Thread: Krenov Plane Build

This is an open question and you probably get a lot of different answers.

Yes, you can build a plane without chipbreaker. You don't necessarily need one. I have an old German plane, which is single iron. For certain tasks I like it more than others. Mainly for taking thicker shavings on straight grain wood.

But if you want to make a smoother than a chip breaker will help a lot and depending on wood probably best. I don't think it has anything to do with blade thickness alone.

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Originally Posted by Dave Reed

Looking into making a Krenov Plane and I have a question for those experienced tool builders.
Can I use a 4 thick mm blade (veritas) without a chipbreaker. Need to know before I build in case I need to cut a recess in tail end of the plane.

Thanks

Mouth opening is crucial without a chip breaker. Narrowest opening that's functionally possible is needed.

Originally Posted by Dave Reed

Looking into making a Krenov Plane and I have a question for those experienced tool builders.
Can I use a 4 thick mm blade (veritas) without a chipbreaker. Need to know before I build in case I need to cut a recess in tail end of the plane.

Thanks

Dave, without a chipbreaker, the bed angle is most important. 55- or 60 degrees would help reduce any tearout.

Here is a pictorial: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMad...vSmoother.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Dave, without a chipbreaker, the bed angle is most important. 55- or 60 degrees would help reduce any tearout. ...

Agree Dave; arguably the best (western) wooden smoothers that money can buy are those made by Terry Gordon. His smoothers feature:

• blades 6mm thick, of either tool steel or high speed steel, and
• bed angle of 60°.

Smoothing Plane – HNT Gordon & Co. Classic Planemakers Australia

The other source of superior wooden planes is Japan, and they tend to have thicker, often tapered blades.

I agree with most of the above. All else being equal, bed-angle will do more to control tear-out than a fine mouth. A super-fine mouth on a metal-soled plane can work very well, but very fine mouths are susceptible to clogging, particularly with many of our hardwoods. With a wood sole super-fine mouths are both harder to achieve for the less-experienced plane maker, & more susceptible to damage.

A single-iron plane pitched at the "standard" 45 degrees can be a very good performer and handle the majority of woods well. It's simple & uncomplicated to make, but you won't get the sort of finish on cranky grain that a chip-breaker is capable of giving. Raising the pitch to 60* will give much better performance on cranky grain, but the trade-off is a plane that is harder to push, and in my experience blade wear is increased quite noticeably.

For a first plane, if you want it primarily to smooth difficult woods, the easiest approach would be single-iron bedded at 60*. For fine shavings, the increased resistance is hardly noticeable, but you will still sharpen a little more often. Single-iron makes fitting the wedge or whatever blade-retaining system you plan on using very straightforward.

If you are new to planes it is easier to get good results quickly with a high-pitched, single iron plane than coming to grips with close-set cap-irons, especially with some of our hard, chippy woods that can work their way under the best-fitting cap-irons. Getting your wedge or lever cap to bear on the cap-iron in just the right place to keep the cap-iron really tight on the blade can be a little tricky but this can make or break the performance of your plane (damhik!). So don't dismiss high-angle single-iron planes too quickly, they have their place in the world. I have a couple & there are enough occasions where they equal or even outshine my planes with chip-breakers that they earn their keep.

Making a standard-pitch plane with a chip-breaker is not that much more demanding, and imo will result in a more versatile tool that you are more likely to reach for than an equivalent high-angle job. Making planes can be highly addictive, most people don't stop at one & I do recommend getting to grips with chipbreakers eventually, so that could be project #2....

Chers,

Dave, may I suggest that you read Ian's post several times. There is an incredible amount of embedded experience.

Originally Posted by IanW

... Making a standard-pitch plane with a chip-breaker is not that much more demanding, and imo will result in a more versatile tool that you are more likely to reach for than an equivalent high-angle job. Making planes can be highly addictive (*), most people don't stop at one & I do recommend getting to grips with chipbreakers eventually, so that could be project #2....

Chers,

Someone, many years ago, said that to build an intercontinental rocket was an incredibly difficult task, but to build 100 was relatively easy. Something similar applies to plane making and using.

May I suggest that you accept part of Ian's advice and make two planes. One with a 45° bed and the other with a 60° bed, and then do a lot of planing learning how to adjust your planes and how to use them in a range of woods. By not having a chip breaker you are removing one of the variables or complications, and hastening the learning process. You will also experience the effects of the two bedding angles.

Then, later, make another with a chip breaker and learn how to optimise its use. Another step in the learning process.

[* Ian is definitely an addict. Just search in this Forum or google in general for his work - its abundant and beautiful and straddles that line between craft and art.]

Thanks to everyone for their comments and advice, it is really wonderful to be able to tap into so much knowledge and experience, not to mention inspiring.
Will post pictures of the build and finished plane
Thanks again