Scrub plane substitute

Re: Scrub plane substitute

Bruce, a MN galoot

>Heck, you don't even have to open up the mouth. Just make sure the frog is as far back as possible. I use an extra post-war #5 with a radiused iron for my scrub and it works fine.

Bruce

Re: Scrub plane substitute

Frank D. in Montreal

>What you'll probably have if you do this is a jack plane, with a 6 or 7" radius on the blade, and it works great for hogging off without too much tearout. I find that I don'T need more of a radius than this with the wood I work. Of course you can put a tighter radius on the blade if you want, and turn it into a scrub-type plane (2-3" radius). You might have to file the mouth open a little, and sometimes the thick chips get stuck under the chipbreaker, but it can still work. I love my jack plane, an old Stanley #5.

2�

Re: Scrub plane substitute

George Makowski

>Guy, As the posts so far indicate, a #5 with a moderate radius should work great as a jack plane (what it was designed for) and will remove lots of material.

I would suggest that as a scrub plane the #5 is somewhat long. Dedicated scrub planes tend to be more in the #4 length range. My wooden European scrub is about that length, for example. The scrub doesn't need a long bearing because it doesn't work to establish a "flat" surface, but to approach that goal. Part of the way a scrub is used is to target smaller areas of a work piece for stock removal. A long plane would make that more difficult. Dedicated scrub planes are also often rather narrow since, again, their main goal is not to provide a sizeable bearing surface but to remove thick fingernail shaped shavings fast, often in localized areas.

Good scrubbing!

George in AL

Re: Scrub plane substitute

"RJ" Whelan

>Guy ... I used a #5 as my scrub for 20+ years and it worked almost as well as a real scrub (IMO).

About 2 years ago I needed a break from money-generating jobs and spent a pleasant day building and tuning a dedicated laminated woody. I don't know that it works any better than the #5, but it was fun to build and lacking a breaker it never jams .... rj

Re: Scrub plane substitute

Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.

>If you have the plane and iron already, grind a camber and you're in business.

However, a #5 is heavier than a dedicated scrub, that makes a difference during long sessions.

I have a Veritas scrub, and also a Groz #5 that I turned into an "intermediate" plane by grinding a large radius camber on it (no idea about the size of the radius, all I know is that it works). The nice thing about using a cheap plane for this purpose is that they're lighter than "standard" planes, yet plenty solid for the task at hand.

DC

Re: Scrub plane substitute

hunter

>another thing to consider is taking a dogmeat transitional or old woodie and making it into a scrub - they normally can be had cheap if you are looking in the right places. And opening the mouth has usually been done already. I have a #40 and an ECE Woodie scrub and find that I like the ECE a lot more than the #40. Plus if you get an ECE it has a thick blade without chip breaker to get in the way.

Re: Scrub plane substitute

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Hi Guy

I have several planes that I use when preparing boards. Which one I use really depends on how much waste needs to removed, both in depth and width, and how hard or soft is the timber.

I like light scrubs, such as a Stanley #40, for soft woods, and I like heavy planes for hard woods. There are some who argue that a lighter plane is their first choice always. I find that the momentum of the heavier plane can be like an extra hand, and this is less fatiguing.

My middle weight scrub is the Veritas. This is a really nice plane. I have re-treaded Stanleys as well, such as a #5 1/4 from MIke Wenzloff, and this plane is the same size at the Veritas. My "battleship" is a Stanley #5 1/2 with a 5 1/2" radius to the blade.

Then again, I also have traditional jacks with moderate camber which can do most of the work as well.

I pull out the scrubs when there is a lot of waste to remove, and I use a jack when I want a shallower and wider shaving.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Right on!

Roy Anderson

>IMHO you are on the right track. In fact Chris Schwarz, editor of PW, who often posts here, stoutly maintains that a scrub plane is a tool for coarse carpentry and a fine woodworker would never use a scrub.

I've got an ECE scrub and a rank-set Jack and the Jack does most normal flattening chores unless I really need to remove quantities of wood. I can think of one specific project in which I needed a 1/2 inch board but only had some 3/4ths. The scrub was handy to take off the bulk wood. This was a real exception, however.

I have also had success using the scrub to substitute for ripping if I need to take a fairly narrow strip off a board. The Scrub makes short work of narrowing down the width. That's also sort of an oddball situation. Not many people would scrub off the edge of a board instead of ripping it. I just hate ripping.

However, most kiln dried wood that you get at a normal wood store will not be so rank that you really need a scrub. The coarse set Jack does plenty good.

On the other hand, working with a scrub plane is a really macho experience!

Just my two cents.

I haven't tried modifying a jack

Bill Houghton, sunny again in Sebastopol, CA

>but I do love my scrub plane.

As others have pointed out, wooden scrub planes are nice, and, if you buy a replacement iron from Lee Valley or Lie-Nielsen and whittle your own, needn't be expensive (about $20 plus shipping from Lee Valley; less if you live near a store). And making a wooden scrub plane is dead simple - no need to fuss around with getting the mouth opening just right, since you need a mouth large enough for inserting the average cat anyway, to give room for the chips.

If you only ever work with nearly-right-sized stock, a scrub may be unnecessary, but if you find yourself adapting the wood you have to the project you want, I personally think a scrub is a lovely tool.

Re: Scrub plane substitute

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>Yes, I love my horned woodie scrub, too. I don't need it anymore since buying a C&W jack, which is really a long scrub, but they're both great planes.

Pam

Rolling your own

Roy Anderson

>I also am in the camp that making your own plane is a good project. I'm in the process of making a Krenov style plane which will ultimately be about half-way between a jack plane and a scrub plane. The goal is to get to the point that I can produce a new Krenov style plane any time I need a new plane and just stop buying planes.

Make it three

Bob Hackett

>I bought a cheap horned woodie(don`t know why they seem to be less sought after than regular woodies).It already came with a thicker single iron and was a cinch to regrind yet it holds an edge very well,love that German steel.

It only required minor mods to fit my oversize hands like a second skin and quickly became my favorite scrub.Now both the 40 and 40-1/2 gather dust.

My brother liked mine so much he bought another(less than $10 on e-bay)and had me clone it.

Just my .02

Mainely,Bob

Dirt simple

Bill Houghton, sunny again in Sebastopol, CA

>I've made just one, but making my hinge mortise plane was so simple that, if I didn't already own a Stanley 40, I wouldn't hesitate to whip up a scrub.

A smoother capable of doing work at the Steve Knight or Clark & Williams level, now, that would definitely be more intimidating.

Re: Dirt simple

ThomD

>It takes 45 minutes to make a wooden scrub plane with power tools, mostly a bandsaw. Hand saw wouldn't add that much if one had a bench to properly hold the block, and an appropriate saw, both of which are often missing at this stage of shop development. It takes about another 45 minutes to make the blade, if you have a modest power grinder. Or buy an ECE blade.

I think that a scrub should have an enormous mouth, somewhat out of the range that frog adjustment accomodates, it can take off chucks of wood nearly in the drawknife range, and yet do some delicate things also. The severe curve of the blade reduces greatly the tear-out that tighter mouths often aleviate.

My scrub is a Krenov fastback shaped plane, and while I thought this shape was improbably for this use, it has proved superb. There is no difficulty in holding this plane into the work, so the lighter the better, mine is maple. If carbon fiber would lighten it further I would be all for it.