Using a 5 1/2 for roughing?

Re: Suggestions for radius?

Jack Dover

Well, even rough planing requires sensitivity. If you're getting that much tearout and it's going below a marking line — just stop it, figure something else. Not every board can be planed like this, and not every board needs to be rough planed.

I think nobody would argue that heavy removal rate will cause tearout no matter single or double iron? But it must be controlled, so that the next stage, truing, removes it.

I scrub too, often

Bill Tindall, E.Tn.

I don't hand plane surfaces to produce hand planed surfaces, so I have stayed out of this discussion. However, Roger provided an introduction for another thought.

I put a substantial camber on a Stanley #5 and it gets used for almost every project.

Way 1: Taking twist out of a board before machine thickness planing. I find that taking some of the twist out leads to a surface that will successfully plane flat when the board goes through my machine. I just whack off the diagonal high corners. And the scrubby part goes blazing fast.

Way 2: I often have some small projecting piece, such as a facing piece, that stands proud of the main surface. If it sticks up much I begin mowing it off with the scrub plane. The camber lets me adjust the shaving thickness by position of the plane. Handy.

Re: Suggestions for radius?

Jack Dover

No, I would not agree.

Okay, you wrote the following:

I recommend 1/32 inch difference in length from the middle to the edges. If it is much larger than that, the cap iron is not going to work very well.

The way I understand the cursive is if there's more camber than 1/32" a chip breaker doesn't prevent tearout. This means about 1/32" is the max camber one can put on a double iron before it becomes an equivalent of a single iron. Hence a chip breaker defines the max camber or, in other words, "limits" the max camber. What exactly would you disagree with?

I have used cambered cap irons since 1976. Peter Nicholson mentioned this in 1812.

How dating Nicholson writings is related to amount of tearout caused by heavy removal? Also, you aren't implying that double iron eliminates tearout completely no matter the set, are you?

Re: Suggestions for radius?

Warren in Lancaster, PA

I was writing in response to Tony, who was thinking of buying an extra iron for his plane and using the same cap iron for both.

Traversing has been enlightening

Tony Wilkins

Hadn’t really tried it because I’ve never seen the point on the machine planed wood I typically buy from the wood yard. However, right now I’m working on rough cut 12’ walnut boards for a table. I was working along the grain but got out a cambered blade and started working across and wow. Got past the roughness and leveled the cup so much quicker. It’s also much easier with me being in a chair.

Cap iron for tear out in roughing

Tony Wilkins

Warren, am I understanding that you are talking about the cap iron preventing tear out even in rough planing? If so, I had t even considered that aspect.

FWIW, the traversing I’ve been doing on 6” to 8” wide walnut boards hasn’t caused any tear out besides some minimal around a couple of knots. I have the cap iron fairly far back but I can play with it some.

Re: Cap iron for tear out in roughing

Warren in Lancaster, PA

The cap iron is most useful for planing with the grain.

Re: I scrub too, often

roger lance

I do not plane to a finished surface either when working rough stock.....just work on it until it will sit flat on my bench and there is no rock......then off to the machine.

Re: Why push the ideal?

Charlie

This post should be made sticky. It is frankly brilliant.