LN, supplies their bench planes with a 25 degree main bevel and recommend around a 2 degree micro bevel (27 total). Veritas on the other hand supplies their planes with a main bevel of 30 degrees and recommend a 5 degree micro bevel (35 total).
Who has the best recipe here?
I went the Veritas route, even on my LN, but after playing with a new Veritas Block plane, with a 25 degree bevel and seeing the excellent results even on some curly lumber, I’m wondering what is most common?
Replies
25 is for softwoods and 30 is for hardwoods. The school I learned sharpening from recommended 27-28 degrees. I seems to work for me. I also have a LN plane and have purchased the "york" pitch assembly for it which effectively raises the pitch another 5 degrees. This works better on some highly figured grain but is a little harder to use on most normal boards so I keep the normal assembly in the plane unless I know I need it. I didn't know that LV shipped with their planes at 35 degrees. Maybe that's why I never liked the ones I had an opportunity to try.
Hi -
On a bevel down plane, as long as you have enough room for springback, you want as high a bevel angle as you can (say 35-40 degrees even) - it just makes for stronger edge, and reduces your sharpening time (the bevel - or micro-bevel - face is smaller).
On bevel up planes, our standard is 25 degrees (actually - 23 plus 2 microbevel), unless you buy the 38 or 50 degree optional blades (the 38 will be standard on the Bevel-up smooth in the next catalog).
Years ago - we supplied Block planes with a 20 degree bevel - with instructions saying we did so, as it was easier for the consumer to increase the angle, than it was to decrease it. The problem was - many people don't read instructions, and used the 20 degree bevel on hardwoods... which was just not appropriate.
Cheers -
Rob
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