Iron and Wedge

[lowell holmes]

According to the Eaton County Woodworker, if your irons don't fit in the plow plane, make a new wedge.
That sounds simple, but it is anything but simple.

I have a nice looking wooden plow plane that came with one iron. It was a 1/4".
I purchased additional irons that appear to be the same wedge angle as the one that came with it.
I don't know if the the iron that came with the plane was original. I'm assuming it was not.
I have no way of determining if that is the case.

What is involved with making a new wedge to fit skate and the irons. The wedge looks good and looks like it fits.
The iron will not stay in place when trying to plow a groove.

Should the skate be modified? I don't think it should,
but who knows. It appears to be in good condition.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

[David Weaver]

Get a piece of quartered wood, it doesn't even need to be quartered. Something like beech or maple.

Cut it to width and look at the wedge you have already - cut it to the same length as that wedge plus a little, and whatever way your current wedge is off, adjust your wedge to correct for that (if your wedge is loose at the top, then cut a larger angle for your test wedge).

It's just a matter at that point of chisel, sandpaper, or plane to adjust the angle on your wedge until it fits, and then you can cut the finial on the end.

I personally prefer putting a plane upside down in a vise to trim a moulding plane to fit, and setting it on a medium smoother type cut.

Hopefully all of your other wedges are a similar taper.

Make sure the V in the back of the iron fits the skate well. If it doesn't, the skate needs to be modified until it fits well. If you have a large fat skate for a big V in the back of an iron, and an iron that only has a small V groove in it, it will be unstable as you describe.

Personally, I'd much rather spend the money to get a plane that had its original irons with it. It's a higher cost, but it's money in suspense (it'll be worth more with its original irons should you ever want to sell).

[lowell holmes]

Thanks. I was in a fog as how to approach it. I have some hard maple and some qs white oak.

I tend to favor the maple for some reason, but the white oak is really tough.

[David Weaver]

Maple will look better on a beech plane. Beech would look best, of course, but if maple ages a little bit it might not be as noticeable, especially if you can slice a wedge out of a pieces that's rift sawn. it's also a little nicer to work for precise parts (like when you chisel off the end of a wedge to a chisel point).

Of course, if you don't care how it looks, it won't matter

[lowell holmes]

[Of course, if you don't care how it looks, it won't matter[/QUOTE]]

Of course I care how it looks.

What is the natural color of Beach? The existing wedge is deep reddish brown with rays like quarter sawn oak.

I'm puzzled because the wedge appears to fit perfectly. I keep thinking I need to do something with the back skate.
The ramp in the plane body does not line up with the bevel edge on the skate. I think the leading edge of the skate should be in the same plane as the ramp in the body.
When the wedge is engaged, the skate does not see uniform pressure. With the wedge out, I can while holding the iron in the plane, press on the upper portion of the iron
and the iron will rotate away from the skate. The bottom surface of the wedge is a tiny bit concave. I'm wondering if I just need to flatten the bottom of the existing wedge.
I suspect as I'm looking at the iron and wedge that they are not making full contact. The geometry of the wedge appears to be good except they don't have full contact.

[Jim Koepke]

When the wedge is engaged, the skate does not see uniform pressure. With the wedge out, I can while holding the iron in the plane, press on the upper portion of the iron and the iron will rotate away from the skate.

This sounds like less of a wedge problem and more of a bedding problem.

I may be wrong, but it seems to me the bedding inside the plane and the skate should work together in supporting the blade.

Is there any ability to loosen the skate and move it?

jtk

[lowell holmes]

I'm thinking along the same lines as you are. I think I need to possibly adjust the skate location and flatten the back of the wedge and see how it goes.

I'll have to ponder it awhile before I do anything that is not reversible.

Well, I need to go back to the shop and put some oil on the rocking chair I'm making for my first Great Granddaughter to be rocked in.
I am unashamedly bragging.

[lowell holmes]

I went to the shop, flattened the back of the wedge, tightened the back skate and then made a nice 1/4" wide by 1/2" deep groove in the 3/4" side of a piece of pine.

Thanks for the forum to talk and think it out.

[David Eisenhauer]

Granddaughters in Gramps-made rocking chairs without photos do not exist..........just saying...............

[lowell holmes]

Daughter said not to post her pic, but here is one of the chairs.


STHEPCHAIR0012r.jpg

[Jim Koepke]

Very nice. I suspect your great grandchildren and more generations will be rocked to sleep in that beauty.

I went to the shop, flattened the back of the wedge, tightened the back skate and then made a nice 1/4" wide by 1/2" deep groove in the 3/4" side of a piece of pine.

Thanks for the forum to talk and think it out.

Many years ago a man who employed me gave me some great advice, "when things aren't working right and have you scratching your head, walk away, a break, do something else awhile and the answer will find you."

I haven't seen him in over 40 years, but much of his wisdom has stayed with me.

jtk