Wooden Plane Blades

[Derek Cohen]

I built my 30" jointer with a 2" Hock. This is used for edges not faces. One of the planes I use for faces is the Veritas LA Jack. This is 2 1/4" wide - not a whole lot of difference.

I don't see a big need for a wider blade... I mean, really, when is "wider" wide enough? Especially when the cutting angle is high and, as Larry notes, then harder to push.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John A Walker]

I built my 30" jointer with a 2" Hock. This is used for edges not faces. One of the planes I use for faces is the Veritas LA Jack. This is 2 1/4" wide - not a whole lot of difference.

I don't see a big need for a wider blade... I mean, really, when is "wider" wide enough? Especially when the cutting angle is high and, as Larry notes, then harder to push.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Fair comment Derek.
But I find in the longer planes 5 and a half F/I, the wider blade/body is less inclined to topple on wide boards. Narrow boards it don't make much difference nohow!

J

[Derek Cohen]

Fair comment Derek.
But I find in the longer planes 5 and a half F/I, the wider blade/body is less inclined to topple on wide boards. Narrow boards it don't make much difference nohow!

J

Topple? ........!!

Regards from Perth

Derek

[John A Walker]

Tip over. Sometimes I find the No 5 topples over, the plane body that is. Doesn't happen so easily with a Number 4 due to the short length. The wide blades have more of a base to rest on.

Planing edges it makes no difference of course. The planes topple anyhow when I get to work!
Hmm.. Looking at some of the work here though, I think I am slightly out of my depth .. In short I am up sawmill creek without a paddle, and don't even have the skill to make one!

John

[John A Walker]

I am thinking of a Hock as a replacement blade for a No. 4 I have.
Am I alone in thinking that the Hock Blade, with its square profile, makes a plane look a bit clunky? And I wonder does Ron make blades with a shaped top?

Or am I being over-fussy?


JW

[Sam Takeuchi]

Topple??? I have no idea how plane topples. Do you mean chatter or...plane skipping on the stock?

If you are interested in getting a Hock blade, I highly recommend reading through his website. He answers that very question regarding shape, and he wouldn't mind if you grind or do whatever with it, but he doesn't make pre-shaped blades. Aside from that, there are loads of useful and interesting information on that site, it's a good reading to do nonetheless.

[James Scheffler]

I am thinking of a Hock as a replacement blade for a No. 4 I have.
Am I alone in thinking that the Hock Blade, with its square profile, makes a plane look a bit clunky? And I wonder does Ron make blades with a shaped top?

Or am I being over-fussy?


JW

Yes, they look a bit clunky. They're good blades, though.

[Jim Paulson]

Derek,

Can you post a picture of that plane you made. I'd love to see it and perhaps others would too.

Jim