Although I spent last 30 years in power woodworking as hobby, I had had a few very cheap manual planes, including two number 4 and one block plane – all Stanley, new, (very) low priced and with the consequences in the manufacturing quality. I got trauma from chip breakers as I never had success to adjust them properly.
Around three years ago I decided to try again, this time with different approach: I made a diligent research in the internet in order to learn more about the construction and uses of those beasts (in the process I discovered this site). I went to a high quality, high priced tool maker selecting Lee Nielsen. Also, I decided to stay far away from chip breakers.
I went first to a BU block plane followed by BU Jack plane. They looked me all I needed considering I am mainly a power tool user and I have severe space limitation in my small 104 square foot workshop.
Today is a great day as I finished the preparation of my last iron for the Jack plane, so now I have the complete iron set I planned a couple of years ago to use my Jack plane as a real platform for different functions:
- The standard 25 degrees iron for end grain
- The standard toothed 25 degrees to turn wood surface not slipped
- The standard 90 degrees iron to scrap the most difficult grains
- One very slightly cambered micro beveled iron at 50 degrees for smoothing
- One strongly cambered iron micro beveled at 35 degrees to use as scrub plane iron
Actually, I just finished the last one and I did not have a chance to test. All four other irons were already tested and approved!
The two cambered irons were prepared according to a paper authored by Derek except I have neither a decent belt sander nor a Tormek, so I used muscle power, a set of diamond stones and stropping. It worked. Crazily sharp.
Now my Jack plane is really a “jack of all trades”. Thanks all, specially Derek, to generously share your experience.