i need help with a wedge problem

[ronald mccormack]

Sorry I keep asking so many questions but everyone here has been so help full thus far. My problem is with a pair of half rounds. I already scraped to sets already so my assumption is that the problem is my irons. When u put the wedges in they fit tight at the top and bottom of the mortise but lift up off the blade towards the mouth. Sometimes I can get the blade to stay on the bed but usually that's lifted up to with space in-between the iron and and bed. What could be causing this? I make my own irons and have the tapper on the non bevel side, if that helps.

[David Weaver]

Ronald, I saw this and then forgot to respond to it.

I suspect (without seeing and handling the plane) that the mortise must be decent itself, but that the front of the plane or the bed may not be in plane with their respective matches to the mortise above. The symptom of that will be a well fit wedge in the mortise and no tension (as in no tight fit) between the blade, wedge tip and the front of the mouth/escapement area. That should all be gap free. Take anything you have that's straight and ensure that if you put the straight edge of choice against the mortise that it rides on the bed (if in the back) or the front of the escapement.

If all of that looks perfect, you may need to reshape the wedge a little bit. If it's not, and the bed or front escapement is not coplanar, you can just let out the mortise forward or back (whatever is relevant) a little more.