How to Use a Japanese Plane 1: How to Set the Blade

[soatoz]

How to Use a Japanese Plane 1: How to Set the Blade

There are a couple of things worth noting, about what you should and shouldn’t do when you are using Japanese planes. I will explain with two blade plane.

http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/How_to_Adjust_Planes/0.jpg





a. First you set the main blade tapping lightly with a mallet (BTW this mallet is my hand made. The head is planed and not sanded) There are so many Japanese carpenters in Japan who uses hammer, but I suggest you don’t use a hammer for it will gradually roll up the top and the side of the head making it ugly. And also when you set the chip breaker, the edge of the hammer will leave marks on the front side (where the mei is) of the main blade. And just in case never hit the butt of the dai to set the blade.

http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/How_to_Adjust_Planes/1.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/How_to_Adjust_Planes/7.jpg


b. Whenthe main blade is lightly secured in the block, you set the chip breaker in place and tap lightly with the mallet. Do not let the edge of the chip breaker go past the main blade’s edge, because if it does it will ruin the back of the main blade. Keep the edge of the chip breaker about 1mm to 2mm before the main blade’s edge.


http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/How_to_Adjust_Planes/2.jpg

c. Then you alternately tap the main blade and the chipbreaker until they are both set to the desired position. Again the chip breaker should be sitting 1mm to 2mm before the main blade. If you set the blade to your desired position first, and then placed the chip breaker and set it, what would happen is by the time the chip breaker is at the correct position the main blade would be pushed by the chip breaker losing its position.


d. To check if the blade is out too much or too less, you can first check by lightly touching the blade feeling how much blade is protruding, and if it is out too much, you need to put it back in a little. And here many of the beginners would wonder "How?" because there are no levers or dials. You are one smart person if you had figured this one out before someone told you! Anyway, this is how you do it. You hit the corner of the head (dai-gashira) of the dai and let the blade slide out. It is important to hit the corner but not the centre, because the dai will crack from the centre if you do. From my experience it is inevitable for the little portion of the corner along the grain to chip off, especially when it is a Red Oak dai, but this will not affect the performance.


http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/How_to_Adjust_Planes/4.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/How_to_Adjust_Planes/6.jpg

e. You can tell if the blade is set skewed by gently rubbing the blade coming out from the sole. You would feel more friction on one side which has more blade coming out. When the blade is set skewed you can tap the side of the head, or the corner of the dai, on the side which the blade is protruding too much. But it is better to set the blade carefully and hit the centre of the head as much as possible, so that both sides of the blade would come out evenly. It is also important that your dai is adjusted properly so that when you hit the centre of the head it will slide straight.

http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/How_to_Adjust_Planes/3.jpg


f. Now both the main blade and the chip breaker are close to the desired setting. You finalize the setting by fine tuning. At this stage, you flip over the dai and hold it up against a light or the bright part of the sky, and check the amount of black line (the shaded part of the blade protruding from the dai) and the evenness in thickness. We are talking about half the thickness of a hair, if you are trying to shave thin. The adjustment is done in the same manner as explained above but with more delicate touch.


http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/How_to_Adjust_Planes/5.jpg


g. Now you are ready!

[Ikkyu]

Great post and great info thank you very much :2tsup:

[Mapp]

I have a japenese plane I use for most difficult finishing, in preference to a Matheison infill. I use Murifangs for normal finishing and save my HNT Gordon for the really difficult stuff.

One thing I have noticed using the Japanese planes is that I can subtley adjust the depth of cut while planing by adjusting my grip on the blade. I find this useful when I want to plane some grain just that little bit deeper than the rest of the board. We are not talking about much, maybe a scraper shavings worth.

When I first can across these phenonem I assumed that I hadn't set up the plane properly but now I am wondering if this is how they are supposed to work.

[soatoz]

I have a japenese plane I use for most difficult finishing, in preference to a Matheison infill. I use Murifangs for normal finishing and save my HNT Gordon for the really difficult stuff.

One thing I have noticed using the Japanese planes is that I can subtley adjust the depth of cut while planing by adjusting my grip on the blade. I find this useful when I want to plane some grain just that little bit deeper than the rest of the board. We are not talking about much, maybe a scraper shavings worth.

When I first can across these phenonem I assumed that I hadn't set up the plane properly but now I am wondering if this is how they are supposed to work.

Hi Mapp,

Exactly!:) I think you are a quite skilled Japanese plane user.

How to grip, where to press, how much you press, makes a great difference! I might refer to that in coming How to Use Japanese Plane article, but this is quite advanced stuff, so it might have to wait until later...

Saws have same kind of liberty in control too. The blade is made flexible so that while cutting you can correct the cutting line, when the warping timbre pushes the saw out of the cutting line. If the saw was just a toothed stiff sheet of hard steel, you won't be able to correct the cutting line by flexing the saw. Flexibility is stronger than stiffness! Someone who aren't used to Japanese saws might think that flexible saws are difficult to control, but actually it is quite the opposite once you get that hang of it. You have MORE control!

BTW, it is interesting that you use both Japanese style and western style. I would have a hard time using a western style now that I am so used to pulling when planing... It is surprising you could mannage both ways!

[willie]

Hi all. Something I've always wondered.

Why are there chip breaker and non-chipbreaker planes? It is the same with Western
planes as well as Japanese.

I would have thought they would work better one way or the other so why have both? Are there special jobs for each type?
Thanks for any answers.

[soatoz]

Hi all. Something I've always wondered.

Why are there chip breaker and non-chipbreaker planes? It is the same with Western
planes as well as Japanese.

I would have thought they would work better one way or the other so why have both? Are there special jobs for each type?
Thanks for any answers.

Hi Willie,

There might be other explanations, but this is what I know, and from my experience as well.

-Chip breaker Plane (Double blade)

These were introduced quite recently, around the begining of Meiji era (1868.) I read that the idea was invented in western countries (I don't know which one, but probably in UK right? Does anyone know?)

Chip breakers are necessary when you are rough planing, when you are roughly adjusting the thickness or the shape. But I think 90% of the users in Japan use this type even for fine planing. And for someone like me who don't have any machines, they are essential.

If the chip breaker isn't adjusted well, the plane will not function properly. The chip will get stuck between the chip breaker and the main blade, and soon the mouth would become closed filled up with the shave. Adjusting the chip breaker is sometimes very difficult. You adjust by changing the angle of the ears on both top sides of the chip breaker, hitting on an anvil with a hammer. But sometimes no matter what you do, it just doesn't work. In that case it is worth changing the chip breaker to a new one.

If you want to use this type of plane for both rough and fine planing, it is important to keep the mouth thin enough, and change the sole adjustment whenever you switch the use. When rough planing the sole should be touching with 2 narrow parts (Ni-dokoro-zuki), rather than 3 (Mi-dokoro-zuki). You don't need the top part of the sole touching the timbre. That way, the blade can bite the timbre deeper when you press the head side of the block. The photo shows where you need to shave.

http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/Plane_Adjusted_Sole/Sole_Adjustment.jpg

-Non chip breaker Plane (Single blade)

These are used for the finishing. 99% of the Kezurou-kai (Japanese thin shaving contest) members use non chip breaker planes.

You don't need the chip breaker when you are shaving thin enough (you would easily find out how thin it needs to be through experience, but as a guidance perhaps less than 30 microns?) with a razor sharp blade, and also most importantly when the mouth is opened just enough for the thin shave to go through. The mouth can be (and usually) less than 1mm between the blade and the block.

This type of plane is considered to be for the skilled users. If you can use this plane on interlocked grain timbre without causing any scraping, then you are a skilled user. And if you can even produce a full blade width shave with 72mm blade, then you are a master user!

[Des.K.]

In response to Willie, and just to add a little to this excellent explanation by Soatoz:

Toshio Odate in his book "Japanese Woodworking Tools" explains that the original Japanese planes had no chipbreaker, but it was introduced sometime around 1900.

Some scholars suggest that this was a result of the war between Japan and Russia. At this time, many highly skilled shokunin were drafted by the government, leaving inexperienced shokunin to fill civilian needs. Because these shokunin did not have the skill to avoid tear-out with single-bladed planes, the chipbreaker was added.

None of the Japanese language woodworking books I have give any specific reasons for the chipbreaker introduction, so this may only be an old wives tale passed down over the years. Interesting nonetheless.

Regards
Des

[underused]

I must say, these new threads on Japanese hand tools are making me want to get some, and use them more. I do have Japanese tools, but mostly no-brand stuff:( The no-brand stuff generally needs lots of work to get them in good working order.

Excellent threads here Soatoz, keep em coming mate!!!

[willie]

Thanks for the replies people.

[ronnix]

How to extract installed plane blade correctly?

[Sheets]

How to extract installed plane blade correctly?


Tap the dai (wood body) as per Soatoz's original description in para d and following pic (http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/phot...t_Planes/4.jpg (http://www.geocities.com/soatoz/photos/How_to_Adjust_Planes/4.jpg)). Note how the fingers control the blade/chipbreaker so they don't come flying out.

[ObairLaimhe]

So my question is one that I think will be difficult to answer with words.. how hard to strike the iron with mallet?#
I have a new kanna, the blade was exceedingly tight.. so began the pencil process outlined in the Odate book.. gradually scraping away. (after months of acclimation to my area)

I feel I am close.. I can push the blade most of the way by hand.. yet there is still about a CM to go. I CAN tap it into place.. but it takes a couple dozen taps with my wooden mallet. I am concerned that I may cause damage.

So I am curious.. when you push a blade into place.. about how much is left to go before you would have the blade edge meet the sole from throat.
and.. for your mallets and strength etc.. about how many "tap-lightlies" are you expecting?

as well.. originally my blade was skewed a bit so I gradually scraped the upper and lower parts where the blade sides slid through dai to more correctly steer the blade.. this seems to have worked.

All in all the kanna works well and is enjoyable to use.. however since it is new and tight (not an old ebay find) I am a little unsure of how hard to tap on the blade top.

[Gadge]

ObairLaimhe,

I will give me opinion just to start the ball rolling, however others with greater knowledge can give you a more definitive answer. 1 cm sounds a long way to tap the blade in. I would want the edge of my blade to be level with the sole after a few sharp taps (say 4 or 5). I think you should at least halve the distance (I'm guessing). I've read in places where the distance was been given but can't remember where. Also, after adjusting the skew of the blade, is there clearance in the dai for the sides edges of the blade? This should be snug but not interfere.

Regards,
Gadge

[ObairLaimhe]

thanks, yes I will work a bit more to get the blade closer to the sole. As for the sides, I am careful not to touch the top of the "slide" or "shoot" against which the blade is being pressed.. but only scraping at the lower bed. I have not tried to adjust the dai laterally, or side to side, aside from trying to turn the blade just a slight bit counterclockwise (from a top view).#

I am also trying avoid a situation that I find in one of my old ebay kanna. That is when holding the old kanna up to the light (with blade inserted) you can see that much of the blade does not lie against the bed.. but that light shines through the throat, between blade and bed.

So (back to new kanna) as I scrape away little by little of my new dai, I am puzzled why, as pencil marks (high spots) are cleared away I do not see an eventual expanding field of pencil carbon upon which the blade wold lie. #

[Gadge]

ObairLaimhe

My experience is that you get an expanding field of carbon on the dai. Of course it's only the high spots, but on the dai I have scraped I eventually get spots of carbon over the entire area where the blade beds.

Any chance of posting a photo?

Regards,
Gadge

[ObairLaimhe]

yes here you see how far I got today.. I do see an increase of pencil carbon.. however as I continue scraping that away I am getting the blade edge closer and closer to the mouth. Right now I am about 1 mm from the mouth.. so I think I should stop and work the sole a bit. It is flat but needs to be hollowed for the 3 points of contact.

I think when I posted last.. the blade was hung up mostly near the mouth.. Your post gave me the courage to continue! in the photo you can see the brighter edge along the mouth.. this worries me a little as I hope there is not undue pressure if I were to advance the blade.. it tells me there is a slight ridge a few mm back from the mouth.. however if I remove this further I think the blade will be too loose. I had to glue paper into an old nearly worn out kanna.. but I don't want to have to do that to this very nice new one. However learning via internet, I'll do what I need to do.

As I said before.. it works well.. so maybe that is coming from zero experience with a well tuned kanna!.. I have been testing it a little and I do find that fine adjustment is getting easier. When I really had to punch the blade down of course it cut but now I can back it out more easily and get a rather fine shaving. #Most of my kanna experience is Shihou Sori Dai Kanna, or rounded, convex planes.. alot more forgiving.. so I feel better about this one. #254429

[Gadge]

ObairLaimhe,

It looks good to me. I think the brighter edge along the mouth is where the blade bevel is not touching the bed. I'm sure you will already know what I'm about to say but just in case: make sure you condition the sole with the blade and chip breaker in place (backed off a fraction) as the sole bows out in front of the blade when the blade is tapped into place.

Regards,
Gadge

[Naugas]

One thing I've never seen mentioned anywhere is how you adjust for blade wear on these Japanese planes? Since the blade sits directly in the body I guess you must thin the blade and grind the top surface?

By the way, is there any kind of Japanese plane where the blade is hold by a wedge?

[ObairLaimhe]

Yes, the blade is sharpened much like a western blade.. (but NOT on a power grinder!) however the long term care of a Japanese kanna blade is more involved.. such as carefully tapping part of the blade to push more useable surface area into position. That is called "tapping out". Look for threads here or videos on youtube such as "sharpening kanna blade"

As for wedges, the two most common kinds of kanna are either with a -wedge shaped- chipbreaker or without. The chipbreaker does wedge into place, however the plane can still be used without it. The friction that holds the main blade in place is created by the tightness of the slot in the plane body.. not the pressure of the chipbreaker. #

in my posts here and photo you can see that I was trying to determine how far to go in loosening the place for the blade.. and the concern, I think, is with not loosening too much and creating a useless plane-body or "dai" as it is called.

BTW, I am a beginner to the world of kanna and found much information here as well as Toshio Odate's book on Japanese tools and their use.. I routinely get this book from my local library as questions arise.#

[NeilS]

One thing I've never seen mentioned anywhere is how you adjust for blade wear on these Japanese planes? Since the blade sits directly in the body I guess you must thin the blade and grind the top surface?



Naugas, if I understand you correctly, your question is how do you keep the blade protruding through the bottom of the kanna as the blade becomes shorter from repeated sharpening. You need to periodically repeat the process that ObairLaimhe is undertaking.

Don't thin the steel in your precious blade to keep it protruding, instead remove a little more wood from your less valuable plane body (dai) to keep your kanna cutting.

You often see second hand kanna that are split around the mouth from hammering the blade to get sufficient protrusion instead of going to the trouble of re-adjusting the dai. The top of the blades in those kanna are often also mangled from this practice.

[Naugas]

ThankS NeilS, that's exactly what I was wondering about!

I'm in the process of making a small plane out of an old chisel, and I guess I know enough to get started now at least. A very good and informative thread at the whole, and many thanks to ObairLaimhe too of course!

[snikolaev28]

Try to see this youtube channel. I found that is very valuable for me as for kanna novice user. Sumokun - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/Sumokun)
Especiall because Sumokun can answer your questions.

[Sheets]

Try to see this youtube channel. I found that is very valuable for me as for kanna novice user. Sumokun - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/Sumokun)
Especiall because Sumokun can answer your questions.

Thanks for that link, some good info there.

[snikolaev28]

Yesterday evening almost tuned small kanna - 150 mm length with blade 42 mm. I think before tuning every body must read Des's thread about kanna tuning, ura forming.
Almost tuned because not honed blade on the 6000 grit stone. But with sharpening "from the box' it works! Nice shavings! And less effort than with western planes.
I will not move off my western style planes, but now I have an ideal and will tune all my western planes to obtaine the same quality of boards when I used Japanese plane.

Read Des'Q thread. Probablu moderator make them 'sticky'.

Georg.

[yojimbo]

...every body must read Des's thread about kanna tuning, ura forming.
... Read Des'Q thread. Probablu moderator make them 'sticky'.

Georg.

Hi, Georg. Got a link for that?
Thanks!

[snikolaev28]

Yojimbo,
Just sent a PM to you.

Georg.

[Pam]

...
I will not move off my western style planes, but now I have an ideal and will tune all my western planes to obtaine the same quality of boards when I used Japanese plane....

The closest I've come to this ideal was the ECE 711 Primus Reform Smoothing Plane, but that never supplied the burnished finish I routinely get with Japanese smoothers. A worthy goal, but probably not a reasonable expectation.

Pam

[yojimbo]

Yojimbo,
Just sent a PM to you.

Georg.

Thanks, pal. Replied. :)

[NeilS]

Probably moderator make them 'sticky'.

Georg.

Which raises the question, who is/are the moderator/s for this forum?