Squaring a boards edge with cambered plane iron?

[lowell holmes]

It's an old technique, but I don't see it written about anymore. If an edge is a bit high you can square the edge by shifting the camber to the high side of the board.
Frequently some one would write about it, but I don't hear much about it.

I sharpen my irons pretty flat across, just relieving the edges to prevent plane tracks. I think I will go back to a more pronounced camber. I'm sure Pop Wood wrote about it back in the day.

What say yea?

[Richard Line]

I think it was Schwartz that wrote about it; I'll guess 4 years back. I frequently use this technique when I don't do it right the first time. I've got 2 no. 5's with cambered blades (8" radius and probably 16" radius). They do a good job to correct my problem.

[Ray Bohn]

I think it was Schwartz that wrote about it; I'll guess 4 years back. I frequently use this technique when I don't do it right the first time. I've got 2 no. 5's with cambered blades (8" radius and probably 16" radius). They do a good job to correct my problem.

This the second post I have read today with the misspelling - it is Schwarz

[david charlesworth]

It is a great technique which I have taught and written about for the last thirty five years,

My article in Popular Woodworking was attacked by the professor of a trades college!

best wishes,
David Charlesworth

[Chuck Hart]

Thanks David. Your small bits of stories are always fun. Care to tell the whole story?

[lowell holmes]

It is a great technique which I have taught and written about for the last thirty five years,

My article in Popular Woodworking was attacked by the professor of a trades college!

best wishes,
David Charlesworth

I would like to hear more about the attack. I can't imagine a trades college professor being so egotistic as to take you on.

[Jim Koepke]

It all comes down to what works for a person.

For me, edges tend to be higher on the bench side of the work. Adjusting my technique has helped. Spending regular time in the shop helps to get the feel of square with a lot less correction being needed.

If an edge is off square, lifting the plane of the low side so as to take a narrow shaving from the high side leaves a narrow track for the next pass. This is repeated until a full width shaving is obtained.

Determining how much to lift from the low side is usually a balancing act of how thick a shaving the plane is set to take versus how out of square the edge.

jtk

[david charlesworth]

Chuck,

I'm afraid its all too long ago to remember the gory details!

However it must be said, there are craftsmen who square edges with a straight blade.

best wishes,
David

[ian maybury]

David is perhaps being too modest to self promote.

There's a whole piece on fundamental techniques for selecting and edge jointing boards for table top glue ups and the like with the assistence of a cambered iron titled 'The Method' on p 74 in his Furniture Making Techniques Vol 2.

It's described more briefly with other stock preparation technique in 'How to Unwind' on p 44 in volume 3 of the series...

I guess the very different territory these methods get into compared to the usual planing methods is that they entail single and even part stroke control of a precisely set up plane...

[lowell holmes]

I now have an excuse for having duplicate planes. I can sharpen the iron on on of my #4 planes with a level iron relieved at the edges. I can put a cambered iron in the other #4. I can then do what ever I happen to want at the time.

Actually, I should say #5 planes. I have a #5 Bailey and a 605 Bedrock.

[Mike Siemsen]

Using a cambered iron works well as was stated earlier shift the plane over toward the high edge. A plane with a square ground iron can do the same thing shift the plane over toward the high edge far enough so the iron isn't cutting on the low side as the iron doesn't go all the way across the plane sole(unless it is a rabbet plane!) Each pass will lower the high side by one shaving thickness. No tipping the plane no adjusting the iron.

[Richard Line]

Another option for squaring that edge is to move the pressure point over to the high side by pressing with the thumb, just in back of the knob, on the high side. This works, if it isn't a big amount needing to be taken off, or if the high point is only along part of the edge.

[Patrick Harper]

It is a great technique which I have taught and written about for the last thirty five years,

My article in Popular Woodworking was attacked by the professor of a trades college!

best wishes,
David Charlesworth

I can vouch that Mr. Charlesworth's technique works great. I slight hollow along an edge is great when gluing up panels.

[Joel Thomas Runyan]

I learned to square edges with a square blade. The edges of the mouth of any regular plane can be used in whole or fraction to ride on the low portion of the edge while the high part is removed. It's easier than cambering, in my opinion.

[Steve Voigt]

There is no doubt that all the techniques mentioned in this thread work fine. The difference is that with a cambered iron you can make extremely small and extremely controlled adjustments, which not only allows you to dial in an almost perfect edge, but also allows you to do it in fewer passes and remove less material.