Thread: Help ....Analysis of Plane Shavings to Adjust Setup of Plane

Rob
my initial thoughts are
the frog position -- relates to the mouth opening
how flat and co-planer the sole is immediately in front of the mouth
chip breaker clearance -- even a few thou might produce the differences you are seeing
blade sharpness -- but I guess this will be the same
does one blade have a back bevel?
the shape of the leading edge of the chip breaker -- relates to how the chip is broken and thus curled

But if there is no noticeable difference in the planed surface or the propensity to generate tear out, perhaps just accept the differences in chip formation.

DW has either explained this here (recently??) or if you look up David W. on Youtube he might have done it there. Check the current bench plane thread, it may have been there.

Mine does Very tight curls on deeper cuts and light curls on very light cuts.. my friends does straight shavings on deep cuts, or concertina shavings on very light cuts

Hi Rob

This relates to the positioning of the chipbreaker in relation to the bed angle.

When the chipbreaker is pulled back and not in a position to influence the formation of the shaving (chip), the shaving is free to curl. This is what you get, generally tighter curls as the bed (frog) angle lowers. Both of your planes have the same bed angle (45 degrees).

As the chipbreaker is moved forwards towards the leading edge of the chipbreaker, so it has an effect on the shaving. The most notable effect is that the shaving straightens, and the curl disappears.

When the chipbreaker is a tad too far forward, the shaving begins to concertina. At this point, the surface can degrade and the plane is harder to push. A thinner cut may also not have the inner strength to hold together and remain straight. Both situations apply.

Shavings change shape also in the absence of a chipbreaker, such as when the cutting angle steepens. If you look at a 60 degree woodie, such as the HNT Gordon smoother, it will also produce a straighter shaving. Some of this is also wood species-dependent: timber with more closed cells (like fruit woods) will hold together better than timber with open cells (like Jarrah).

Regards from Perth

Derek

Did you try swapping the blades? It would tell you if it's the blade or the plane.

Originally Posted by Mnb

Did you try swapping the blades? It would tell you if it's the blade or the plane.

brilliant

Swap the blade/chip breaker assembly with the settings untouched and see what happens.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

Swap the blade/chip breaker assembly with the settings untouched and see what happens.

Absolutely vital! Otherwise you will not know what the difference are about.

Regards from Perth

Derek

I have several stanleys. they all perform differently because of the harry hack way that I tune the leading edge of my cap iron. I only hone it to a 'roundabouts' angle, and that angle is exactly "whatever the hell it is". The steeper the angle of the leading edge of chip breaker, the further back it can be set from the edge and perform similar toa chipbreaker with lower angle set closer to the blade edge.

The steeper the angle of the leading edge of chip breaker, the further back it can be set from the edge and perform similar toa chipbreaker with lower angle set closer to the blade edge.

Good observation, Kuffy. That is why the bed angle has a part to play - it changes the effective angle of the leading edge of the chipbreaker.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Are the two 4 1/2 planes the same acutely or are they from different periods.
Tho that probably won't shouldn't affect anything.
Just thinking out of square.

Cheers Matt

Thanks for all the suggestions
Earlier today I spent a few minutes changing over the blades and cap irons from plane to plane

The results were NOT consistent for the blade and Iron set up's although they were as closely replicated as I could make them ..... so I moved the frog marginally back on my friends plane and the result was that the shavings started to curl!!!

Now I'm not sure whether straight or curling shavings is the ideal .... any comments would be appreciated

Rob

Are you more interested in shavings or in the surface being planed? Adjust until you get the surface right and let the shavings do what they may.

Now I start to understand this chipbreaker setting business . Thanks for the plane explanation Derek!!

Yvan

Originally Posted by yvan

Now I start to understand this chipbreaker setting business . Thanks for the plane explanation Derek!!

Yvan

I can't help the op with his problem, but after reading this thread I feel like doing a bit of nit-pickng, so here goes -

I notice that everyone in this thread keeps mentioning the "blade" and the "chipbreaker". What you folk are calling the "blade" is actually called the "plane iron", and what you call the "chipbreaker" is actually the "cap iron". It is my understanding that as a wood plane cuts by linear motion it does not need or require a chipbreaker. The shape of the cap iron helps direct the shaving up out of the throat. Most woodwork power machinery, on the other hand, rely on circular motion and need a chipbreaker, in some cases, to prevent tear-out. Correct me if I wrong but I believe this is the case.: )