Plane blade goes out of level while I plane

Hello -

I’m using a Stanley Bailey #7 to plane a 3/4” x 8” x 20” piece of quartered sycamore. I set the lateral adjustment of the blade by putting a 1/2” piece on edge in the vise and take a shaving on the right side of the plane and then the left side until I get a consistent shaving on both sides.

Today as I was thicknessing the piece mentioned above, i was taking very very light shavings and I noticed the blade was out of square after about 10 minutes. The right side wasn’t taking any shaving at all but the left still was. So I checked on the 1/2” piece in the vise and sure enough, no shaving on the right side. So I reset the blade and took a few more shavings and checked again and the same problem. No shavings on the right side of the plane blade. So again I reset the plane blade so it was parallel and took one shaving on the sycamore, and checked the lateral adjustment on the 1/2” piece. Again the blade was back out of square.

I was taking smoother type shavings, so maybe the tolerance just isn’t that tight in the lateral adjust. Other than that does anybody have any ideas what might be going on?

Thanks - Seth

Tighten the screw that holds the cap iron.

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Originally Posted by Mark Hennebury

Tighten the screw that holds the cap iron.

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Yep, try this first

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Originally Posted by Steve Southwood

Yep, try this first

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Reset the frog if that doesn't work.

Thanks guys that seems to have helped a lot. It still goes out a little but I’ll keep messing with it.

I reset the frog and tightened down the lever cap screw. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before. Duh, thanks!

This can also result from the iron/cap screw being loose.

But now that's figured out, may I ask why you're using that plane on a 20" long board?

Every one that reads this forum has had their duh moments. You are in good company.

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Originally Posted by lowell holmes

Every one that reads this forum has had their duh moments. You are in good company.

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Uh yeah, how do you think I knew to try that? I fiddled around for about an hour one day, trying to figure out what was wrong

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Originally Posted by Robert Engel

But now that's figured out, may I ask why you're using that plane on a 20" long board?

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Get ready, I’ll try to give my best most scientific reason: because it was sitting there on the bench!?!

Seriously though I only have a 4, 5, and 7. And I know I could get the job done with any of those planes. Honestly, I haven’t found any difference in the actual results based on plane choice when trying to four square a board. (Ive never worked with a board longer than say 30” yet). Ive been keeping a pretty heavy camber on my 5 blade. So obviously I’ll grab that now if I’m hogging off material. Other than that though, the length of the plane hasn’t held me back either way from flattening a face or squaring an edge. Chalk it up to inexperience.

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Originally Posted by Seth Terndrup

Get ready, I’ll try to give my best most scientific reason: because it was sitting there on the bench!?!

Seriously though I only have a 4, 5, and 7. And I know I could get the job done with any of those planes. Honestly, I haven’t found any difference in the actual results based on plane choice when trying to four square a board. (Ive never worked with a board longer than say 30” yet). Ive been keeping a pretty heavy camber on my 5 blade. So obviously I’ll grab that now if I’m hogging off material. Other than that though, the length of the plane hasn’t held me back either way from flattening a face or squaring an edge. Chalk it up to inexperience.

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With a 3 plane fleet, you picked the one best suited for the job at hand.

You might consider getting a second blade & chip breaker for the #5. Then it could also be used for truing short pieces.

When my planes on hand was about the same, my #4 was set for fine shavings for final smoothing. The #7 was for flattening faces and squaring edges. The #5 was the in between plane. Of course that didn't last long as my acquisition of planes went wild very quickly.

jtk

I'm sure no one else here put the blade in upside down though.

I wouldn't bet the farm on that.....:eek: