Wood plane blade/iron types and adjustment

[Tom Vanzant]

The early Steve Knight planes had/have an adjustable piece of Ipe mounted to the forward block opposite the iron. This piece established the mouth opening which could be changed with just a little attention with a file. When the plane sole needed flattening, the Ipe mouth piece was advanced slightly and was sanded level with the sole during flattening.

[Mike Holbrook]

Tom, thanks for the details on the mouths on those planes. I thought the mouth pieces might be IPE as I bought a stock of Steve's later mouths which are IPE. The IPE I have is darker and has a little different texture, so I was not sure it was the same type of wood, even though I read that IPE could vary. Sounds like my assessment of the design features of the wedge/mouth was not far off. The mouth design he was using when he closed up shop was different, a simple sliding block held in place with a screw in a slot.

Winston, could you explain that no gaming philosophy to my step son. He might benefit from understanding that there are things in life other than computer games. I myself seldom play computer games for all the reasons you mention. There are so many other things worth doing that actually impact real life. Still for some reason I like a gaming mouse. I think it is just a matter of lots of options.

[george wilson]

Jim,try putting a piece of NON CLAY BEARING paper,like brown paper,under the wedge of your plane. Paper holds like crazy in a milling machine vise. The jaws of the vises are very smooth,and do not hold sometimes as well as they might. Paper holds a lot better.

I can't guarantee that paper will solve your blade slipping problem,since the wedge of a plane has very little pressure compared to a milling vise. But,try it. You might find it works. Never let the paper get oily. If your plane is made of a tropical wood,the wood might have enough oil in it to lubricate the blade a little,letting it slip. I'd advise to glue the paper to the underside of the wedge if it works. But,oil from the wood may get through,and mess up the gripping power of the paper.

Anyhow,it won't take much effort to try using the paper. Reply how it works out. Others might have the same problem,especially on these modern,highly polished plane irons. I'll bet it didn't happen on hand forged ones,left black!! Never did for me.

[Winton Applegate]

Mike,
I just realized I may actually have some thing constructive to add to the lost post problem.
I know it is rare that I have constructive comments. Grab it, run and don't hesitate least you be sucked down into the vortex of my BS; that's my advice.
Well actually THIS is my advice : When you loose the post and wind up else where look in your tabs bar and there may be a tab there that you can click on and get right back to the reply window / screen, no harm done.

In the past I would go to my history to get back but this now seems to be eliminate as an option. This may be a security thing. (or the back arrow some may ask ? Nahhhhh that would be entirely too easy and straight forward).

As far as telling something to your step son . . . or telling any thing to about anyone I find I have a very low success rate. I think it boils down to a perfect storm of negatives :

• The listening gene seems to have been damage in this last generation.
• I don't wear a cape and so I am taken as much less credible than someone who is wearing a cape
• Lack of experience on the part of the listener, they have never actually listened before so they are unclear where to begin and are so busy in their head doing . . . I don't know what . . . that they aren't aware listening is an option.
• I don't have a big desk and a PhD in whatkidsneadrealistics, that's to satisfy his mother that I'm legit ( the kid won't care one fetid dingo's kidney).
• And , the last nail in the coffin, what I have to offer is not illegal and in a plastic bag or vial.

those add up to . . .
. . . well I'm not sure what they add up to not being very good at math, especially when it comes to "The Unreal Numbers" . . . but, I nearly always find, after an attempt to share any little bagatelle of good will, that I discern a hint of something about the facial features of the beneficiary that reminds me of a pinball machine when it goes TILT !

So regrettably, in this case, I must demure, as I am at this time, emotionally unprepared to face rejection and humiliation yet again.

[Mike Holbrook]

I did not think to look in the tabs bar Winton, if it ever happens again I will do that, thanks.

Yes, this "younger" generation has an unprecedented array of new distractions and I fear they may distort their sense of reality and social conscience. I think it is even worse for my 17 year old daughter. OMG the drama! It is hard to decide whether to flip or fly and I find no manual or forum with solid advise.

[Winton Applegate]

It is hard to decide whether to

flip or fly

Are you a Jimmy Buffet fan ?
Ha, ha,
I am thinking of his song "God's Own Drunk". With lyrics like :
There was God's yeller moon and the stars twinkling' on and off in the heavens . . .
. . . That bear expected me to do one of two things . . . flip or fly but I didn't do either one . . .
it hung him up.
. . . that bear was sniffing all around my body trying to smell fear but he wasn't going to smell no fear because I was God's own drunk and a fearless man.
it hung him up.
It's a great song.

and I find no manual or forum with solid advise.

See now thats why they won't let me have kids. And why I, in fact, should not have kids.
I would take her about twenty miles out of town on a deserted dirt road and "let" her walk back home. If and when she made it back she would be much, much mellower (for lack of food if nothing else) and would be much more amenable and appreciative of the simpler things in life and where they come from, i.e. Dad. (and Mom).

If she didn't make it back . . . well . . . coyotes need to eat too.

[Mike Holbrook]

OMG Winton, missed this response for a few days. I have been a Jimmy fan for some time, from his first trip to Atlanta, before anyone had ever heard of him. I use to be able to recite the lyrics of the entire God's Own Drunk song, and often did. I had this buddy who would call me at work and just start reciting....

...He was a Kodiack looking fella about 19 feet tall. He came up over the hill expecting me to do one of two things flip or fly. But I was God's Own Drunk! and a fearless man. It hung him up...

or as near as I can remember without finding some way to get my old vinyl disc to make music again.

I had this big burly uncle who use to backpack regularly in the Smokies. He got run out of a camp site one night by a black bear who simply refused to stop trying to get in the tent with him. He got a copy of Jimmy's album with "God's Own Drunk" on it that christmas. I understand that someone else laid claim to that song and Jimmy doesn't do it anymore, too bad! Jimmy may have been a little too good at that song. One might have thought he identified with it a little too much.

So you must not be married Winton, else you would understand that women will shoot you or worse for far less tampering with adolescent egos than you suggest above.

[Mike Holbrook]

Back on topic. I just discovered that Lee Valley now offers a Veritas Wooden Plane Hardware Kit, under wooden planes. The kit contains a Norris-style blade adjustment system. There is the option to obtain the kit with a 1/8" thick by 1 5/8" wide, 25 degree, PM-V11 plane iron too.

There is a steel cup to contain the Norris adjuster, brass tapped insert pin and knob for the lever cap and a brass cross pin. A2 and O1 kits are available too.

[Winton Applegate]

Norris-style blade adjustment system

I am definitely a fan of that adjuster; if it is like what is in the many Varitas bevel ups anyway.

women will shoot you or worse for far less tampering with adolescent egos than you suggest above.

When Q was a kid she would get a slap across the mouth from her mother for anything less than right now, get with it, respectful behavior.
So she actually would find my solution rather progressive and lenient. Well all but the coyotes thing. She wouldn't like me being mean to the coyotes by subjecting them to a weireded out teenager.

If all else fails there is always Derek. He has a kid manual. I wonder which chapters our solutions come under.

PS: Ha, ha, at first I thought you were going to tell me women will not tolerate Jimmy Buffett records played in the same house as they are. That I would have to agree with.

[Fitzhugh Freeman]

What about making yourself some taller/longer blades? 48" long pieces (that's the minimum length) of 2" wide, 3/16" thick 1084 steel costs about $50 including shipping, a bit more for 2.5" wide since you pay by the actual amount of steel. It makes fantastic blades and is truly quite simple to heat treat correctly with no fancy setup (as some saw me rant about recently). A few places sell it - do try 1084 over the alternatives because it is easier to HT and yet takes a super sharp, really rather durable edge - njsteelbaron.com is only place I've bought it (and I've only bought 2 bars - not a shill for them, just a happy customer).

You could make yourself eight 6" long blades for that. Or, like I did, make a plane blade and then start making other things you didn't think you could make, or could afford anytime soon. Plane blades are as easy as it gets since they are such simple shapes.

cut to size, grind edge, leaving a little less than a dime's worth of unground flat on the very edge, then heat treat and finish grinding and sharpen. Drill/tap for chip breaker prior to hardening, if desired.
To harden you can make a kiln/forge out of nested cans, as suggested in a few books, or make one by hollowing out a couple soft refractory bricks (by soft I mean you can carve them out using a dinner spoon). Heat comes from a propane or, better, mapp pro torch, just avoid the ones with plastic sparkers on them since they can melt. Search "two brick forge" for details. Quench in 130F canola. Temper in oven for a couple hours.

This way you could have a larger and longer blade for very little per blade. If you're like me, it's a real eye opener to realize it is within reach of mere mortals.

That said, I love the idea of adding threaded adjuster things coming from the side of the blade. I've seen that on some metal block plane, or something, but never occurred to me to try on a wooden. One I made is a little tricky to adjust so I don't use it as much as I would.

[Mike Holbrook]

Heat treating my own steel does sound like fun Fitzhugh. The only problem being that I am a little afraid of woodworking simply evolving into other hobbies instead of actually making things from wood. I am wondering if LV/Veritas will eventually offer a wider range of plane irons to work with their adjuster system? Come to think about it I wonder if that adjuster will work with all the BU plane irons they make for all their BU planes?

I like the idea of the threaded adjusters for holding plane irons in place too. The only thing holding me back is a little fear of not quite getting that smallish screw to hit exactly the correct spot, after passing through the plane body.