I have a LV LA jack plane. I will soon be using it on figured maple. The maple I purchased turned out to be figured by about 50%. The seller did not know, nor did I, that it had a lot of figure in it. I feel I should get another blade to use on this wood. If I get a blade would I be best served with a 38* or a 50* iron? How will the blade with a higher bevel work on the wood that has no figure in it? By figure I mean curly.
Thank you.
Replies
Bonka,
The 38* would be a great addition for your LA plane. It would be very versatile iron for tricky grained wood. The 50* iron might be a bit difficult to sharpen, given the steep bevel. You would almost have to put a 15 or 20 degree back bevel on the iron. I don't have any experience with this so I can't offer much help in that department.
Regards,
Sean
Hi Bonka
My LV LA Jack essentially used two bevel angles, a 25 degree for the shooting board and a 50 degree for hard, figured wood.
For figured wood, you are far better off with a high cutting angle. This will not be difficult to push if you are taking fine shavings.
I assume that you will want to camber the blade? If so, do not buy a blade that has a 50 degree primary bevel. Get one that is 25 degrees and add a 50 degree secondary bevel. Far less work when honing.
See here for my article of this:
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/TheSecretToCamberinBUPlaneBlades.html
Regards rom Perth
Derek
Ah Derek,Sometimes when I read your posts, I find myself thinking "Wow, I needed to know that."A copy is printing out now, and tomorrow, the old grindstone will be going. Thanks!Mike DP.S. My new LA Jack is due to arrive in a couple of days, and, ironically, I went to great lengths to get it delivered with a 38 degree blade. Who knew?
Mike D :)
Edited 8/6/2008 2:31 am ET by Mike_D
Derek,Thanks for that beautifully written and photographed piece. Very professional and informative.Rich
Bonka,
Too bad. Don't you hate it when you don't get what you expected?!? Hey, if you want some REAL plain maple...
First of all, you can change the cutting action of the blade by just sharping the microbevel to a steeper angle. A 38-degree blade might cut it, but it might not. A 50-degree blade is a sure bet. It will also cut plain figured wood just as smoothy as a 38-degree blade, but it does require more force to push.
Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
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