Wooden planes. Do you adjust the iron or the throat for pinching.

[Jason Buresh]

I picked up a wooden smoother last night that has a tote. It was an odd, but very comfortable plane. Unfortunately, I am assuming to shrinkage of the wood, the iron binds in the throat.

Would best practice be to pare or file the throat of the plane? Or am I better off trying to file or grind down the edges of the iron to fit the plane?

[Jim Koepke]

Many of the wooden planes to have come my way have signs of stress in this area. Usually presented by cracks or split sides.

This is the thinnest part of the plane body.

There is a chance the plane has a replacement blade that is wider than the original.

My first attempt would be to try and reduce the size of the blade and cap iron. If the blade is laminated it shouldn't be too difficult to work it down with a good file.

jtk

[Luke Dupont]

When you say pinching in the throat, what do you mean?

Do you mean that the iron is getting stuck in the throat (there's no room for shavings to come out) or that the sides of the iron are stuck in the "grooves" on the side, for the wedge?

Assuming this is a wedged plane, I'm guessing the iron will not get stuck vertically (as can happen with Japanese planes, where the iron is also the wedge).

So your problem is that the iron is too wide near the mouth?

I don't know, I'd like to hear what others suggest. My go-to would be to adjust the plane body with a file rather than touching the iron, unless the sides of the plane look too thin and prone to cracking. But in general, I see the plane body as being made to conform to the iron.

[Jason Buresh]

The sides of the iron are pinching in the grooves.

[chris carter]

100% someone replace the iron with one that's too wide. Grind the iron down narrower. If you widen the throat you risk it developing cracks.

[Jim Koepke]

The sides of the iron are pinching in the grooves.

Is the pinching of the top to bottom of the blade or side to side?

jtk

[Jason Buresh]

It is pinching side to side. As I try to put the iron in I can see shallow cuts where the iron makes contact with the wood

[Kevin Adams]

Rub the side of the iron on sandpaper on granite until it fits. Likely the plane has shrunk and/or someone replaced the iron, in which case you should also check how it fits the wedge and bed. I would do little to nothing to the sides of the plane as that’s where it’s vulnerable. The width of the iron is not vulnerable. Just go slowly with what you do as these planes are easy and delightful to use.

Send us a pic of your first shavings!

Thanks.
Kevin

[Don Penniman]

A very timely question. I have the same issue with a circa 1900 jointer plane. When I got in in the mid-1980s, the iron and chipbreaker could be easily removed and replaced. It has been on display on the workshop wall for many years. I took it down last week in contemplation of adding a replacement sole and restoring it for use. The iron could only be removed with a lot of careful tapping and yanking.

One likely cause is that I bought it when we lived in St. Louis, MO, a very humid climate. For the past 30 years it has been in Michigan, a kinda humid climate, in a space that is heated in winter and dehumidified in summer.

I will take the advice offered to Jason above and grind the edges of the iron and chipbreaker until they fit.