Jointer Problem

Re: Jointer Problem

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Joel

I offer some of my thoughts, not as definitive answers, but rather as hypotheses for testing.

I am in the process of tuning up a new-to-my-workshop USA-built Stanley #7 Type 11. I am still lapping the sole, but testing the quality of the cut as I go along.

I have experienced a problem similar to yours, that is, the blade tends to adjust sideways too easily for my liking, and I'm concerned that it will not hold its position. Tightening the Hold Down does not alter this.

My assumption is that the frog or the back of the blade (or both) are not flat and seated securely. One is riding on a high point and this is causing it to pivot too easily. I will look at both now and flatten one/both if needed. The blade, incidentally, is a Smoothcut and used with a Clifton chipbreaker (the mouth was too small to fit the Clifton blade as well).

A "wandering" blade certainly could be causing your out-of-square cut.

The other issue, the "bulge in the middle" of the board is more likelt due to technique. If you are just planing over a shallow curve, you are in danger of retaining the curve. You need to determine where the high points are and remove these first.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Jointer Problem

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>This may be caused by too much tote pressure at the start of the cut and too much knob pressure at the end.JR

This may sound dumb but...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Make sure your not hitting the lateral adjuster as your planing.

I'd check the sole for flatness and make sure there's no twist in it too.

Then it's on to the frog/base mating surfaces to be sure they mate correctly.

Yeah... *LINK*

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>I've been learning jointer etiquette all week, and I bump that lateral adjuster frequently. It seems like it'd be less of a problem if my tote wasn't broken at the top.

Also, the lever cap screw wasn't snug enough for a while, and the torque the plane saw in use would shift the iron.

Wax (oil, whatever) the sole, too, 'cause excess friction makes it jumpy.

Finally, make sure you're jointing correctly. Read this summary by Cherubini to see if you're hitting it right. Seems counterintuitive to me, but it works: Edge Jointing Info.

I have a type 19 7C that I'd never used. Ground the iron square, cleaned it up, and works like a complete dream. The sole's never been flattened. FWIW.


Edge Jointing Info

Re: Jointer Problem

Adam Cherubini, NJ

>Is the mouth straight? Are your shavings uniform in thickness?

It could be that your frog is cocked. Even though the blade may be parallel to the sole, having the mouth wider on one side than the other could cause the plane to take an exasperating wedge shaped shaving.

Keep in mind: This is an easy job that takes but a few minutes to perform.

I don't know if anybody else experiences this (I suspect so), but I struggle with the question of whether its me or the tool. I also struggle with whether my work is good enough or fast enough. The problem stems from my lack of experience with skilled woodworkers. So I'm always thrilled to meet and talk with woodworkers who use hand tools.

Anyway, in this case, I want you to know that this is a simple technique. I think you are using the wrong tool, and I suspect you are using it incorrectly (the hump you spoke of).

If you are like me, this is good news. If you curve the original iron and spend 5 minutes reading about try planes (I've written about them obviously, but Don McConnell wrote a nice piece in PW (Feb or April 2003?) that's the same information presented better and with pictures!) you'll find you can do this sort of work in a few minutes with great precision.

Good luck!

Adam

Jointer Problem

Joel Oswald

>Thanks for the advice.

I can edge joint boards flat and square no problem, but I obviously need to work on my wider stock techniques. I am just about to go check my plane now, and I'll try again. I have an extra #8 iron, maybe I'll try sharpening that into a try plane iron. How should the curve be? Very slight?

Thanks again

Joel

Re: Jointer Problem

paul womack

>Even though the blade may be parallel to the sole, having the mouth wider on one side than the other could cause the plane to take an exasperating wedge shaped shaving.

In theory I don't see why.

I practice I own a #5 1/2 with a badly skewed frog, and I have to use full lateral adjust to get the edge parallel to the sole, resulting in a severely tapered mouth. It takes uniform shavings.

BugBear

Re: Jointer Problem

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>As long as the bevel is parallel with the sole it will take an even shaving. In this respect it matters not whether the frog is skewed. However, the tightness of the mouth becomes an issue: a skewed blade will be tight at one end and wide at the other, and the wide end will be more prone to producing tearout. For this reason, plane tuning must include adjustments to the frog so that the bevel is seated both parallel to the sole and equidistant from the mouth.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Jointer Problem

Joel Oswald

>I checked my plane, and it looks fine, I think I just need to practice my technique. Thanks for the help.

Joel

Practice, practice, practice

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>There's a reason they're called "hand tool skills."

I've had the same twisting problem, and I concluded that I was twisting the plane as I worked. I'm better at it now, but I can ascribe that only to more practice.

Keep your square on the bench and use it constantly. If you don't already have some winding sticks, get or make some (I use two 24" levels I picked up for $1 and free at garage sales; others use lengths of aluminum extrusion from the Borg; the purists use carefully planed lengths of hardwood. You get to choose).