Thread: Tapping out kanna blade

Hi Andreas

First, read this thread on tapping out, and while you're at it, this thread on tuning a kanna might also be useful.

I'm now thinking of flattening the entire blade back with a grinder then flattening with a course sigma #150 stone, and also use the grinder to get a larger hollow on the backside of the blade.

Would this be a big mistake?

To be brutally honest, if you intend to do this, throw the kanna into a rubbish bin now and save yourself a lot of time and effort.

I have a smallish kanna that cost me less than $50 new. I've used it for years, and tapped it out countless times. Although the blade is obviously not as good or durable as my more expensive 70mm and 65mm planes, it still works fine. A cheap kanna properly set up, maintained and sharpened will work well.

You need to learn how to tap out properly, and practising on a cheaper kanna blade is a good place to start. The above thread on tapping out will help.

Gratuitous plug time (sorry all). The first quarter of my book Shoji and Kumiko Design: Book 1 The Basics explains about the kanna, how to set it up, how to maintain it, how to tap out, and why tapping out is necessary, and what happens if you don't tap out or don't tap out adequately.

Keep practising.

Des

OK, Des, I ordered a copy, should be here next week. Of course, I hope it adds to the Odate and van Arsdale books; and I certainly hope you plan on sticking around to answer any questions.

Pam

Hi Des!
That was a good read!
I probably didn't hit enough times, and I seem to have hit to close to the edge of the blade (judging by the pic in the link). I will make a new attempt at it; hopefully I will get it right before reaching the end of the blade

I placed an order on your book from amazon the 31th, but it's not arriving until the 24th, should have paid extra for fast delivery, I can’t wait to read it!
Thank you for taking the time to help me!!!

Thanks Andreas and Pam for buying the book. I appreciate it.

But…

and I certainly hope you plan on sticking around to answer any questions.

exactly why do you think I need to run away from any questions?

As for how my book compares to the books by Odate and van Arsdale, I'll leave that up to others to judge.

Des

I don't think you won't hang around.

Pam

Des -- will purchase as soon as I have some cash. Work's a bit thin now, though rumor has it the economy is improving.

Looking forward to owning it!

Thanks Yojimbo (by the way, that Mifune and Kurosawa film would have to be one of the greatest movies ever made), and hang in there.

Andreas, just a hint on tapping out (this is included in the book).
Imagine that you have to tap a very thin nail into a piece of wood, and the nail entry must be perfectly vertical with no deviation or bending. Try it. This is the force and control you have to use when tapping out (obviously not the angle of tapping). Many light taps. And keep going until the ura does tap out. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to do this. If you try to rush, you'll certainly run out of blade.

The more you practise, the easier and quicker it becomes. And the more confident you become.

Des

Des -- I doubt you guys had the "got milk?" campaign there, or had occasion to see it, but it was ubiquitous here: just plain thin white Helvetica type with that phrase on billboards, TV ads, print ads... ad nauseum.

Then one day I was hunting down the few Kurosawa DVDs I didn't have... and found a bumper sticker, in that same white Helvetica, saying "Got Kurosawa?" Had to have it. It now proudly adorns my Volvo cross-country's rear window.

Kurosawa certainly was one of the greats.

Just to digress a bit from kanna blades (sorry Andreas), if you ever get a chance, have a look at the movie Saigo no Chushingura (released in 2010). It's a story that's set a few years after the 47 Samurai incident. There's very little action, but it's a tremendous study of human character - a bit like Rashomon. It may seem a little slow to some, and IMDB doesn't rate it very highly because of this, but it's one of the best movies I've seen to bring out the true Samurai concept of honour and loyalty. I may be wrong but I think the English-dubbed version may have had the last part cut, which totally destroys the message, so if you can, watch the original Japanese version.

Now, back to kanna.

Des

I never watch a dubbed version of a film if I can possibly avoid it.

I have a vague feeling I may have seen it, but will definitely make sure -- and clearly, if I did, I wasn't conscious enough at the time to remember it. Definitely sounds like my kind of film. Thanks, Des!

Dunno why that thumbs down is there, Des. Was certainly nothing personal!

Chushingura is one of my favorites, get it out to watch every year or two, gorgeous photography. Just for reference, my 3 favorite movies are: Ran, Annie Hall, and My Dinner With Andre.

Pam

For me, figuring out how hard to tap the blade was the hardest part, and I cracked some blades before I got the hang of it. I made a quick video of how hard I tap the blade when tapping out. Hopefully that will help. The amount of force that I’m use is about the same as what I would use to start a finish nail in a piece of pine, and I tend to go back and forth between tapping and working the back side of the plane blade.

I also did a write up on tapping out a plane blade here.

Good stuff, wilburpan. Thanks so much!