Hi all,
I have just restored a flea market #3C (pre-WWII) by following pretty closely Chris Schwarz's Super-Tune a Hand Plane video. I am quite pleased with the result -- I can cut a nice whispy thin shaving with it -- a wonderful feeling. However, I am pretty new to hand tools and I'm not sure how the depth adjustment should "feel". If I set the cap iron adjust screw to hold the blade fairly solidly in place, it's pretty difficult to change the blade depth via the depth adjustment screw. If I back off on the cap iron screw just a bit, depth adjustment is easier but then I can actually move the plane iron laterally with just finger pressure. I realize feel is subjective, but I have read about people changing depth on the fly, and that's not going to happen here. With the cap iron reasonably tight, I have to pick the plane up off the work so I can apply enough torque to the depth adjustment screw.
One thing I'm wondering -- Chris has you restore the machined surfaces of the frog that the plane iron rests on. On this plane those surfaces were not quite flat and had some "patina". By restoring these surfaces I've added surface area and therefore probably friction. I did examine the frog for projections that might be the cause but it's smooth and flat. I'm about to start in on a #5, and I'm wondering if I should just leave that surface alone.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Herv