Replies

1. 
   Samson | Apr 10, 2009 09:37pm | #1

   This is sort of a meaningless question without more details such as :

   what plane are we talking about?

   doing what task? (e.g., jointing the edge of a straight grain baord or smoothing the face of a curly grained one?)  If you want to know how a plane will do in smoothing tough grain, testing on a straight grain board is a fool's errand.

   Even then, the question assumes that one sets a plane and is done.  This is not how I use planes.  I am often making adjustments during the course of a single operation, like smoothing to take finer shavings, change the lateral adjustment slightly, etc. 

   Even if you could set it up so you didn't have to touch it while finishing planing one board, the board you pick up the next day (even of the same species!) is likely to require some tweaking of the settings to work optimally.  

   In short, there is no "one true plane calibrating wood."  If you just want to try out a plane, most any piece of wood representative of the type you're likely to be using the plane on will do.

2. 
   derekcohen | Apr 11, 2009 05:24am | #2

   Hi JH

   I assume you are referring to setting the blade projection and not, as Sean (Samson) covers before, how to decide whether a plane is set up for planing all and any types of wood. Sean is saying - and I agree - that straight grained test boards are no test at at all since they plane easily.

   David Charlesworth uses a piece of scrap wood (I am not sure what this is) to gauge whether the blade has sufficient/too much projection. Keep in mind that he is also demonstrating how he sharpens a camber on his smoother blade, and therefore he wants a total absence of projection at the corner extremes. He is simply looking to see if the blade is positioned and projected correctly.

   I tend to do this by feeling with my fingertips. Sometimes I use a piece of scrap, and then it is usually soft pine since this is easier to cut. Others may make a visual check along the sole of the plane - I recall pictures of Krenov doing this.

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

1. 
   WillGeorge | Apr 13, 2009 10:58am | #4

   Regards from Perth..

   My only hand made plane is from Purpleheart! I think it was flat sawn? Works great for a first try! AND the last!

3. 
   roc | Apr 11, 2009 08:16am | #3

   I just put the blade in the plane with no projection, because I have turned the adjuster way back before putting in the blade, then push the plane slowly down the plank while cranking away on the adjuster until I start to get a shaving.

   Just about all my blades have some degree of radius and I pay attention to put the blade in fairly parallel to the sides of the plane, or what ever, so there is no corner digging in. Once I get some cutting edge contact I pretty much know from experience how much more to project the blade for the depth of cut I wish to take.

   Then at the same time I am watching where in the throat the curl is coming up and align the blade so the curl is centered, usually, or where I want it to be; for some tricky cuts such as jointing an edge that keeps getting out of square.

   I have experimented with using a scrap and running the thin edge over the blade projection to see where the blade is projecting. This seems to be a thing for a person just picking up a plane for the first time to use for the sake of learning about the plane.

   I find I have no reason to do it any more. I suppose for the final passes of a critical finish planing task this could be a wise thing to do but I just do as I have said above.

   I suppose if you are using a blade with no radius and the corners are not rounded you would need to do the test but I have stopped using that type of blade . . . BECAUSE THE CORNERS DIG IN AND WRUIN THE SURFACE.

   hope this helps

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )