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View Full Version : new plane purchase what to buy



Justin Cavender
04-05-2009, 6:18 PM
http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&pf_id=98%2E107%2E2155&dept_id=13602 one of these or a scraper plane from ln or lv I am leaning towards the woodie for versatility does anyone own one and have a review?

David Gendron
04-05-2009, 8:03 PM
Hi Justin, is the chinese plane to be use for the same thing as a scraper plane? I own a LV scraping plane but didn't figure out the sweet spot seting yet so doesn't work like I want yet!
David

Justin Cavender
04-05-2009, 8:55 PM
David the chinese plane is supposed to be a high angle smoother bevel down or a scraper when you flip the blade bevel up. I wish someone on the creek owned one and could tell me about it's functionality in both uses

Joel Goodman
04-05-2009, 10:04 PM
Derek Cohen has a review on his website (inthewoodshop) of the Gordon smoothing plane which is a similar design, although it has a thicker iron. Perhaps he'll join in this discussion.

Brian Kent
04-05-2009, 10:21 PM
Justin and I just exchanged e-mails. I have one and love it. It works very well. I use it on hard woods with complex grains. Costs about the same as a replacement blade.

Here's the article on High Angle Smooth Planes that convinced me to try it:

http://www.woodcentral.com/bparticles/haspc.pdf

The plane to look for in the article is the Mujingfang Rosewood High angle not the Mujingfang Ebony standard angle.
Brian

Justin Cavender
04-05-2009, 10:48 PM
Thanks Brian I am excited because I use alot of maple in my guitars because I love the bright sound it has but it is a real pain to finish plane and even harder to sand. So I hope this works well. I am going to purchase the 1micron and .3micron lapping film to go after my 2000 grit scary sharp. And hopefully my other planes will be sharp enough to split hydrogen atoms.lol:D Brian can you indulge me and flip the blade and tell me how it works as a scraper?

Brian Kent
04-06-2009, 12:34 AM
OK, I tried it fresh off the shelf with the blade set bevel down, just like I set it there a month ago. I have a birch project in the vice, which is easy to plane. The wood is smooth and enjoyable to handle. The curls nice and even. Very easy to get a shiny surface. I wasn't trying for super thin shavings, but it does that too. I just love using this tool. I planed against the grain and only found one small fuzzy spot.

I turned around the blade. The bevel is 30° plus a 62.5° bed angle so it's just past straight up. It has a very different shaving. Like a very fine accordion. I didn't do any extra experimentation or adjustment. Just a first try.

The good - no tear out. The bad - a very fine corrugated surface as the accordion shaving came off. Ready for fine sanding but not a final surface. With the blade in its standard position it is finely polished - no need for sanding.

It is also a great backup plane when the planes that should work don't (Stanley smoothers, Krenov smoothers, LV Low Angle Jack.) Even when they glide over the top of a weird piece of hard, springy, plane-resistant oak, the High Angle Mujungfang breaks the curse and cuts a smooth surface.

Brian

David Gendron
04-06-2009, 12:56 AM
Brian, when you said it leave a corugated surface, I wonder if it's because the iron is not sharpen like a scaper plane iron, you know with the hook on the edge? should you use a different iron and turn a burr on it to act like a scraper?
David

Brian Kent
04-06-2009, 1:10 AM
That makes a lot of sense. Right now it's just sharpened like a regular plane iron.

Justin Cavender
04-06-2009, 7:12 AM
Thanks Brian that is what I thought would happen I'm still going to buy one though.

David Gendron
04-06-2009, 2:32 PM
Hey guys, I was on HNT gordon web page and he doesn't mantion any thing about sharpening the blade differently, just turning it around....
I guess just setting the blade for realy fine shaving would work???

RickT Harding
04-06-2009, 4:09 PM
I just picked up an HNT jack and shoulder plane and while it says you can flip the blade I've not tried it out on either plane.

It seems like there should be some sharpening difference. I have used my #80 without a hook on it, just sharpened at 45, but that was with the screw forcing a bow. I'm definitely not getting a bow with these blades.

Dan Bertenthal
04-06-2009, 11:56 PM
Another recommendation for the Muji. I've never tried it as a scraper, but for curly maple it's absolutely phenomenal. The bed angle is so high that it's not the most versatile thing around and will tire you out sooner than a conventional 45 degree, but when nothing else seems to work, this is my go-to plane.
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