Planing curly wood

[Acer Saccharum]

I just learned about making a plane, any plane, cut curly wood or against the grain without tearing. Grind a facet on the face, so that it's perpendicular to the wood surface.

I used a plane to pare down my last ramrod, and finished up with the rr scraper. It tapers from a 9/16 bell down to 5/16, and I planed it in short order, no struggling with tearout or anything.

I put a stop on my bench place RR against it, and plane toward the stop, turning a fraction at the start of each pass. Round it up with the scraper. No dust. Just curls.

I also slimmed down my forestock on the last rifle using the plane, with no tearout whatsoever, and that was one piece of curly.

[Sawatis]

Yup! This in essence makes it a "scraper plane"...most of the planes made to act like this have the blade bedded in an almost vertical position and use a thick blade for reducing chatter...works great on curly anything...
I have a block plane blade that I got and ground this way to do this too.  Got the blade from Hock so it would be nice and thick.
John

[KLMoors]

Yikes! That give me the heeeebee - jeeebeees to think about doing that to one of my planes.

I've got an old crappy block plane I might give it a try with. Does it need to be a low angle plane? or just so it is perpendicular to the surface of the wood being planed?

[Acer Saccharum]

Ya know, I think any old plane will work. Mine is pretty junky, throat way too big for precise planing, blade adjustment really crude. This edge treatment turned a $15 plane into Cadillac. 

[David Rase]

When it comes to peeling a giant zucchini, I still prefer a sharp plane blade.  
David

[Acer Saccharum]

Dave, that style blade just bites in. You'll get into the seeds, and then the throat of the plane is choked up. You should try this out. In your grass skirt, with hula music playing softly in the background.....

[smart dog]

Hi Tom,
That is the solution for sure.  I have a blade ground to 50 degrees and when mounted in my jack plane is 77 degrees to the wood surface.  That blade along with closing the throat of the plane to reduce tear out, allows me to plane curly wood.  Sometimes when planing end-grain of difficult wood, I wet the wood with denatured alcohol to soften it.

dave

[David R. Pennington]

I have a new in box old stock Montgomery Wards smooth plane that I have in my trade pile. I might try it on it, I only have $20 in it. I have always used the retreat and advance from another angle method on planning contrary grain, but some will seem to tear out no matter from where you attack it. This might be the deal.

[oldone]

Great idea , been having a hard time with a piece of walnut, going togive it a try as soon as the snow stops.
 

[T*O*F]

Tom,
I hope the plane irons in your picture are upside down.  Otherwise, some dufus installed mine wrong.   

[Kermit]

 

Figured wood--sharpen more than scary sharp, set for REALLY fine cut, make the throat opening BARELY enough to take those fine shavings. Angling the plane to take a shearing cut can help too.

Most handplane users have the throat WAY too wide.

If you are going to try grinding to the illustration, get a second junker iron. Or buy a good (Clifton, Hock, L-N.......) iron and relegate the original to this experiment. If you do enough figured wood planing you might want to invest in a scraper plane or make a wooden plane or two with angles like 50-55 degrees. A friend bought a low-angle jack and a couple of extra irons that he has ground to steeper angles.

Many ways to relieve a feline of its dermis.

[Acer Saccharum]

Tom,
I hope the plane irons in your picture are upside down.  Otherwise, some dufus installed mine wrong.   

Dave, I learned this trick from a guy who makes furniture, and collects tools. He said many old spokeshaves and planes he bought had the blades upside down, which got him to thinking it wasn't an accident. His hypothesis is that they were being used as scraper planes.

[DaveP (UK)]

I remember reading about these "tricks of the trade" in back numbers of Practical Woodworker but I've been lucky enough to never need them. Very sharp, very fine set and very narrow throat has always done it for my modest undertakings.
This guy has quite a lot to say about finishing difficult grain
http://www.rpwoodwork.com/blog/2012/11/
(two more articles in the following month)

[mjm46@bellsouth.net]

Figured wood--sharpen more than scary sharp, set for REALLY fine cut, make the throat opening BARELY enough to take those fine shavings. Angling the plane to take a shearing cut can help too.

I agree with Kermit on this one. The only time I've gotten chip out was when my plane needed sharpening or if I'm taking too much of a bite.
Keep it veerry sharp and thin.