After asking the question I finally went and installed two set screws either side of the plane blade to mimic the set up found on many of the Veritas planes. Like many things, once you get around to doing it it is far easier to do than I could believe. In fact it was almost effortless once I tumbled to how to mark the frog bed on the outside of the plane body so that I could locate where to drill the holes. The answer was two slats of wood clamped together around a spacer, then set over the side of the plane.
For those who want to try it themselves I used 10:32 tap for a 10:32 set screw which requires a #21 wire size drill bit. Not being a machinist, I had no idea they had numbered drill bits. All the parts and tools together cost less than $10. For this job I just twisted the tap with a crescent wrench.
Some thoughts on having done it is that 1, it does make adjustment more precise 2, a set screw can limit the forward placement of the frog, so keep that in mind before drilling the hole and 3, make sure the set screws clear the frog and plane bottom.
So thanks to those that encouraged me to try. I think it easily worth the effort.
Peter
Replies
Hi Peter
It is worth doing.
Here is a pictorial I completed a little while ago: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/GalootSmootherII.html
Regards from Perth
Derek
A humbler starting point
Derek,
Thank you. Yes we agree. I remember looking at your work the first time around and being a bit intimidated by the quality of the plane and your skills. I almost missed the set screws which I think was a minor part of the work. I suppose what I'm suggesting to others is that it can make a difference on far humbler planes. I started with a Stanley Handyman. Now that I see it does make a difference it is on to others like the old Stanley 6 & 7 with wider heavier blades and more slop.
Peter
Peter,
Glad you found a way to solve a problem that was bothering you. Years ago, there was a guy on TV whose tag line was "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."
I used to wonder about the set screws on some of the Veritas planes. I tried them a few times. At first, I had trouble setting the iron on a shoulder plane. I figured that the set screws were THE ANSWER. Certainly they are "an answer".
It's kinda like the fence that Lee Valley makes which you can put on the side of your jointer plane, to make it easier to make your edge square to the face side. Some folks called it "training wheels for a bike". Others liked it.
So I kept practicing with my shoulder and rabbet planes and after a short while, I was able to set the iron at just the right place. I would test it by making a rabbet and check to see that the side of the rabbet was staying perpendicular to the bottom. It didn't take long. I remember reading an article, which might have been by Gonchnour, which said that you could use two pieces of paper to set the iron correctly. I tried that. It just seemed kind of hokey to me. So I just practiced until I could do it without thinking much about it.
I go to a wood show every year, and each year, I look forward to visiting the Lee Valley booth and trying out more of their tools. I think they do a great job in designing and making their tools. One year, I asked one of the folks who was working the Lee Valley booth about the set screws on the sides of the planes. He said that some people love them but he doesn't use them. I remember reading the same thing in an article by Chris Schwartz. It doesn't take much to learn to tweak with your fingers or a light hammer, and feel with your fingers.
I always take advice from others with a grain of salt. A lot of folks are biased for one reason or another. It is nice to hear their opinions, but sometimes these opinions add "noise" to the search for what works best for you.
I always liked Einstein's quip that "an explanation should be as simple as possible, but no simpler". I feel the same about tools. You can keep adding features to a tool until you get a Stanley 55 Multiplane, and then you are in real trouble.
Part of the reason that I wanted to learn how to adjust plane irons without aids like set screws is that i was also trying to learn how to use old wood planes, which didn't have set screws.
Another reason was my philosophy about what a "good woodworker" is. I have come to the conclusion that a good woodworker is one who can make masterpieces using someone else's tools." This is not something I just made up. I have posted it for a long time, and I believed it before that. That doesn't make it true. It is simply my way of looking at the world.
I am not trying to convert you to my way of thinking, but am merely pointing out that there are different ways of looking at things. Schwartz has a great article about the general differences between Lee Valley and Lie Nielsen tools. It's a fun read. He doesn't seem to be biased one way or the other.
Now when I get a new tool, I know it is not going to work the way I want it to until I get some real experience with it, and learn its charms and characteristics and annoyances. My job it so learn to control the tool. I often think back to the great cabinet makers of the 1700s and 1800s, and read of their tools and their methods of work (where is Adam Cherubini now that we need him? :-), and I think what they could have done if they had modern tools. I think of what Chopin and Mozart could have done if they had a synthesizer. But then I think - folks with modern synthesizers don't seem to compose as nicely as Amadeus did.
If everybody was of the same religion, it would be a dull world. I am glad you took the time to tell the conclusions that you have reached to others. That was, IMHO, a good thing to do. Now, two religions have been represented. Some people enjoy tinkering with tools. Some people enjoy tinkering with skills. Of course, it is not that black and white.
Have fun.
Mel (the Traditionalist)
Lets put the tools to use.
Mel,
I just want to use the tools, not fiddle with them or constantly tap them with a hammer to keep them set properly. A lot of metal plans have a lot of slop in their adjusment. If you find something that eliminates a variable and improves control, why not use it? It's a trick. Some may find it useful.
On the other hand, if you really like fussing I've got a Leica M3 from my parents estate you could take a shine to. When I ran a roll of film through it to make sure it worked, I found it took outstanding pictures. But I'd forgotten what a pain in the ass it was was to hold a light meter, take a reading, set a speed, f/stop and then focus the lens before I pressed the shutter. You might find it enjoyable. We could strike a deal.
Peter
Mel,
To the old saw,"It is
Mel,
To the old saw,"It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness."
I say, "Damn candle."
Maybe it's just me.
Ray
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