old laminated irons

1/31/06, 11:46 PM #1

Steve Kubien
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old laminated irons

Steve Kubien

>Hi everyone,

As many know, older wooden planes often had laminated irons which tapered in thickness. (I think they were used in infills as well). I have a couple of these and they are nice steel, take a good edge and keep it well. The question is, do you think these are suitable for bevel-up planes, specifically a low-angle mitre plane. I'm think about a 12 degree bed and 25 degree bevel.

Slowly, I am getting a couple of projects out of the way and the prosepct of only having 20 or so on the go seems tame. I'm thinking of adding a infill mitre to my list.

Your thgouths are, as always, most appreciated.

Steve Kubien

Re: old laminated irons

2/1/06, 1:15 AM #2

Todd Hughes
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Re: old laminated irons

Todd Hughes

>I sort of half heartedly collect low angle wood planes and of course they have laminated blades which are fitted bevel up so don't know why they wouldn't work for you. One thing with laminated blades you have to be careful about is to make sure the steel is at the edge which does the cutting and not the wrought iron part. Most of the low angle wood planes have their blades in so that the logo is down instead of up as most plane irons will be because of this.

Of course no advantage in using a laminated blade over a solid steel blade and could be disadvantages but if you just want to use one I don't see no reason it wouldn't work....Todd

Re: old laminated irons

2/1/06, 2:10 AM #3

Joel
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Re: old laminated irons

Joel

>if you are making a mitre plane the proper iron would be an uncut tapered iron if the plane has a wedge. Otherwise the proper iron would be an uncut parrelle iron if you are using a lever cap.

Uncut means there is no slot for a cap iron.

Re: old laminated irons

2/1/06, 9:13 AM #4

paul womack
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Re: old laminated irons

paul womack

>Of course no advantage in using a laminated blade over a solid steel blade and could be disadvantages

Well, one advantage of thick, tapered W-1 laminated blades (at least for me) is I can get 'em really cheap!

BugBear

Re: old laminated irons

2/1/06, 10:09 AM #5

Todd Hughes
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Got me there!

Todd Hughes

>

Re: old laminated irons

2/1/06, 12:41 PM #6

Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)
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Re: old laminated irons

Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)

>Steve

Many of these blades are just superb users in terms of the edge they obtain and hold. Used in the right application they cannot be beat for the price. Problems arise when they are used in a bevel down plane with a fixed mouth. As they wear, so the mouth size increases (because the blade becomes increasingly thinner). On the other hand, when the blade is used bevel up, the thickness of the blade no longer affects the mouth size. Therefore, they are ideal blades for those building bevel up planes.

Below is one I have posted here before, for illustration of a wooden low angle campher plane (about 12 degrees) with a Mathieson tapered, laminated blade. Made from Jarrah, this plane has proved very durable over the past few years of use.

Regards from Perth

Derek

old laminated irons

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