Chipped chipbreaker

[Warren Mickley]

Curious to know if Warren is working stuff like this to warrant such a steep angle,
or if it's a matter of working rough stock and allowing a larger camber than Derek's excellently taken photo is showing
for heavier shavings, which would be heavier again than a... just under the 1/32" (maximum distance which I find to work on interlocked hardwoods 90% of the time)
which still works at 50 degrees.
Or could it possibly be for keeping the cap from getting damaged as easily on rougher stock?

No doubt I'll likely try on my smoother sometime, as that super dense stuff required the cap iron so close.

Tom

It was difficult timber that caused me to increase the steepness of my cap iron in 1977. Rising the angle to 75 or 80 degrees solved the problem.

Years later I found a scrap from 1977 that I had planed on one side. I took it to a Lie Nielsen hand tool event and had them try to plane the other side. They could not plane it with a bevel up plane with a 60 degree angle. In all they tried four planes and freshly sharpened the irons and managed to remove 1/4 inch of material and leave an ugly mess, a lot rough than a sawn surface.

[Ivan Skof]

It was difficult timber that caused me to increase the steepness of my cap iron in 1977. Rising the angle to 75 or 80 degrees solved the problem.

What kind of timber was that?

Rising the angle to 75 or 80 degrees solved the problem.

What was the original angle?
Was there any difference planing non problematic timber with old angle vs 75-80 degrees angle?

Edit: How did you know back then to solve it by rising the angle to 75-80 degrees? Was that common knowledge among woodworkers? Why isn't 80 degrees factory default (I'm assuming others manufactures don't have chipbreaker at 80 degrees either)?

[Ivan Skof]

Do I "sharpen" the chipbreaker to 50 degrees as I would a plane blade?

I'm a little confused about that part:

>The 50 degree leading edge taken into a rounded bevel. A little extra bend to add spring ...

[Warren Mickley]

The leading edge of the cap iron should be rounded and not a flat bevel. A steep flat bevel is more susceptible to clogging, so you want the edge to be steep only right near the cutting iron. For my cap irons I gradually increased the tangent angle from 50 to around 80. With timber that is not prone to tearout, you can move the cap iron away from the edge. The high angle actually only comes into play when the cap iron is set extremely close, in other words only when needed.

No, you do not sharpen the cap iron at a constant bevel, rather it is rounded off. The cap iron usually has some spring to it, but that is not a functional necessity. It does have to be tight to the cutting iron so that shavings to not get jammed between the two irons.

[Tom M King]

That's a good idea if the cap iron is changed for different things. I just didn't think like that because I have so many planes that I never change the way I have one set up. I couldn't even tell you how many I have, but do keep those three set up with a close cap iron.

I used a no. 8 a few days ago that I probably hadn't used in 10 years. When I pulled the 8 toolbox out of its cubby, it felt heavier than I thought it should. There were also 2 pristine no. 5's in it that I don't remember when I bought. I am sure that I have never used those no. 5's. I don't keep them out where I can see them, but shut up in waterproof toolboxes. They are ready when I need one, like this one that might have been used ten years ago.

I've never held a 5-1/2 in my hands, and never felt the need for one.

[Mark Rainey]

I used a no. 8 a few days ago that I probably hadn't used in 10 years. When I pulled the 8 toolbox out of its cubby, it felt heavier than I thought

The 8 can be hefty

[Thomas Wilson]

That's a good idea if the cap iron is changed for different things. I just didn't think like that because I have so many planes that I never change the way I have one set up. I couldn't even tell you how many I have, but do keep those three set up with a close cap iron.

I used a no. 8 a few days ago that I probably hadn't used in 10 years. When I pulled the 8 toolbox out of its cubby, it felt heavier than I thought it should. There were also 2 pristine no. 5's in it that I don't remember when I bought. I am sure that I have never used those no. 5's. I don't keep them out where I can see them, but shut up in waterproof toolboxes. They are ready when I need one, like this one that might have been used ten years ago.

I've never held a 5-1/2 in my hands, and never felt the need for one.

The Plane Fairy visited your shop! When that happens at my place, Janicewhokeepsmehumble is suspicious.