Popular Woodworking 2001-02 № 120, страница 15

Tricks of the Trade

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Planely Speaking

So many times woodworkers will properly sharpen plane blades, hone them to perfection and still be dissatisfied with the cut. To make planes perform better, make sure the throat (the gap between

the cutting edge of the blade and the rear edge of the throat plate) is set properly. The throat on low-angle block planes is easy to set because the throat plate is adjustable. First sharpen the blade and hone it. Then set the blade so it just barely comes through the sole of the plane. The cutting edge should be one- to two-thousandths of an inch below the sole. Lastly, loosen and move the throat plate to close the gap between the cutting edge and the rear edge of the throat plate to about V32".

Make a few practice cuts on the edge of a board. If the plane grabs, retract the blade just a hair. If you get a partial shaving, adjust the cutting edge so it is parallel to the mouth of the plane. Experiment by using the plane on diff erent species of wood. You'll be surprised how different densities of wood require opening and closing the mouth to get the best cutting results. Two other suggestions are to try skewing the body of the ^:==^f plane slightly to better shear the wood f ibers. Also, cradle the body of the plane with your hands for a more stable cut.

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