Plane issue

5/1/05, 6:25 AM #1

Kelby
Guest

Plane issue

Kelby

>I have been trying to tune my Bailey 4-1/2 just perfect. It's working well, but there is a small issue that bugs me.

If I set the cap iron back of the edge of the blade by about .040", I have no problem except that I am not making .040" thick shavings, so I would like the cap iron to be closer to the edge of the blade.

If I try to move the cap iron any closer than that, I start to have a problem: I can't get the blade to protrude from the mouth enough to cut. The problem seems to be that the nut on the bottom of the cap iron bottoms out in the little cavity that the nut ordinarily sets in, so when I tighten the adjusting nut, it just jams the nut into the lower edge of the cavity and won't push the blade/cap iron assembly any lower.

How do I fix this? (Perhaps I just need to pick up a new Hock cap iron, which I don't mind doing. But if the position of the nut relative to the tip of the cap iron is the same on the Hock as it is on my existing cap iron, then I don't expect that would fix anything.)

Re: Plane issue

5/1/05, 12:06 PM #2

Richard A. Gillespie, Jr.
Guest

Re: Plane issue

Richard A. Gillespie, Jr.

>A 4.5 plane is a smoother. You want that plane to give you thin shavings. By eye, I set my chip breaker about 1/16" back from the edge of the blade. That allows enough room between the chip breaker and the mouth when I set the edge of the blade about .010" back from the mouth. The shavings I get from my plane vary from .001" to .008". I don't think I would want to try to use a smoother to cut .040".

You want to get a thicker shaving while using a scrub plane while hogging off a lot of wood. For a Jack plane you can set that for either thicker shavings or thinner as you do your initial smoothing after using the scrub. Then you do your final smoothing.

Re: Plane issue

5/1/05, 1:04 PM #3

Warren in PA
Guest

Re: Plane issue

Warren in PA

>You ought to be able to set the cap iron as close as you want. Perhaps the cap iron is from another plane and does not match up with the cavity. I checked one of my caps- 2 9/16 from edge of screw to edge of cap iron.

Re: Plane issue

5/1/05, 2:21 PM #4

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia
Member
Offline
979 posts

Registered: 12/30/03

Re: Plane issue

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>For the thin curlies you aspire to with this plane you could pitch the chipbreaker. It has no effect on "breaking the chip". Shavings this thin have no strength to tear grain and therefor the chipbreaker is a blade stabilizer only. Put it where it needs to be and plane away. Most planes can benefit ,with an extremely tight mouth, from moving the chipbreaker back to avoid clogging during use.

I believe RJ Whelen even edited his 19 steps to include this point of view.JR

Re: Plane issue

5/1/05, 8:27 PM #5

R.J.Whelan
Guest

Re: Plane issue

R.J.Whelan

>I like the new LN improved breakers and they're pretty reasonably priced. I used to make my own, but I think the LN ends up being pretty economical by the time all is said and done ... rj

Re: Plane issue

5/1/05, 11:10 PM #6

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia
Member
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979 posts

Registered: 12/30/03

Darn RJ...

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>After all these years I should be able to remember how to spell your name :-( Proofread Proofread...

BTW I am reasurred that my bench (when finished) will suit my needs after reading your post about your new bench. The dimensions are almost identical to my planned bench. I fear,however, that the LOML will use it to store folded laundry due to the proximity of the washer and dryer.JR

Re: Plane issue

5/2/05, 5:18 PM #7

Kelby
Guest

Re: Plane issue

Kelby

>Thanks to all for your responses. I'll just keep the chipbreaker back a bit.

Re: Plane issue

5/2/05, 5:45 PM #8

Wendell @ Murphy, TX
Guest

Re: Darn RJ...

Wendell @ Murphy, TX

>Joe, you're obiviously being to neat. Just make sure the bench is sufficiently covered in shavings and your wife won't use as a laundry storage area :)

Wendell

Re: Plane issue

5/2/05, 8:03 PM #9

R.J.Whelan
Guest

Re: Darn RJ...

R.J.Whelan

>Joe .... I solved the wife using the bench as a catch-all problem by having the shop 2 miles from the house: it is, at times, a little inconvenient driving to the shop to put in a couple of hours in the evening, but I've been trying to cut back on evening work anyway.

Good luck with you new bench; I sure like mine ... rj

Plane issue

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