I have a coffin smoother and the mouth is just too tight here in the dry high plains. I can’t get a shaving to pass. What’s the best way to open the mouth slightly?
[OP]
Contributor
I have a coffin smoother and the mouth is just too tight here in the dry high plains. I can’t get a shaving to pass. What’s the best way to open the mouth slightly?
Contributor
I've always just used a file. I don't know if it's the best, but it's what I've always done. Just make sure to file the part in front of the blade, not the bed it rests on, obviously. If a file wouldn't fit, then maybe sandpaper on a piece of metal shim stock? I guess you could use a chisel, but I've never tried it. But that mouth was likely created by a chisel.
Contributor
a picture is worth a thousand words.
The first thing, how thick of a shaving? Does it have a chip-breaker?
How much blade protruding from the sole.
Can you take a photo of the opening.
You can file the opening if it is really needed, but I would retract the blade to set for the absolute thinnest shaving first to see if you can get anything to go through.
[OP]
Contributor
I have tried to take a very thin shaving but can’t get it to take a shaving. Here’s the thousand words…Originally Posted by Mark Hennebury
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Contributor
Does the plane have a chipbreaker?
[OP]
Contributor
No, no chipbreaker. It is a single iron.
Contributor
This plane has a chipbreaker and a very small throat opening and can still take a pretty hefty shaving, so before filing i would suggest you do a thorough investigation of where the blockage is.
SAM_1293.jpghandplane1.jpg
Contributor
You don't need a big gap to squeeze a shaving through, this throat opening is tight enough to lift the plane up by the shaving.
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Contributor
Tony, it appears your plane may have a problem with what is called the "wear." This is the intentional removal of material above the mouth of the plane.
More info on that here > https://musingsfrombigpink.blogspot....-and-wear.html
He muses about how he can, "smooth the wear angle with my 150 grit "float.""
It is as Jimmy Harris mentioned:Hoping this helps,If a file wouldn't fit, then maybe sandpaper on a piece of metal shim stock?
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
[OP]
Contributor
I’m not sure where else it could be blocked. It’s a simple tool. No chipbreaker and the wedge is well back.72919393646__58AC49B2-9853-45C5-AA87-5E81101A3AC8.jpg
Contributor
It may be that the throat angle is sloped towards the blade inside. so file the angle back, but keep the opening the same.
Contributor
One more thing, when working the wear on one of my planes, it is often given a bit of waxing with a furniture wax and oil mixture. This also helps shavings to slide over an area instead of getting caught on any wood grain.
jtk
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 02-09-2024 at 5:29 PM.
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
It may need some clearance inside. Change that angle, but don't make the opening any wider.
Screenshot 2024-02-09 133737.jpg
Member
One thing that happens on tight mouth wooden planes is the the edge of the sole in front of the iron gets rounded over. It gets more wear with a tight mouth. If it is not a crisp corner, shavings can get trapped at that spot and not exit very well through the mouth.
Contributor
I've never seen one of these planes in actual use, but I've heard of them. That was Larry Williams company.
These planes rely on a tight mouth to mitigate tear out. Larry touted them as the epitome of western plane design. The double iron obsoleted them.
Before you start rasping away at the mouth, I'd check that the iron is sharp and that the cutting bevel is less than 35 degrees. What is the iron bed angle, 45 degrees?
Perhaps you can relieve the corners of the iron a little bit to make things easier and take as fine shavings as you can with the plane as it is and let us know how it is behaving. It probably is obvious to state, but you're limited in the thickness of the shavings you can take by the size of that mouth.
Keep the geometry of the mouth as close to the original as you can. Pay attention to area indicated by the arrow in Mark Hennebury's picture if and when you decide to use a file, like a mill bastard, not a rasp, you want to be slow and deliberate.
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