Cambering plane blade

[Warren Mickley]

So...go watch the The Woodwright's Shop episode called "Hand Plane Essentials"

Attachment 507222

I watched it: it is pitiful.

[steven c newman]

Attacking the messenger, just because the message is NOT what you are preaching? About the normal response, ain't..Sirah..

[Rafael Herrera]

No one's attacked you. Not clear what video you're talking about, I searched for it and only found an advertisement for Chris Schwartz's hand plane essentials book.

This stuff is not rocket science, it doesn't take much to figure out what works and what doesn't. You get better at it by using the tools, not by watching youtubers.

[Rafael Herrera]

After using hand planes for 20 years I am thinking that mastering camber is essential for full use - jack planes, smoothers, etc. The pressure at the ends does not give
me much, and does not give me a gentle curve. Warren, you are lucky to have a gently dished stone, but I do not. In that case do you recommend David Weaver's method as Tom describes above?

If you are after a camber that you can see when you look at the blade, you're in the realm of the jack plane use, coarse work.

For a smoother and trying plane, you don't need to actually see it, you can see the effect on the shavings you get and the lack of track marks. You can control that camber whenever you sharpen and then use the plane.

I don't know how you sharpen, but it should not matter, the idea is to wear more at the ends and less at center. With your 20 years of plane use that should be easy to accomplish.

[Bob Jones 5443]

As the years fly by, I see more and more of today’s woodworkers have forgotten — or abandoned, or indeed never knew — about the late David Charlesworth. David is the Ansel Adams of hand plane fine tuning. He has a precise method for achieving a camber on a new iron, and then resharpening to the camber, that is so simple a novice can do it on the first try (ask me how I know). But not one poster mentions it in this thread.

Maybe it’s the cultural gap: David speaks in a crisp RP dialect (that used to be called the Queen’s English). I think most Americans are put off by it. Too stuffy? But he’s really just an old surfer dude who delighted in sharing his knowledge with those who want to achieve excellence. And among the kindest men I’ve ever met.

Probably the biggest reason his teaching is obscure today is that he didn’t flow into YouTube. You need to buy his DVDs to see the instruction. That’s not merely old fashioned. That’s an extinct form of communication now.

But those of you who look into it, and are willing to throw down twenty bucks for his Sharpening Plane Irons DVD (Lie-Nielsen) will discover what I’m talking about. Then you’ll know.

Hint: he uses an Eclipse honing guide, the one with the center wheel. That allows you to place reproducible pressure on the exact quarter-inch you want on the stone. Like Adams and his Zone System, David provides an idiot-proof sequence of steps that will make you proud of your plane irons. I’m still an idiot, but I’ve mastered cambered sharpening perfection on all my plane irons using his method since 2005.

Whenever I’ve advocated David’s methods here I’ve always been met with crickets. Blows my mind that he’s fallen into obscurity.

[Rob Luter]

If you are after a camber that you can see when you look at the blade, you're in the realm of the jack plane use, coarse work.

For a smoother and trying plane, you don't need to actually see it, you can see the effect on the shavings you get and the lack of track marks. You can control that camber whenever you sharpen and then use the plane.

I don't know how you sharpen, but it should not matter, the idea is to wear more at the ends and less at center. With your 20 years of plane use that should be easy to accomplish.

^ This ^

I've always cambered a tiny bit, as one would on a smoother. Just a tiny bit at the corners. You can't see it in the finished surface. I recently set up a dedicated jack plane with about 0.020" camber and was surprised how much difference it made. It leaves noticeable scallops in the wood. I also have a "roughing blade" from LN with an 8" radius. It's good for hogging off large amounts of wood like a scrub plane.

[Rafael Herrera]

A lot cricket sounds are heard when techniques that go a few steps beyond novice level stuff are mentioned. Perhaps another reason is some distaste for guru quoting. I don't have David Charlesworth DVDs, but I've seen some video clips on yt. I can't say that I was blown away by them, but I may have learned a thing or two. However, I did not adopt his ruler sharpening method, a beginners shortcut.

He did have a peculiar accent, it reminded me of the mannerisms of Buddhist practitioners and their slow, calm way of delivery. I don't mean that as a compliment, there is something about practiced speech techniques that I don't find appealing.

How to sharpen is perhaps one of the most fundamental skills to be learned early on. Doing it is the best way to develop the skill. Quoting a personality, be it DC or Cosman or Sellers, is like an incantation, "buy their stuff and you'll be set" kind of advise. Just go and sharpen the darn chisel and you'll find out what works.

[Edward Weber]

A lot cricket sounds are heard when techniques that go a few steps beyond novice level stuff are mentioned. Perhaps another reason is some distaste for guru quoting. I don't have David Charlesworth DVDs, but I've seen some video clips on yt. I can't say that I was blown away by them, but I may have learned a thing or two. However, I did not adopt his ruler sharpening method, a beginners shortcut.

He did have a peculiar accent, it reminded me of the mannerisms of Buddhist practitioners and their slow, calm way of delivery. I don't mean that as a compliment, there is something about practiced speech techniques that I don't find appealing.

How to sharpen is perhaps one of the most fundamental skills to be learned early on. Doing it is the best way to develop the skill. Quoting a personality, be it DC or Cosman or Sellers, is like an incantation, "buy their stuff and you'll be set" kind of advise. Just go and sharpen the darn chisel and you'll find out what works.

I pretty much agree
IMO, once you get the "basics", you then develop your own individual methods that work for you.
In other words you get a fell for things. Cambering a plane blade is one of these things. Simply adding a bit of pressure to the corners to ease them off should be more intuitive than some seem to want to make it.
As far as the "crickets" comments:
Watching or reading how others work is only a small portion of how your own skills are built. In a certain sense, I really don't care what others do, they're not the ones working in my shop, it's up to me. I will however take what knowledge I can from their methods and try to incorporate it into my own, if and where I can. Some people who become followers, fanatics or disciples of one personality is really not helpful. I find it more beneficial to develop you own method of work. There may be some trial and error, it's part of the process.

[Jimmy Harris]

I doubt it's the accent and more that fact that you need to spend $20 and wait on shipping, plus find a DVD player. In today's world, it's much easier to find a bunch of sources online, be it video, blogs, or posts, and just get to work right away. By the time that DVD comes in the mail, you could have spent enough time practicing your sharpening skills that you don't need an instructional DVD or a honing guide. Plus, we're a pretty globalized society, so for most younger people hearing a weird accent or speech pattern is not unusual or off putting.

You really can't beat practice. And everyone kind of needs to develop their own technique. The good thing about sharpening is, if you mess it up, just keep doing it. Eventually, you'll figure it out. Like I discovered that what works for me is to freehand on a glass plane with 6 different grits of sandpaper (goes faster with more grits in my experience). I switched to glass and sandpaper because it's easier and quicker to get set up and doesn't ever require flattening. Just lay it down, squirt some water, and go. No cleanup either. Regluing new sandpaper doesn't take but 3 minutes. When I sharpen, I lock my hands, wrists and arms against my body to maintain a constant angle, and just use my hips and legs to move the blade. It's a bit weird, but it works really well for me. I haven't seen anyone else do it this way, but trial and error led me to believe that, for me, this is the best method.

[Jim Koepke]

Just go and sharpen the darn chisel and you'll find out what works.

You really can't beat practice.

Have to agree with the wisdom that has already been spoken so many times.

There are so many different philosophies & methods of sharpening, if what you are doing produces an edge that cuts to your satisfaction than forget bothering with the rest.

KISS - Keep It Simple Sharpener

jtk

[Richard Coers]

As the years fly by, I see more and more of today’s woodworkers have forgotten — or abandoned, or indeed never knew — about the late David Charlesworth. .

He just died on May 22, 2022

[Bob Jones 5443]

For me it was like following a recipe the first time in the kitchen and ending up with a perfect soufflé. I was so pleased with the results and the reproducibility that I guess I did slide into disciple status. One trial, no error sounds like success to me.

But this craft, or hobby, is great because it’s an expression of our individuality. To that end, I wish everyone the best with their cambers.

[John Kananis]

Bob, that's outright awesome. It took me years to actually get to sharp. I thought I was getting there but not until I actually hit the mark did I really get it. Understanding the burr was a difficulty for me.

For me it was like following a recipe the first time in the kitchen and ending up with a perfect soufflé. I was so pleased with the results and the reproducibility that I guess I did slide into disciple status. One trial, no error sounds like success to me.

But this craft, or hobby, is great because it’s an expression of our individuality. To that end, I wish everyone the best with their cambers.

[Rob Luter]

For me it was like following a recipe the first time in the kitchen and ending up with a perfect soufflé. I was so pleased with the results and the reproducibility that I guess I did slide into disciple status. One trial, no error sounds like success to me.

But this craft, or hobby, is great because it’s an expression of our individuality. To that end, I wish everyone the best with their cambers.

Agreed. My sig tells the tale. Once I got it figured out (hint, it took a bit) it was a game changer. Sharp really does solve all manner of problems.

[Cliff Polubinsky]

Like Adams and his Zone System

Bob,

Completely off topic, but I couldn't pass up a reference to Ansel Adams. 50-60 years ago I was obsessed with black and white photography. Carried a camera with me everywhere, worked in a camera store for the equipment discounts and because I loved taking photography with my customers. Read every thing Adams wrote and used the Zone system to develop my photo skills (pun intended). Used the knowledge to make a living for 25 years, starting with still photography and moving into industrial video production shooting all around the US and a number of shoots outside the country.

If you ever get a chance to see an exhibit of his work, especially from his time in Yosemite it will pull on your heart.

Lovely memories. Thanks.

Cliff