Scrub plane recommendations.

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Rob

I made a wonderful scrub plane out of an old Danish horned woodie. This had a blade that was 1 3/4" wide and 1/8" thick. The old Euro woodies are typically constructed like this. Look out for one.

The important points for consideration are:

(1) a woodie is not only lighter than an iron plane (such as a #40), but glides over timber more easily.

(2) The blade needs to be narrow, about 1 3/4" (same as #40 or a #3) is much better than a wide(r) blade, which requires more effort to push.

(3) The thicker the blade the better. The thinner standard Stanley blades (like your #5) will flex under the load.

While you can radius the blade freehand, I made up a jig to do so on my high-speed grinder. Just a piece of timber the same size as the blade, one end radiused as you require. Screw this to the blade, extend as far as necessary for the desired bevel angle, and then use the curve as a template against the grinder's rest to steady and shape the curve.

On my blade I aimed for a 3" radius, which was approximately 1/8" (from memory) down at each corner.

I hope this helps (and my descriptions make sense)

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

paul womack

>Either make your own, Steve Knight style, or buy the ECE.

BugBear

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

Fred G - Cincinnati

>I just got done doing the very same thing, and picked up a #40 for rough flattening. It worked well enough, but I found myself wanting a little more room between the handle and the back end of the blade. I couldn't get the handle quite tight enough, either - if I was going to do it again with a metal plane, I'd go for the 40-1/2. The added weight is minimal when you consider how hard you're pushing to cut through the wood. A lot of guys go for the horned plane (seems to be the top choice), and of course Steve Knight has a very good rep.

I thoroughly enjoyed flattening my bench top, and it was fun to cover the floor around it with shavings - It's one of the few times I've worked up a sweat in my basement shop. It was also easier than I suspected. I got it close with the scrub, finished flattening with a #7 or #8, and touched up with a smoother. If you haven't glued up your top yet, make sure you orient the grain so it runs in one direction as much as possible, and use the scrub on the diagonal, alternating direction to help keep it flat. Also, mark the final thickness around the top with pencil, so you can see when you're getting close.

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

Jack from Maine

>Rob, I recommend the ECE.It is a nice light plane that really slices some wood. Also it is comfortable in your hand.Inexpensive also.---Jack

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

Todd Stock

>Vintage Stanley or new LN if you're feeling flush, but a beater #3 with the mouth opened up and a radiused blade works just fine.

Look for ones with hanging holes drilled in the base or other silly mods - these ugly ducklings just beg to be made useful again. A #4 will do in a pinch - just radius the blade to give you about a 1-1/2 inch wide by 1/8 inch or so cut.

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

Dale Stansbery

>I agree with the modified #3 size plane. I have an old dunlap that I converted, and it works great. I opened the mouth with a Dremel grinder.

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

Steve Denvir

>Rob, I may have a solution for you. Ping me off-line.

steve.denvir@sympatico.ca

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

CBT

>I recently acquired an old #40 and added a Hock blade. While have not had it long enough to offer much adivse. The #40 is much lighter than I expected. I assumed a "scurb" plane would be brut of a plane. I would consider a #40 1/2 for just a little extra mass and wider blade. You could find one on ebay or buy a LN.

CT

get thee to the archives! *LINK*

John Truxell-Svenson (jvs)

>Bunch of threads on this; one of many below. I would still vote for a metal one and love my LN, since I use a scrub for roughing tapers and other heavier shaping than just knocking down high spots for flattening. A grab-it-around-the-butt-end woodie would be fine if you just need it for the latter; a regular tote/knob really help for hanging on if you do more than that.




/jvs


scrub discussion

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

R.J.Whelan

>Rob ... if you've never built a plane (but have wanted to), this might be the perfect "first effort". I'd go with the Krenov style (very simple to build - design available off of the College of the Redwoods website.

A scrub doesn't have to be very precise to do the job and you don't have to worry much about removing too much of the sole when you're opening up the throat.

My scrub is built from a piece of hard maple (hey, maybe you can afford enough of that bench top material to build the plane from it - there would be a nice, symbolic resonance to having one of the planes used to build the bench actually having started out as part of the bench). I used an old cast-off Stanley iron and made a chip breaker out of 1/4" tool steel (no need to harden); the breaker is more of an iron-stiffener than anything else but I did put a pretty sever bevel at it's front end (about 50� as I remember).

Because of the rough nature of the work this plane does I find I need to joint the sole fairly often (maybe six time in the last three years) but an open throat is desirable - just position the cross pin a bit higher than normal when you're laying out the plane.

Good luck ... rj

Re: Scrub plane 

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>

Re: Scrub plane recommendations. *LINK*

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I picked up a Stanley No. 40 at a garage sale, and like it, but certainly appreciate that the ECE plane should work fine at a better price.

Another alternative, if you suffer from wallet anemia, is to buy a replacement iron ($30 from Woodcraft; don't know if there are cheaper sources) and make your own. My article on making a butt hinge mortise plane (link below) could easily be adapted to this purpose.

Buying or making is one thing; learning to use is another. This is one of those planes that works best when you work counter-intuitively: cross-grain, short, choppy strokes, for wasting large quantities of material, then moving around to long-grain as you approach your finished surface.

Truly a cool tool, though; one of those "and WHY did they stop making these?" tools.


Kinda like a little scrub plane, but different

Krenov-style *LINK*

miami

>Or, you could take the middle ground and buy the Ron Hock Krenov-style plane kit, which comes with a Hock blade of course. This does not save money over rehabbing a metal one or buying an old woodie, but it is rewarding. It's halfway down the page linked.

Good luck!


Hock products

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

Alan Hamilton

>Rob,

I'm curious about why you can't open your jack's mouth. My experience with #5s isn't all that broad, but I've learned that jacks are made for rough dimensioning. Though jacks do well on various other planing chores, they're really made for doing the exact job you're asking about.

Did you put in a thick, after-market iron? Is the frog not adjustable? In short, why can't the mouth open wide? Enquiring minds want to know. The whole world wonders. (Any Adm. Halsey fans out there?)

Alan

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

R.J.Whelan

>Yes - do you recall what he called the message coder who inserted the filler at the end?

rj

Jacks' mouth!

Rob in Ontario

>Alan,

Jack has lock jaw. Even with the frog at its most open position, the mouth is too narrow to allow thick chips/shavings through. When adjusted for fine shavings it works great. Because of this and the plane being handed down to me from my Dad and Grandfather, I do not want to modify it.

Thanks, Rob

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

Alan Hamilton

>RJ,

I don't know what Halsey called him, but I'm sure it was colorful.

According to Halsey: "Chester [Nimitz] blew up when I told him about it; he tracked down the little squirt and chewed him to bits..." I think "the little squirt" got off easy--at least easier than if he had been in Halsey's command and Halsey had done the chewing.

Alan

Get an older Stanley #40... They work great!

John Aniano in Central NJ

>

Re: Scrub plane recommendations.

R.J.Whelan

>Alan .... I think, considering the Admiral's well earned reputation as a first class curser, his rather tame naming of the offender as a "pipsqueak" is both surprising and charming. My dad was on Halsey's staff and his telling of the "the world wonders" story was always one of my favorites ... rj