I'm new to the forum. I've used hand tools for probably twenty five years. My problem is with a seventeen inch wooden bodied plane. I make violins and want to use the plane to joint the two book matched halves of the tops and backs. I've used an iron plane in the past but it's not a very good plane with it's own problems. I use the wooden plane on it's side with a shooting board. The pieces to be joined are only about sixteen inches long. I glue these up with hide glue and no clamps, so there is no room for error. The joints have to be perfect.

The problem is the shaving is slightly heavier in the middle of the cut than it is on the ends (both ends). When I hold the two pieces together (as if glued) up to window light I can see very faint light coming through the center section tapering towards both ends. I messed with this plane for a couple of hours today and no matter what I did the problem seemed to repeat it's self.

The plane is an old English plane that is almost like new. It had never been used before I bought it thirty years ago. It has a big heavy laminated iron and a heavy chip breaker. The bottom is flat and the iron is sharp. I take very fine shavings and the plane cuts like a dream. It cuts Curly Maple beautiful with no chatter or tear out.

The problem may be me, but I can't figure out what I'm doing different in the center section than I'm doing on the ends. Any help would be appreciated, after two hours it became a source of frustration.

Berl