Veritas skew rabbet plane setup

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

Hi all,

I joined the creek approximately 2 years ago, and my tool collection has grown pretty dramatically. The only plane i have never been able to set up really well is the Veritas skew rabbet plane. So far it has been the bane of my existence.
Ive seen a few videos on troubleshooting the plane, and read the manual but i still haven't been able to get it fine tuned. Anyone here willing to post a dummies orientated tutorial on proper set up of tool?

Thanks,
The dummy

[Rob Luter]

This is a pretty good presentation

[Jim Koepke]

The only plane i have never been able to set up really well is the Veritas skew rabbet plane. So far it has been the bane of my existence.

It might help to describe what kinds of troubles you have encountered.

One common denominator I've found with starting out with any plane is to begin with light shavings. This can reveal many things. It can tell if the blade is sharp. It can indicate if the blade isn't properly aligned. It can also revel if the sole of a plane is not flat in various ways, though I wouldn't expect that with a plane purchased new but errors can happen.

A skew plane can work across grain, but it still works best when going with the grain.

jtk

[Christopher Charles]

"I joined the creek approximately 2 years ago, and my tool collection has grown pretty dramatically." LOL-one often follows the other!

I have this plane and it is by far the most fiddly. A couple tricks, which you've likely encountered already:
-take off the front knob
-pre-score the rabbet by drawing the plane backwards first before taking the first shavings
-start light
-get the lateral setting just right (though tricky and I honestly don't remember the trick--extend the blade a paper's width out from the skate?).

Once it is dialed in, it is a delight but still requires practice to create a square rabbet.

Best,
Chris

[Warren Mickley]

The skew rabbet (really a moving fillister) has two modes: with the grain and across the grain.

In the mode with the grain, the nicker is retracted so it does not interfere and the blade protrudes from the side a bit so there is clearance. If you put a straightedge across the side at the mouth it should rock slightly on the protruding iron.

When used across the grain, the nicker has to protrude both down below the sole of the plane and a little out the side so the body of the plane does not rub the side of the rabbet you are making. The cutting iron, on the other hand has to be away from the very edge so it doesn't interfere with the wall the nicker is creating. In fact the cutter can be quite a bit inboard from the nicker and still work fine. The cutting iron also needs to be a little bit less deep than the nicker so it doesn't try to remove material that hasn't already been severed at the edge.

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

OK so I think I can summarise my problems as an issue of seating the blade properly. I know the sharp corner needs to protrude slightly. but every time I make it stick out enough it no longer seems to be seated evenly on the sole (will take a lopsided shaving), when I get the blade protruding equally from the sole it doesn't protrude right any more relative to the nicker. I tried using the set screws and a tiny turn seems to really change the settings. also, if I managed to get the setting reasonably dialed in, and take out the blade, the set screws never seem to work to "save" the settings. I can't believe a tool like this should take more than 20 minutes to set up (excluding sharpening!) I am therefore pretty sure I am going about this the wrong way.

in case anyone is wondering, the blade geometry is correct and the blade is sharp. it is only an issue of adjusting the blade within the plane

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

seen it a couple of dozen times, I also seen the videos posted by the renaissance woodworker

[Jim Koepke]

-get the lateral setting just right (though tricky and I honestly don't remember the trick--extend the blade a paper's width out from the skate?).

One way of doing this that works for me is to set the plane on its side on the bench or a piece of flat hardwood with the blade not fully tightened. Make sure the side is flat on the surface. Then while holding the plane against the flat surface press on the blade toward the surface, then tighten the lever cap iron.

People who haven't done this will think it is nuts, but it works. It is easy to confirm this. Set a spokeshave like the Stanley #51 on a flat surface with the cap iron loose. Use a finger to press the blade against the same surface the spokeshave's sole is resting on and tighten the lever cap. The spokeshave will take a hefty shaving set this way.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

I tried using the set screws and a tiny turn seems to really change the settings.

I do not know the threading on the set screws, but for our discussion let us use 32 per inch. One full turn would move the blade ~0.031" (0.79mm). Turning it 6º (this is equal to the minute hand on a clock moving one unit, yes I know of the confusion of degrees and minutes being different on a clock or when using parts of a degree).

That would make a change of ~0.005"(0.0127mm).

If the blade doesn't protrude enough from the side, the plane will tend to make each pass slightly narrower than the last. If it is protruding too much it will tend to make a rough side to the rabbet (rebate).

Depending on how tiny of a turn you made, that is why it can make a big difference.

Also the screws should be tight enough to keep the blade from sliding side to side but not tight enough to prevent it from being removed or inserted.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

My suggestion would be to back off the screws and get the blade set first. Then set the screws to the blade.

jtk

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

the issue isn't the depth the screw moves in. its that the plane balances the blade between 2 grub screws. if I turn the top one, the movement at the tip of the blade is greatly magnified by the distance - the screw acts as a fulcrum point on which the side of the blade pivots. I hope I am explaining it well?

[Jim Koepke]

the issue isn't the depth the screw moves in. its that the plane balances the blade between 2 grub screws. if I turn the top one, the movement at the tip of the blade is greatly magnified by the distance - the screw acts as a fulcrum point on which the side of the blade pivots. I hope I am explaining it well?

Yes, that is why in my last post my suggestion was to set the blade first, then set the screws to the blade.

Setting the blade was described in one of my earlier posts.

Set the plane on its side with the depth stop and any other obstacles out of the way. While holding the side of the plane flat against the surface, press the blade to the surface, then tighten the lever cap.

Try the plane with this setting and if it works, softly set the screws to touch the edge of the blade.

jtk

[Assaf Oppenheimer]

thanks, I will give it a try!

[Rob Luter]

the issue isn't the depth the screw moves in. its that the plane balances the blade between 2 grub screws. if I turn the top one, the movement at the tip of the blade is greatly magnified by the distance - the screw acts as a fulcrum point on which the side of the blade pivots. I hope I am explaining it well?

I had a similar issue with mine. It was a bit fussy to get set the first time but once I got it dialed in it was fine.

[Stephen Rosenthal]

Most of my planes are LNs, but I do have 3 Veritas planes - Rabbet, Small Plow and Shooting. I had difficulty adjusting the blade on all of them due to those darn allen retaining screws until I discovered what Jim recommends. Getting the blade properly adjusted and tightened first and then easing the side screws until barely touching the blade worked for me. I actually considered selling all 3 planes until figuring that out.