Replies

1. 
   Samson | Sep 07, 2008 06:28am | #1

   Can you be more specific about what you mean by "skip" and exactly what plane your using and to accomplish what?   

2. 
   roc | Sep 07, 2008 08:05am | #2

   Sounds like the throat is too narrow for the thickness of shaving and the throat clogs and then you have a build up of wood at the blade and then the plane is sliding down the board on a shaving of wood that is microscopically wadded up on the bottom side of the throat.

   Personally a very tight throat has not helped me much. A properly sharpened blade with sufficient clearance angle, proper wedge angle and a back bevel if necessary is by far more useful (see plane blade terms in Fine WoodWorking magazine articles in this data base).

   How do you know the blade is sharp enough? Wear one of those magnification visors like a jeweler uses. Attempt to shave the hair on your arm. If you can shave a curl off a single hair that's getting there. If, as the blade approaches, the hair jumps off your arm and runs away before the blade gets to it that is sharp enough.

   Happy planing !

   
   

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   Edited 9/7/2008 1:08 am by roc

3. 
   MikeHennessy | Sep 07, 2008 10:49pm | #3

   Planing is definately an acquired skill. You need to start with the weight on the front of the plane, and shift to the back as you move through the cut. Take light cuts and get your weight behind the plane going forward. It's a natural tendency for the force on the plane handle to try to rotate the plane around the center, driving the nose down and the tail up. Think "straight" when pushing, and keep your force and weight low. Use the inertia in the plane and in your body to keep the plane moving forward at a constant speed.

   Start by practicing on some clear poplar and move up to hardwoods as your skills improve. I used to make my students practice on poplar or pine until they could get a nice full-edge shaving the whole length of a 3' board. Once they could do that, they could try hardwoods.

   Mike Hennessy
   Pittsburgh, PA

4. 
   Oilstone | Sep 08, 2008 11:09pm | #4

   The cap iron is set too close to the edge for the amount of blade exposure.  Move the cap iron back a touch or lighten up on the blade exposure.