Blade in Muji Slipping

[silentC]

I was using my little MujingFang mini-smoother on the weekend (the one made from high Ebony). It's a great little plane. Takes gossamer-thin shavings that look like spider web. The #4 was tearing out terribly, so the only thing I had that would cut it was the Muji.

The problem was, I would set the blade tight - but on the first pass it seemed to slip. I'd feel it start to cut and then nothing, then on the second pass, no cut at all. I'd give it another tap on the wedge and same again.

I sanded the back of the wedge to rough it up a bit and it seemed better for a while but then eventually it started playing up again. Any ideas on how to stop it? I'm seating the wedge with a small cross peen hammer and I'm sure it's going home firm. It doesn't feel as though the wedge is coming loose, the blade just seems to slip.

[Dan]

It might be worth checking the bed to make sure it's flat.

[bitingmidge]

Silent,

Was it raining where you come from??

I know that could be a thinly veiled reference to your avatar, but we had 90% humidity and a mere 17° in the shed last night, and I was experiencing exactly the same behaviour from mine.

I thought it was me. :o :o :o Maybe they just don't work in June?

With a deeper setting it was fine, but I eventually gave up and used another finely tuned device from my vast collection.

Cheers,

P (Waiting breathlessly for an answer!)

:D

[silentC]

Hmm, yes it was raining as it happens. Probably about 10 degrees in the shed.

I needed it to be a poofteenth of a smidge coarser but I couldn't get it to stay there. It was either shaving air, or gouging strips suitable for edge banding.

Unfortunately, it was the only finely tuned device in my collection that would cut the mustard. Even the backwards blade in the Stanley was giving me grief. I love this River Red Gum I've got but it's a bastard to work with.

[Bob Willson]

Araldite?

[JDarvall]

Maybe as well as ruffing up the wedge ....ruff up the bed ???????

I don't really know .....haven't had that problem before .....maybe consider the gap that takes the wedge has an angle less than that of the wedge......meaning the wedge has the appearence its tight but really only binding over a fraction of the area it should....so less surface friction....???
maybe..............goodluck with it.

[Caliban]

Araldite?
No you need a paint scraper to remove araldite. :D

[Caliban]

Darren
I've never encountered that problem with my muji, love that plane. But this is a cause of concern. I know Terry Gordon says that the wedge fitment(is that a word?) is of the utmost importance and takes a disproportionate amount of time in the manufacture. Could this be a reason his planes are so much more expensive? Do we all need to somehow fettle the fit of the wedges of our beloved mujis? Do we ask terry to run a muji improvement class and do himself out of more sales?

[scooter]

Silent/Midge, how about putting a suitably size piece of carbon paper on top of the wedge and tap wedge gently into the plane body with the blade in position. If all goes well the wedge (when removed :)) should show the high spots where it is contacting the body most firmly.

Progressively taking the high spots down might result in a more exact fit.

Could be one way to remove the feline dermis.


Good luck...........cheers...............Sean the non muji owner (yet)

[scooter]

BTW, I think you can get light (white?) coloured carbon paper which may be the go.


Sean

[bitingmidge]

I took the blade out tonight, gave it a quick rub on the underside with Kero, and stuck it back in.

All is well again.

I think it was just having a girly-hissy-fit.

Either that or the Traditional Wax I put on it to make sure it doesn't rust when I'm not looking made it too slippery over the lacquer?

Cheers.

P :cool:

[silentC]

Either that or the Traditional Wax I put on it to make sure it doesn't rust when I'm not looking made it too slippery over the lacquer?
You know, there could be something in that. I did apply some wax to the bottom of the plane earlier in the day. I normally just whack a bit on while the blade is still in (because I'm lazy) but this time I had the blade out because it was sharpening month. Maybe some of the wax got into the mouth and onto the bed. I might hit it with some metho.


Do we all need to somehow fettle the fit of the wedges of our beloved mujis?
Maybe we do. I can't imagine they spend too much time on it for the price.