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Thread: Veritas Combination Plane Tuning

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  1. #1
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    Veritas Combination Plane Tuning

    Previously frustrated with this I put in on the shelf for a year.

    Trying again, rounded the nickers, sharpened them to 10,000. When you install them the ‘flat’ side goes out from the groove which creates a groove for shavings to collect. This pushes the blade out further and a wobbly edge to the groove results.
    Considering putting epoxy in the bottom of the groove with cling film and installing the blade over it to fill the gap that the shavings collect in. Has anyone tried this?

    The other issue is the friction, lots of it. Going to polish the outer metal faces that rub on the groove being cut. The wooden fence needs to be larger and waxed.

    Any other ideas?
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  2. #2
    I feel I should do something to try and help.

    Should I PM my shipping address?

  3. #3
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    Don’t let all those brass knobs get you excited!
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by William Fretwell View Post
    Previously frustrated with this I put in on the shelf for a year.

    Trying again, rounded the nickers, sharpened them to 10,000. When you install them the ‘flat’ side goes out from the groove which creates a groove for shavings to collect. This pushes the blade out further and a wobbly edge to the groove results.
    Considering putting epoxy in the bottom of the groove with cling film and installing the blade over it to fill the gap that the shavings collect in. Has anyone tried this?

    The other issue is the friction, lots of it. Going to polish the outer metal faces that rub on the groove being cut. The wooden fence needs to be larger and waxed.

    Any other ideas?
    Hi William

    Please do a search on this topic. There have been two recent threads in this regard. The common point being that I do not recommend using the set screw for the nickers. Mine protrude a smidgeon from the sides and only because they were bent by the screw. Also note that the nickers are only needed for cross grain work. That is a small part of the tasks used for with a combination plane. So retract them. And wax the contact areas (as you would with any plane).

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  5. #5
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    William; regardless of those fancy brass knobs, my advise would be sell that boat anchor and try and get some of your money back.

    regards Stewie;
    Last edited by Stewie Simpson; 04-20-2019 at 6:21 AM.

  6. #6
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    I would certainly like it to work. The resistance when making a 1/4” dado for a drawer bottom in white oak is quite remarkable compared to any other plane I have. The guides are responsible for this. Wax or oil helps a little but polishing or corrigating them may help more. The nickers are a lost cause I fear as jammed wood makes them wander, rounding them makes the ‘nickering’ better. They may be essential for cross grain but should help with the grain also.
    Going to try polishing first.
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by William Fretwell View Post
    I would certainly like it to work. The resistance when making a 1/4” dado for a drawer bottom in white oak is quite remarkable compared to any other plane I have. The guides are responsible for this. Wax or oil helps a little but polishing or corrigating them may help more. The nickers are a lost cause I fear as jammed wood makes them wander, rounding them makes the ‘nickering’ better. They may be essential for cross grain but should help with the grain also.
    Going to try polishing first.
    William, are you using the nickers for a groove for a drawer bottom? If so, that is your problem. Retract the nickers - they are ONLY for cross grain work (i.e. dados). What you call a dado is a groove (grooves run with the grain).

    Did you read my previous email?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  8. #8
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    Yes Derek the nickers were barely showing. I believe they were working until wood jammed behind. I will retract them totally.
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  9. #9
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    Missouri
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    William
    1) if you are not working cross grain no need for the nickers.
    2) you are describing a groove for a drawer bottom, not a dado (cross grain)
    3) I suspect because of the resistance you describe that the skates are set too wide for the blade in use
    4) if the skates are set too wide all of the things you describe would occur
    5) I suggest you take time to review the instructions for your plane.

    I feel strongly that the reason that combo planes get a bad rep is they don’t get set up properly. I don’t own this particular plane but have had the opportunity to experiment with one. It works a treat.. I use my 45 often and would not want to not have it. When set up properly combo planes work as easily as dedicated planes with the exception of possibly lighter cuts have to be used because of mouth opening is different than dedicated planes. Sharp and lighter cuts usually tame that.
    Jim

  10. #10
    This may be more of a statement about my skills than about a particular tool, but the plane in question is the only one I ever returned to a manufacturer for credit (within their warranty period). My small plow plane gets frequent use, however.

  11. #11
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    Before trying to reengineer your Combination Plane there are other things you should do.

    First, get the nickers out of the picture.
    Second, make sure the blade is proud of the skates, (this may be what you are calling the guides). For the plane to work properly the blade has to stick out from the edges a hair. If the skates (rails, guides, whatever one wants to call them) are set as wide or wider than the blade it is going to bind.

    One of the blades for my Stanley #45 has an improper grinding on one side and will not project from the side and causes this problem every time. If you have a different blade, try it on a piece of scrap to see if it could be the problem of a single blade.

    You may also be able to reach out to a LV store near you, if there is one, for help.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  12. #12
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    Jim is giving you good advice.

    Remember, we have had these discussions before. There are many who have learned to set up the combo plane. It is very straight forward once you understand the process. No luck involved.

    Dados or housing joints: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...ane-dados.html

    ... and a little more: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...oDadoMore.html

    Grooves: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolRev...e-grooves.html

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  13. #13
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    Yes Jim the blade is just proud of the skates. I will experiment with this ‘proud’ amount but the resistance will likely remain.
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  14. #14
    The tool is set up very differently for a groove than a dado. If you set up as for a dado you will have almost as much of a mess as if you set up for a groove and tried to make a dado. We use nickers only for the dado. A lot of machine people use the word "dado" for both grooves and dadoes. For us the way we make them is so different that we could not mix them up.

    For a groove the edges of the blade are what forms the side walls of your groove. The blade has to be outside the skates, otherwise the skates will rub (as you have discovered). If you put a straight edge across the skate at the bottom along the side it should be obvious that the blade protrudes. (Not just below the skates but outside the skates as well. It will actually work if the skate is quite a lot in from the edge of the blade.

    The Lee Valley people might not have realized this but it is nice if the blade itself has some relief at the edge, so a slight bevel at the edge of the iron maybe 80 or 85 degrees is helpful to make a nice groove.

  15. #15
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    Thanks Warren I can add a small relief when I next sharpen the blade. Getting this to work should be a fun learning experience!
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

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