Lifting plane on the return stroke - Bother?

Hey! Them fightin' words!

Denis Chénard, Orléans, Ont.

>Come over here so I can beat you with that piece of beech...

Seriously, are you coming to the Ottawa Wood Show in December? It looks like our association will have a booth there...

DC

matter of experience?

ydb1md

>I guess I'm guilty of trying a number of approaches. I can say without hesitation that . . . it depends.

When I'm smoothing, picking the plane up entirely off of the board and placing it down in a manner that won't ding my board or bash my blade takes a lot of thought and effort. After analyzing my style, I tend to lift the heel of the plane up higher than the toe and pull it back. Sometimes the toe drags, sometimes it's above the board. The heel is usually 1/4" or so above the board. Sometimes I find that the sole of the plane is just barely grazing the board so even if the blade did contact, there would be little or no pressure against the wood.

When I'm trying or jointing a board, I take a bit more time; lifting the entire plane off the board, registering the toe of the plane and easing the blade into the wood. It's too easy to get aggressive and bash the blade into the wood . . . you can imagine how fast that dulls the blade.

Re: Strong disagreement

John Aniano, WW'ing in NJ, somewhere...

>Hey Adam,

I'm with you on this issue, up to a point and depending on the job at hand. For instance, when I cut moldings using a wooden molding plane, I DO drag the plane backwards because of the reasons you mentioned. Ditto when using a scrub plane, fillister, Badger plane and plow plane. Much faster and the quality of the cut is usually irrelevant anyway. For final cuts using a smoother or jointer however, I do tend to pick up the plane after each stroke. Why, I don't know...

Over and out,

John

Re: Strong disagreement

ThomD

>You're in the public eye, Adam, I'm not. So let me say it, you're right and they are wrong!

I often refer to the action in certain basic strokes as "scrubbing" just rub it back and forth. When the blade stops catching, you have the basic curvature of the projection and the length of the sole. That's how you know you're done and can move on. That's how a jointer works, and why they make different lengths. Different curvatures for different degrees of spring.

I think the problem isn't merely that some people don't make anything. The further problem is that a lot of people just use a plane for the last few strokes sorta what sandpaper is used for by some. Or they just use their planes for tests that have little real application, even if interesting. If one expands one's use to real labour, the stuff the big machines are for, then it is just inefficient not to support your weight on the work. Sure, when you get to finishing, by all means take some extra time, but when you are roughing or even dimensioning, the return stroke will not mar your finish.

And another issue is that Wooden planes don't seem to do much damage to the wood, as you scrub back and forth.

I follow the Japanese practice of not chamfering the front or back of my planes, so that crumbs can't get under the sole and mar the finish. No wait a second they must have said to just not chamfer the front of the plane since it only works in one direction... Better check that out.

I think it is Franz Klaus who recommends tipping your plane, which I assume is because he is running the edge only back over the wood. Shame. That must dig quite a hole!

I don't always rub on the return stroke, sometimes that would be inefficient. I just do what works.

Re: Strong disagreement

Ted Owen, Pittsburgh

>Frank Klausz is using a wooden handplane in that demo where he lifts it, actually tilts it.

Best, Ted

Besides...

Scott in Douglassville, PA

>...I saw Frank 'scrubbing' with a metal-bodied smoother at one of the WoodWorks shows a few years ago. That's where I learned to do that.

Scott, apparently on a first-name basis with Frank

Tilt and/or lift

Bob Hackett

>I always at least tilt the plane on return for anything but final smoothing.I try to lift and return the plane on those final few passes but will confess that if I`m using a wood plane I have been known to get lazy and drag the tilted plane back.

I think that "scrubbing" or texturing is a different operation and treat it as such.I keep the plane in full contact to better reference where the cuts will start and stop.

My guess is this is yet another case of whatever works best for you is the correct way.Many cats,many ways to separate them from thier coats.If you are not holding the plane then you are merely holding the other guy`s cat.

Mainely,Bob

Anybody who...

Ted Owen, Pittsburgh

>calls him Frank is my "hero, once-removed". : )

Best, Ted

Re: Tilt and/or lift

Joe Rogers, Northern Virginia

>Unless you are Sir Will Duffield ...then if you aren't holding the plane you have just thrown it at the cat:-)JR

Re: Tilt and/or lift

ThomD

>I agree it comes down to what works best for you. However, on the do it or don't do it front, the fact that not lifting works fine for some is more significant. There are too many people saying it "can't" work, not just "I don't prefer it". The can'ts loose the minute any one person can.

Re: Tilt and/or lift

William Duffield, on the Cohansey

>I think the main issue here is which is "best practice," not whether you can get an acceptable surface with either practice. I sometimes (too often, really) do it the lazy way, but always pay for my laziness, because I have to sharpen more often. Worse, when using a BU smoother, I have to spend a lot more time sharpening, because I have to take off a lot more metal, using a jig, instead of a quick freehand hone to add a steeper microbevel and back to planing.

As an aside, using the new LV honing jig means I can now resharpen my L-N #164 without removing the depth adjuster plate. Note that this trick only works with a HA smoothing blade, and not a blade ground for end grain. Sadly, that revelation contributes to my continued laziness.