Trouble Setting Up Scrub Plane

[Noah Starksen]

I have a Stanley #5 Type 9 with a frog that has the top portion (with the lateral adjuster) broken off. I’m wanting to turn it into a scrub plane, but having trouble with the frog / mouth opening. If I move the frog back to open the mouth, I can’t get the blade to advance enough. The screw on the chip breaker starts to contact the frog and won’t advance any more. So the furthest back I can have the frog with the blade still advance is basically set up as a smoothing plane, barely any opening.

Did Stanley change the chip breaker design and maybe I have the wrong one?

[Bill White]

Some will use a file to open the plane mouth. Set te frog even with the leading edge of the back side of the mouth, open the front edge of the mouth a bit at a time 'til ya get what ya want.
Have you put a camber on the iron?

[Jim Koepke]

This is one problem with using a bench plane as a scrub plane. The Stanley #40 scrub plane doesn't have a chip breaker. Getting the chip breaker set for using in scrub plane mode can be daunting at first.

The curvature of the cutting edge requires one to set the chip breaker back further on the blade. With a large radius the breaker doesn't have to be as far back as with a smaller radius.

On my #5 the depth adjuster is bottomed out and the blade is still taking a medium shaving. It hasn't occurred to me to actually measure or even guess the radius on the blade.

In your case, it sounds like you could move the chip breaker back a bit to advance the blade. With a scrub plane the chip breaker isn't working like it would on a smoother.

My intention was to mention how images of your plane and blade set up might help but noticed you are not able to post images.

jtk

[Stephen Rosenthal]

I’ll second what Jim wrote and add a few details of how I converted a beater Stanley #4 into a fully functional Scrub. I filed open the mouth to 3/8” across its length and just nipped the ends of the chipbreaker on the grinder (you can use a file or coarse stone) to conform to the corners of the blade, which I believe I ground to an 8 degree radius. I made a paper template for the radius and then used it to mark the outline on the blade with a Sharpie. The chipbreaker is set back exactly 1/3” from the edge of the blade’s furthest projection. I can’t speak to the calculations for a #5, but they shouldn’t be too different since the width of the blade is the same.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

Forgot to add, when you file open the mouth be sure to file along the edge closest to the heel, not the toe.

[steven c newman]

I use an old Corsair C-5 Jack plane as a scrub. 8" radius camber....still lots of room for the "shavings". Slightly thinner than a dime. Have sharpened the iron maybe 3 times since I bought it.

A scrub plane is the LAST plane you want a tight mouth on....it is designed to peel away thick real estate from a rough sawn plank. Moxxon said the shavings were the thickness of an Old Groat ( coin).....Scrub plane to go at 90 degrees to the grain, a fore plane goes at 45 degrees to the grain, as well as the Try plane...Last one to remove all the scoops and hills left by the other 3....then a few passes with the smoother to finish it up.

Nice, well "rounded" camber....hold the chipbreaker about a 1mm or 2 back from the corners of the iron..bevel down. Do NOT move the frog forward....you want the iron supported by the back of the mouth...right on that little ramp.....unless you like to hear all the chatter. Set the depth only as deep as you can easily push the plane....there is no need to go all the way out to the corners of the iron. You are "Peeling" the layers of the wood, NOT shaving it. You can, however, overlap the scoops the plane leaves behind.

IF you are using a chipbreaker....there really isn't any need for a thick after market iron....just camber any old iron that will fit the plane, set the mated chipbreaker behind the corners...and scrub away. VOE...

[Warren Mickley]

Moving the frog does not change the projection of the iron. It sounds like your cap iron does not match the plane, that you have the "wrong one". You can try setting the cap iron back farther from the edge of the iron; that should enable it to project far enough, but your plane will act like a single iron plane.

[ken hatch]

A ECE scrub plane is less than $100 USD and works great at doing what it was designed to do right out of the box. Buy a replacement frog for your #5 and you will have a very good Jack plane that should work well at doing what it was designed to do. No matter how much you fiddle with the #5 it will never be as good a scrub as the ECE. LV makes a scrub for $130 USD and LN's is around $170 USD. All will work better as a scrub than your cobbled up #5 and the best of the lot is the cheap ECE.

ken

[steven c newman]

Chipbreaker MIGHT be from a Transitional plane...the slot is in a very different location.

Been using the Scrub jack for quite a few YEARS.....works just fine.

So, unless someone trying to sell you either an un-needed, too thick iron, or a fancy wooden plane.....

OP is more than welcome to come to the Dungeon Shop, and try mine out.

[Aaron Rosenthal]

A ECE scrub plane is less than $100 USD and works great at doing what it was designed to do right out of the box. Buy a replacement frog for your #5 and you will have a very good Jack plane that should work well at doing what it was designed to do. No matter how much you fiddle with the #5 it will never be as good a scrub as the ECE. LV makes a scrub for $130 USD and LN's is around $170 USD. All will work better as a scrub than your cobbled up #5 and the best of the lot is the cheap ECE.

ken

I agree.
We always want to modify what we have to save the money, or whatever, and get the outcome we wish.
It’s a compromise that often works, but not as well as the real thing.
I got a dedicated scrub plane; after ruining a perfectly good blade and iron, and not getting what I needed in results, it just made sense.

[steven c newman]

Roh-Kay, Raggy....easier to post a few photos...
Scrub Jack, by Corsair C-5
Scrub Jack, start.JPG
No problems with the opening of the mouth
Scrub Jack, open mouth.JPG
Chipbreaker location..
Scrub Jack, chipbreaker setting.JPG
A look at the bevel used...
Scrub Jack, bevel.JPG
Location of the frog? ( note, only ONE bolt is needed)
Scrub Jack, frog setting.JPG
Had a high spot on the bench's top, anyway..
Scrub Jack, high spot in bench.JPG
"Shavings"? Not exactly..
Scrub Jack, Old Groats.JPG
Powers through knots, too..
Scrub Jack, knots and all.JPG
Sitting in that circle.
Paid $6 for this plane...a LONG time ago. no issues with it. YMMV..

[Jim Koepke]

A ECE scrub plane is less than $100 USD and works great at doing what it was designed to do right out of the box. Buy a replacement frog for your #5 and you will have a very good Jack plane that should work well at doing what it was designed to do.

It’s a compromise that often works, but not as well as the real thing.
I got a dedicated scrub plane; after ruining a perfectly good blade and iron, and not getting what I needed in results

My #40 scrub plane is nice for smaller work. My beat up #5-1/4 is nicer for medium work. My #5, jack plane, was very nice for working a large 4X10"X7' plank.

Three Scrubs.jpg

Part of the reason it is called a jack plane is to be able to do all the work from scrub to smoother (as in jack of all trades).

My #5-1/2 came with a blade ground for use as a scrub plane. The wear on the mouth was likely due to such use. At the time there wasn't a use for scrub planes in my shop so the blade was replaced since the original was pitted. It hasn't been used yet by me as a scrub plane.

jtk