Bang!!!
Alright, I just bought a Record No.5 Jack plane…the Lie-Neisen (or however it’s spelled is the nicer item but I couldn’t justify the $200 difference in price at my lowly skill level). I pretty much know how to hone the cutter, right? I cannot find any information on how to set the thing up proper for yer different applications. Or, any general information on how to set up planes proper. I’ve asked a couple of pals but none of them have used anything outside of a block plane from time to time. My block plane came with the cutter bevel up…my jack plane came with the bevel down. How should I interpret this discrepancy?
Edited 10/26/2002 4:45:40 AM ET by stickrule
Replies
My block plane came with the cutter bevel up...my jack plane came with the bevel down. How
should I interpret this discrepancy?
It's supposed to be like that...the #5 is a bench plane, part of a series that runs from 1-8, all of them with chipbreakers (the part with the curved bit on the other side of the plane iron)that are tightned onto the non-bevelled side of the iron. The block plane is not a part of the bench plane family, and doesn't have a chipbreaker....bench planes are used bevel side down, block planes are bevel side up...and the plane iron is t a lower angle.
try Knots, the Fine Woodworking forum....there is a lot of basic information on planes there. Or try a book called 'The handplane Book' by Garret Hack; evertyhing you want to know about planes.
cabinetmaker/college instructor. Cape Breton, N.S
Okay, I'll give a try to the basics of setup question since no one else has yet……..likely cause they're all smarter than I am.
If you pull the blade assembly out of the plane, you'll notice that it consists of two parts; the blade and the cap iron or chipbreaker. The cap iron must fit tightly against the flat side of the blade so that no shavings can pass and/or jamb between. If yours doesn't fit nicely, you'll have to adjust/file the cap iron so that it does. I doubt you'll have any problem with a poor fit on a Record.
The cap iron needs to be set up for the type of wood and work you're doing. For coarser planing producing coarser shavings, you'll want that cap iron set approx. but no more than 1/16" from the cutting edge. For finer work and shavings, you'd want to adjust this for approx. 1/32" or even as close as 1/64" or less for extremely thin shavings or for use in difficult or wild-grained wood. You want its edge parallel with the blade edge. As you first start out to get the hang of using a hand plane, I'd recommend starting with a 1/32" set back. Screw it down tight.
Next, reinstall the blade assembly (blade edge goes in first) back down onto the frog ( the big metal incline ramp) making certain that the "Y" lever adjustment engages properly into the slot of the cap-iron and then reinstall the lever cap iron and snap it over to hold things in place. It should snap over firmly but not too firmly. Adjust the pressure by adjusting the lever cap iron adjustment screw. It'll be apparent. Look at the sole of the plane to see if there's some throat clearance beyond the cutting edge of the blade. You need some opening here just to get started.
At this point, the blade may either be projecting too far or not at all from the sole of the plane. Adjust this with the large brass adjustment nut behind the frog to get the blade exposed just a bit. I feel for this with my finger. Also, look to see if the blade is parallel to the throat opening and if it's not, use the adjusting lever to position it. Take the plane to a piece of wood held in a vise or clamped down and see if you can make a shaving with it. If it cuts too deeply or not at all, you need to adjust the cutting depth again. Always make certain that your last adjustment of the wheel is forward to take any slack from the threads. Once you've found a cutting depth that produces a nice thin shaving you may yet have to adjust the frog to get the proper throat clearance. Experiment a bit with the depth setting until you're producing a shaving that seems ideal at the moment. Different woods and situations will require that the depth of cut be adjusted to suit the situation, so this is just a starting point for you to become familiar with how various adjustments will influence your results.
Proper throat clearance is essential to getting the best performance from your plane. The throat opening must be large enough to allow the thickness of shaving you're producing to pass thru, but shouldn't be much larger or you won't get the most benefit from the cap iron setting. Look at the thickness of your shaving and the clearance of the blade to the throat. To reset the frog, you'll have to remove the blade assembly and loosen the two screws that go down thru the frog enough to allow you to make use of its adjustment screw located around the backside of the frog. Tweak it just a bit at a time and then temporarily place the blade assembly back in, just holding it in by hand, and see what you've got. When you think it's right, put everything back together and give it a go. Remember that if a reasonable depth of cut fails to produce a shaving on the entire surface, the answer isn't to expose more blade but to plane down the high areas first until they're close enough to allow a full length shaving.
Sharpen your blade to 25° and always keep its edge square to the side of the blade. Veritas makes a great little sharpening jig for this which I like very much. Makes keeping that blade sharp a snap.
This may all sound like a big hassle right now, but once you get the hang of things, it's really simple to understand and do. I think you'll find that 1/32" cap iron set back and throat adjustment to maybe even as large as 1/16" or 3/32" will serve you in most situations or at least to start with. If the results get raggy, it means it's either time to sharpen the blade, reduce the depth of cut, adjust the cap iron, close down the throat some or frequently it means you're attempting to plane the grain in the wrong direction.
There's the best I can do with the basics.
Hey, thanks.
The information given has been helpful. I've been meaning to pick up the G. Hack handplane book for a while (I've got the hand tools book which is pretty neat) but just haven't gotten around to it on account of saving up for an actuall handplane. I have a couple of other books with plane information but nothing really specific, you know? "Experiment"... I love to experiment, of course, but not with really expensive tools. Trial and error is great as long as you've got some basics to work from. Anyhow, thank you for the information.
Planecraft is a great book ............. Woodcraft republished it and has it as does Lie Nielsen. http://www.lie-nielsen.com/books.html?cart=103582632079437
Well put.
You did forget to mention how could it feels when those shavings start coming up right. ;-)
ive gotten a lot of satisfaction watching the shavings come off my plane. Nothing like making that plane sing. Transparent shavings are just as pretty as some of the furniture ive seen.
I have a bokk called "planecraft" which covers a lot of the basics. I think I ordered it from "Woodcraft", but am not sure.
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