ECE reform smoother question

[Joel Goodman]

I seem to remember someone on Sawmill who had put "LV style" set screws on on ECE smoother to keep the iron centered in the mouth. On my smoother I have to fiddle with the iron when I replace it as it wants to go to the side of the mouth. The lateral adjuster on the ECE is not much use -- I just center the blade itself. Has anyone tried drilling and tapping the plane for set screws? Was it an improvement?

[Jim Newman]

Joel, I adjust the blade (left to right) and it stays centered for me. Maybe you don't have your spring tension set properly in the back of the plane? To me the ECE Primus series of planes work incredibly well and the Reform Smoother is a top of the line plane performing better than a Norris (I know.....I have one). A properly sharpened blade with the cutting edge 90 degrees to the side of the plane iron makes a big difference along with a dead flat, mirror polished back. If you can't clearly see yourself and count the hairs in your nose, it isn't sharp, at least that is what took me about 10....ok maybe 15 years to learn!!! LOL!!! Let me know whether the cutting edge is square and sharp and your tensioner adjusted.

[Eric Hartunian]

My ECE smoother is the same way. It cuts great when it is setup, but getting the blade straight, and keeping it there is a challenge. I've tried different tension on the spring in the back with no real change. The set screw idea sounds good, but I don't know if I want to drill into my plane.:eek:
Eric

[Wiley Horne]

Hello Joel,

This is speculative, but I'll offer for what it's worth. If you look at the bedding of the ECE Primus Reform (which I agree is a very effective and excellent plane), you will find two metal domed studs up at the top of the bedding. The blade beds on these two domed studs, plus the wood down at the lip of the mouth.

As a digression, a German-speaking friend looked up the patent on those two domed studs, and found that it was to cut friction in the depth adjust mechanism. As a further point of interest, Karl Holtey uses a similar bedding mechanism on his smoothers--though his rationale is that it makes the blade bedding independent of wood movement.

Anyway.....finally getting to my speculative point. It may be that what is making your blade slip sideways is that the blade is not flat, and perhaps the blade back is making contact with one of those studs and not both, and then when tension is put on the blade, it slips sideways looking for a mechanically stable way to sit.

Just something to check. I mention it, because if the theory is anywhere near correct, the set screws at the bottom wouldn't solve the problem.

Wiley

[Mark Singer]

Mine stay set and is easy to adjust

[Joel Goodman]

To clarify -- it stays set. And the iron stays square as I advance or retract it. It's just that when I put the iron in after resharpening it tends to want to go to one side -- that is not centered in the opening. I'm not talking about out of lateral adjustment but displaced to one side. As to whether the iron is flat I believe it is but when the chipbreaker is attached the whole assembly is under tension and the blade/chipbreaker assembly has a slight bow -- I believe this is normal. Perhaps that's why they have the two dimples for the iron to contact, in addition to the wooden bed near the throat. It's not that the iron isn't square but I feel that I have to fiddle it into place. I have other planes but none with this type of spring loaded adjuster. Perhaps this is the nature of this plane. I was just wondering if it could be improved.