Popular Woodworking 2007-06 № 162, страница 55

The result of your labor: The shaving emerges from the center of the mouth and clears the tool easily without clogging.

a frog adjustment screw, use it. Of course, with a Bed Rock, loosen the frog screws behind the frog and make your adjustments with the plane fully assembled.

With the mouth established, adjust the cutting edge. A lot of woodworkers do this by sighting along the sole. I find it much more accurate to use my fingertips. I hold the plane sole with my left hand (I'm right handed) and place the tips of my first two fingers on opposite sides of the cutting edge. This allows me to judge the amount of projection and to determine if one side is higher than the other. With my right hand I make what ever adjustments my fingers tell me, turning the longitudinal adjustment wheel as necessary and establishing the lateral adjustment with the lever. My fingers will get me close to the appropriate adjustment, but trying the tool on wood is the final test.

Plane Maintenance

Maintenance is similar to tuning and set up, but is something that has to be done regularly. Like sharpening, maintenance

Use your fingertips to ensure the blade is centered in the mouth and projecting enough to make a cut. Test your setting on a scrap of wood.

is a function ofuse, not time. Do it when you need to do it. These are some signs. When you hone your cutter, look for pitch build up. It tends to form behind the cutting edge and along the chipbreaker's edge. A lot of wood dust under the cutter is another sign that the plane needs some work.

Disassemble the tool into all its parts, except for the knob and tote. You will be surprised at how much wood dust gathers under the frog. I sweep this out with a stiff brush. If there is pitch build up inside the body in the area of the mouth, I remove this with paint thinner. While at it, I usually clean the whole body, wipe it with a soft cloth, and set it aside to dry. Next, I clean the frog by submerging it in paint thinner. I brush off any residue and wipe it too. It is set aside with the body while I remove any pitch on the cutter and chipbreaker.

While the plane is apart, I hone the cutter to bring back a keen edge. Finally, I reassemble the plane and adjust it as I described above.

Buying a Plane

Between the late-19th century and the mid-20th century, Stanley and its competitors produced so many planes that a plentiful supply remains. While they are easy to find, you have to look in places other than stores and catalogs. Fortunately, there is an active trade and used tool dealers are not hard to find. Your computer's search engine will pull up lots of them. Most are very used to dealing with Internet or phone sales. These guys are generally very knowledgeable. They provide tools for a lot of collectors who are looking for rarities, or to fill holes in their collections. So, it is important to stress that you are a woodworker and want a plane to use, not for a collection.

Most tool dealers use a universal grading system to define condition. Knowing the condition in advance will help you in your purchase. Ask the dealer to explain the system to you. These guys are usually very helpful and trustworthy. They know that a plane user seldom owns one plane, and that you will probably be back for more.

Online auction sites also offer lots of planes for sale. You are more on your own here than with a dealer. So, read the description with care. You will stumble across collector jargon such as "Type 7" and ""Sweetheart." These are of no concern for a tool user. You just want a good, serviceable plane.

Planes are common items in antique shops and flea markets. The pre-war planes made by Stanley and its competitors were consistently high quality. So, it is only important to know what not to buy. Avoid tools with missing or broken parts. I will accept minor damage to the tote. Don't buy a plane that is excessively worn, or rusted. There are too many good ones out there to settle for anything less.

As the quality of handplanes declined after World War II and

that decline accelerated after 1960, the woodworking version of Gresham's Law kicked in and bad tools drove out good. Avoid planes made in the last several decades, as well as non-Stanley brands such as Sears Handyman. These are cheap junk

In the last decade some companies have started to again produce excellent quality planes. Because many that are poor quality are being sold side by side, the trick is to know what to buy. "You get what you pay for" is a pretty good rule. I advise against planes that do not have a lever cap and the other Stanley features. These are tried and true features, and other arrangements usually indicate cost cutting.

The cutter in a Stanley plane is thin. Some companies have developed high-quality replacement blades that are usually thicker and better resist chatter. I use these in my best planes that are reserved for the finest or trickiest work. The rest all have their original cutters.

There are also sources for rosewood totes and knobs. Thus, these parts can be purchased to bring an otherwise good plane back to original condition. PW

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