Panel raising with the stanley 55

[Jake Darvall]

Hello... lots and lots of raving and pictures. So, please be warned.

I've got bit of a fascination for cutting profiles cleanly across grain with hand planes. Spend all day thinking about this sort of stuff. Can't help myself I'm affraid. Thought I'd write it down before somebody pinches my idea ...maybe give someone a few ideas.

This threads just a continuation, I suppose of these ones.
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=33429
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...464#post326464
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...ad.php?t=34409
This ones about raising panels. And as you know, that involves cross grain cuts. Here's what I did today using my stanley 55. Just a basic profile.




Notice how clean the cross grain cut is in that last picture. Now compare it to this sample, which was cut with a regular blade in my stanley 55 some time ago. Tear everywhere, caused by the blade presenting itself against the grain. Same old problem as described in those links above.




The solution again is to skew the blade like in those other threads. Unlike the other planes, with their smaller cuts, the blade for panel raising is a lot wider. The only way I could see to skew the blade enough to benifit the cut was by tilting the plane over.....show you what I mean.
The more you tilt the plane over, off vertical like this



the more the blade skews off square just how I want it...



Found it a bit tricky to visualise myself. But a skewed blade is just what you want for going cross grain. Bedding of planes like the stanley 46 and 39 are similar looking. The beauty of it also is that they cut nicely with the grain as well, so you can use the same plane setting to do all 4 sides of your panel, or whatever you have in mind.

So in use the plane is pushed with it tilted over...surprisingly comfortable too. Feels similar to using a sprung woodie.



Another problem to deal with, was the instability problems of the stanley 55. There not really built to support wide cuts like panel raising. IMO, they seem ok if both skates support the work from the very beginning, else often, at least I find, the planes just too difficult to keep stable.

To solve that I decided to add a wooden sole to the adjustable skate.... just a flat sole, that cuts around the tongue common to most profiles. ie. figured I still be able to use varing profiles, whilst generally improving the 55's stability for wide cuts.



More next post.....

[Jake Darvall]

Then I just added an adjustable fence off the wooden sole.





I learn't something new, that I thoughts worth mentioning. Till now, I've thought a nicker to be manditory with cross grain work. Well, with this particular profile, I realised you don't need a nicker as long as the very corner of the blade never sees your stock. ie. the depth stop rubs first....cause its the very corner that causes tear without a nicker.
So, the nicker is tucked away unused for this profile.



Good too, because at the time I was concerned on how I'd get that nicker to work well enough with all that plane tilting going on (not ideal not cutting near vertical)

The main blade by the way was ground straight from an old file and buffed sharp.



A tip for ensuring the adjustable skate doesn't move.




Next time I'll try and cut a blade with a different profile...maybe with a fillet. Something more fancy maybe.

[Jake Darvall]

Hello ?

any 55 fans out there who want to have a chin wag ? ...always in the mood to swap ideas.

figured there be more 55's in the states by the number I see on Ebay.

Those holes I drilled into the skate were just little ones you know. Bearly see them really.

[Ben Grunow]

Never used a 55 but read every word of your post and enjoyed it. You werent kidding when you said you spent all of your time thinking about planing. I almost cant believe that panel was cut with a hand plane but it obviously was because of the way the end grain is so cleanly sliced. Nicely done.

BTW, the older panel with the bad cut reminds me of my dogs bed when I was a kid. He chewed it and it until it was ragged and it looked like your panel. Maybe your dog would like to sleep on it?

Oh and I didnt see any non-factory holes in that plane.

[Jake Darvall]

Hi Ben, thanks.

Probably spend too much time experimenting.

.... thanks, but I'd say a collector wouldn't like the sight of those brass screw heads.....

Excuse my ignorance, but I'm curious where CT is in America ? .... I must travel to the states one day.

Jake.

[Alice Frampton]

Sorry, Jake. 'Tis, as always, interesting coupled with oh-good-grief-what's-he-doing-to-that-poor-plane-now?! My only #55 experience has been with the 55 of The Damned which seemed to have a manufacturing fault at every turn - I'm still getting the flashbacks. Now that one I'd happily riddle with brass screws and chuck in the ocean, without the anchor rope attached...

Cheers. Alf

[Jake Darvall]

Sorry, Jake. 'Tis, as always, interesting coupled with oh-good-grief-what's-he-doing-to-that-poor-plane-now?! My only #55 experience has been with the 55 of The Damned which seemed to have a manufacturing fault at every turn - I'm still getting the flashbacks. Now that one I'd happily riddle with brass screws and chuck in the ocean, without the anchor rope attached...

Cheers. Alf

yes...and I reakon some would say they don't even make a good anchor too....actually probably many would say that.

I had much trouble with them too.... in fact, uno when you find damaged 55 parts ......Thats not from normal wear and tear ! ..... thats just from being thrown to the floor in frustation. Betya.

.... the general rules I follow now with these things before I even attempt a shaving is......everything has to be parallel.......blades very sharp of coarse and set nicely.......and most importantly everything has to be tight....I mean, REAL tight.....I mean with pliers, or hammer tap kind of tight....Every bloody knob and screw thingy...nothing can be allowed to slip......not joking

[Ian Gillis]

Hi

Just wanted to say that I also found it very interesting. I think the lack of responses is due to the fact that you're out there in uncharted waters - without a lifejacket.

I own a No. 45 which gets used exclusively for grooving drawer sides and fronts. If I wanted to use it for other purposes I would probably buy another one - that's how much I enjoy the setup process! The racking and twisting makes me steer away from wide cutters and complex cuts.

Keep up the interesting experiments. It's good to see there's somebody who's mastered the wee beastie.

Cheers

IG

[Alice Frampton]

.... the general rules I follow now with these things before I even attempt a shaving is......everything has to be parallel.......blades very sharp of coarse and set nicely.......and most importantly everything has to be tight....I mean, REAL tight.....I mean with pliers, or hammer tap kind of tight....Every bloody knob and screw thingy...nothing can be allowed to slip......not joking

Well yeah, normal combination plane operating proceedure I can cope with. Having to file parts to get them to fit or do what they're supposed to do tho', well that's just not funny. Makes me appreciate my other combis even more, I can tell you. Never trust a plane that's in immaculate condition...

Cheers, Alf

[harry strasil]

Nothing wrong with a 55 plane other than sometimes operator error, it helps if you start out and master a 45 first. The best instructions I have found for using a 55 are in The Complete Woodworker edited by Bernard E. Jones. In fact I copied the instructions and made them into a little book to keep with my 55's.

[Alan DuBoff]

Nothing wrong with a 55 plane other than sometimes operator error, it helps if you start out and master a 45 first. The best instructions I have found for using a 55 are in The Complete Woodworker edited by Bernard E. Jones. In fact I copied the instructions and made them into a little book to keep with my 55's.

I was given that book at a BAG-A-THON last year. I once grabbed it when leaving for a plane flight, to read on the plane. It's been in my carry-on bag since and I always find useful stuff to read in there. Not a bad book, kinda like a jack of all trades book.

[harry strasil]

there are 2 books in the set Alan, The Complete Woodworker and the Practical Woodworker.

[Alice Frampton]

Somehow I doubt it's operator error in this case, Harry; I can get my #043, #044, #50, #050, #45, #405, #46 and Lewin all to work just fine, thanks. Sometimes you just get a bad example of a plane, and this is it.

Cheers, Alf

[Alan DuBoff]

there are 2 books in the set Alan, The Complete Woodworker and the Practical Woodworker.

No kidding, I didn't know. I have "The Complete Woodworker", soft cover with beige color if I remember. I don't know what edition, it's in my carry-on bag!;-)

The one I have is a great book, and talks about doing all type of various things, even making windows and doors, gates, how to build a bench, using tools, etc...there was something I gleaned about dovetails from it but I can't remember right now.

[harry strasil]

you will love the Practical Woodworker then Alan, it has a picture of a saw on it and its the companion to the complete WW but has more pages.