the hard growth rings. If you skewed it 30 degrees to the right of the direction of cut, the blade would jump from one hard growth ring to another, giving you a much rougher cut.

I second Mike's suggestion of wetting the fibers. I use alcohol, but the idea is the same. Another trick is to use a wash coat of shellac first. Tends to bind the fibers

[Hank Knight]

A sharp blade is the most important thing for end grain work - and other plane work too. But a dull blade won't touch end grain. In fact one of the ways people test for sharpness is to see if the blade will take a shaving from end grain. All of the other tips that have been sugested here are good ones, but make sure your blade is sharp first.

[Katherine Bercaw]

WOW! You all are amazing! I'll try all this when I get home tonight. I'll also print out this thread for reference & keep it with the plane !

[Katherine Bercaw]

I just tried all the suggestions (except wetting them) and it worked!!!

Here's pictures


THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Hank Knight]

Wonderful! Isn't that fun?

[Ralph Okonieski]

Thank you Jim and Jeff for the pics! Thank to all the others with advice. As a beginner in the hand tool area also, the information is very useful!!!

[Doug Shepard]

I was going to add that if you had the adjustabe mouth version to set it pretty tight, but it looks like you got it licked.

[Thomas Walker]

When you retract the blade make sure you finish by moving the blade forward (to account for backlash).

[Katherine Bercaw]

Wonderful! Isn't that fun?

Yes !!!!!!!!!!!:):D

[Jim Koepke]

When you retract the blade make sure you finish by moving the blade forward (to account for backlash).

My practice is to retract the blade, then to set it on a piece of scrap being held in a vise. For block planes, the cap will be loosened a little, the plane is pushed while the adjuster is being turned to lower the blade. If the plane is known to favor cutting on one side first, then it is held to cut on that side. This is continued until the blade starts to touch the wood. If needed, a little lateral adjustment is made to the blade. repeat as needed to get the blade right where it is wanted. Tighten the lever cap and plane away.

jim