Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 36

Thread: Avoiding tearout when chamfering edges

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Adjacent Peoples Republic of Boulder
    Posts
    492

    Avoiding tearout when chamfering edges

    I am putting a 1/8" chamfer on all the arrises of parts for a piece I am building in cherry. I used a simple 2-cutter RadiPlane to do edges of the legs and am getting tearout, even when carefully examining for grain direction and taking test cuts with a small plane set to cut very little, to verify direction.

    Is there a better tool to be using?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
    Posts
    7,254
    Blog Entries
    7
    My chamfer plane has a chipbreaker, and it is a lifesaver for grain reversals along a chamfer. If you're setting the plane to the size, you usually don't have room to clean up tearout.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Dickinson, Texas
    Posts
    7,655
    Blog Entries
    1
    I would try a really sharp low angle block plane. My apron plane does not get much tearout.

    I went to the shop and tested my apron plane on a piece of soft white pine. By holding the plane skewed to the work, I was able to chamfer the ends without tearout.
    Across the 3/4" edge, I had to be really careful to avoid tear out. You might want to try a sharp chisel to pare the short ends. Chisels are sometimes a good tool for cross grain work.
    My chisels are scalpel sharp. My 1" Stanley 60 chisel is really sharp and I was able to make crossgrain shavings with it on the chamfer.

    Another thought is to try a fine rasp followed by a scalpel sharp chisel.
    Last edited by lowell holmes; 01-13-2017 at 2:07 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    My RadiPlane is seldom used these days. In my experience a regular hollow plane will do a better job without the tear out so common to my RadiPlane.

    For a flat chamfer my accumulation of planes has a couple of wood bodied planes to do that or a bench plane will usually suffice.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,582
    I think the typical issue with the Radiplane is controlling the depth of cut. I think you really have to try to take many many passes to get your result using very light pressure and try not to get there in a single pass or even just a few passes.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Dickinson, Texas
    Posts
    7,655
    Blog Entries
    1
    I went back to the shop and found a scrap of 1x4 cherry. It is good quality and and seasoned. I was able to 45 degree chamfer end grain using slicing cuts. I was able to create a curl with it, taking light cuts. I did not use a plane.
    I was able to create something of a continuous shaving that curled. You have to slice the wood using strokes that move up and forward at the same time. I had no problem chamfering the end grain.
    It is all in the technique.

    I suggest you try it on a scrap and you will see what I'm talking about. Maybe Jim Koepke can check my findings. The chisel I used is a 1" Stanley 60 yellow handled chisel from the borg.
    I find these chisels to have good metal. I found the dimensions of the Stanley 60 aided in the control for the cut.

    I have LN chisles. I'm sure the 1" LN chisel will make the same cut. The dimensions of the Stanley 60 made it my choice for this action.

    Again, the chisel has to be extremely sharp.

    An after thought, you may be able to clean up the chamfers you have made using the technique I described here.

    A side light here, this made an entertaining afternoon for what was a drag before I had a task to do.
    Last edited by lowell holmes; 01-13-2017 at 4:24 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    If one is good with a chisel, it can create a good chamfer. It is easy for the chisel to get away from the user, so stay focused on the work.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Dickinson, Texas
    Posts
    7,655
    Blog Entries
    1
    I have changed my mind. I pulled out a plane I don't use much. It is Lie Nielsen 140, a brass skewed iron plane,then chamfered the end grain flawlessly. It, like all of my edges is drop dead sharp. For some reason, I use my Lie Nielsen 60 1/2 more then the 140. A reminder, the board I chamfered is cherry.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,469
    Quote Originally Posted by Gene Davis View Post
    I am putting a 1/8" chamfer on all the arrises of parts for a piece I am building in cherry. I used a simple 2-cutter RadiPlane to do edges of the legs and am getting tearout, even when carefully examining for grain direction and taking test cuts with a small plane set to cut very little, to verify direction.

    Is there a better tool to be using?
    The only time I use a low cutting angle for arrises is when planing across the grain. With-grain edges are rarely only with-grain and often involved reverse grain. This makes the edges vulnerable to tearout as there is little mass to support the chip.

    One way to plane with- grain edges is to take a slicing cut by angling the plane. A more reliable method is to use a plane with a higher cutting angle. A standard angle block plane (such as a LN #103) or a high angle small smoother (such as a HNT Gordon or Mujinfang 60 degree small smoother). The latter is the most reliable and best performer.

    I prefer small, block plane size planes over larger smoothers from #3 up as they may be used in one hand and conform better to curves.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  10. #10
    Cherry (Prunus serotina) is quite vulnerable to tearout on the radial surface. So you could do three edges of a leg without any trouble and then have one that is radial and makes a mess. Just a few degrees tilt from the radial surface makes a big difference.

    A radiplane is not a tool for fine work. I have used a bench plane for chamfering like this since I was a boy.

  11. #11
    I like using a spokeshave held at a skew. . .If its a large chamfer I sometimes use a drawknife.
    Making furniture teaches us new ways to remove splinters.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Dickinson, Texas
    Posts
    7,655
    Blog Entries
    1
    Quote Originally Posted by Warren Mickley View Post
    Cherry (Prunus serotina) is quite vulnerable to tearout on the radial surface. So you could do three edges of a leg without any trouble and then have one that is radial and makes a mess. Just a few degrees tilt from the radial surface makes a big difference.

    A radiplane is not a tool for fine work. I have used a bench plane for chamfering like this since I was a boy.
    I have one and I don't use it. It produces too much tear out. It is a useless tool in my shop. It Lee Valley rounding tool works much better. I mostly use spoke shaves to round an edge.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Adjacent Peoples Republic of Boulder
    Posts
    492
    Thanks, Brian.

    Would the Lee Valley tool work? See below. It has a chipbreaker.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,494
    Blog Entries
    1
    I also found the Radi-plane to be a gimmicky piece of junk. It was way too fussy for its function and a regular small block does a better job IMHO.
    Last edited by glenn bradley; 01-14-2017 at 4:19 PM.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Dickinson, Texas
    Posts
    7,655
    Blog Entries
    1
    Glenn,

    Why don't you tell us what you really think?

    OBTW, I agree with you. It is useless!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •