Thread: Cutting reeds with a Stanley 45.

To give an idea of the success rate I had on this kind of timber, I'll show this as well.

I ran a little bead along the cross pieces. 24 pieces total. Beads similar in size to the ones used in that reeding cutter. Used a carter version of the stanley no.50.

Of the 24 strips I had tear occuring in 2 of the strips, at points around pretty severe grain reversal. uno, just past a knot etc.

These strips I just cut up from 2 warped fence palings that fallen off our fence. I just cut the strips out the best I could, trying to avoid the defects , jointed and thicknessed. My point is,,,,pretty ruff timber. So I think 2 strikes out of 24's pretty good.

Honestly, I don't think a wooden bead plane would have faired any better. Beads (or reeds) I believe can be tricky in general to cut cleanly not because of poor mouth support, like one gets with a combination plane. I think its because the profile is cutting at varing angles. Where one side may be slicing with the grain, the other may be against. In my experience, with wooden and combination planes, if tear is to occur, it will, regardless as to wheather or not the mouths closed up.

Anyway, I use this small bead for 'little' beaded T&G joints .....

Goodnight.

Nice one, Jake!

Beading is quick no matter wood/steel plane. I have a set of wood sidebead planes and so use those for work like your last post. Center beads, well, I never got around to buying a set and so have always used a metal plow.

The wood sidebeaders I have never had tear out. The metal plow I have, even on the same chuck of wood as the side beads. Don't know if the mouth is the reason for great success on the wood ones or not. I also like the burnishing effect of the wood sidebeads when one gets to full profile.

My success rate with a metal plow is probably about the same as yours. Few and far between, and so never worried about getting the center bead planes. Now that I sold off the 45 and 55, I will need to revisit which direction to go in the future. Probably another metal plow.

Take care, Mike

p.s. "trellis"

Originally Posted by MikeW

p.s. "trellis"

Thanks. wish I could spell New there was a 'L' in there somewhere.

That burnishing effect is a good mention, Mike. I like that too. Shines it up a bit.

There seems to be no hard and fast fact on what will/won't plane well....

I've read that wooden bead planes better their metal cousins because of mouth support. But, I found that odd with the timber I work. But who knows.

I like the feel of holding the wooden ones better, but I do have a couple of complaints with them. The boxing wears away quick, especially the thin bit that cuts out the quirk. Thats where I feel the metal skate of a combination plane betters. But then I work pretty hard timber, as you get over here.

The other thing I've noticed, especially with larger bead planes, is they can have pretty bad shaving jams, where as a combination plane with that open mouth spills the curlys better. Have you ever managed to get a 1" wooden bead plane going ? ....I've got one in great condition, and for the life of me, can't get it to plane cleanly. Shaving jam develops very quickly, no matter how fine I set the cut.

And beside--a metal plow does take up less room! I do regret selling off my #55. That I needed to doesn't help. Made lot's of mouldings with it and my hollows and rounds.

Both my H&R half set and the side bead planes are on a 55 degree bed, so that helps over a metal plane.

The one inch. That would be the biggest beading plane I have ever seen. Not sure I would wanna push her. A couple of my hollows are 1/6th of a larger diameter and I have used those to good effect. But it's just a small portion of a beading plane's circumference.

Sounds fun to try though! Oh, I have used a nosing plane before. Mostly a half-circle, 7/8" diameter. That went fine, but it wasn't trying to shove the quirks down into the surface.

Take care, Mike

Ok, went to the shed and cut the bead below. My largest side bead is a 1/2" bead. The wood is Makore, which while cutting well, is fairly abrasive.



The board is about 30" or so long.

The next picture shows the last shaving up close. Pretty much when I get a shaving such as this one, which is the full width of the bead and quirk, it's time to stop.



One thing I would mention is that for a side bead, a woodie is way faster from the time one pulls it out of a drawer to finished. That's what I like about wood planes. That's also their main drawback: they are single-purpose planes.

Took me longer to write this message than cut the bead.

But, and here's what so many don't know or are unwilling to try: Either type of plane is faster than a router table. I would reckon it would take needing to run 50 feet or more before the router table would be an economical use of time.

And Jake. Don't tell these people this: I even think wood planes or combo planes are cheaper to buy and use than tables and bits and fences and jigs and ...

Take care, Mike

Thanks for the pictures Mike. Good to see another take interest in these things.

Originally Posted by MikeW

One thing I would mention is that for a side bead, a woodie is way faster from the time one pulls it out of a drawer to finished. That's what I like about wood planes. That's also their main drawback: they are single-purpose planes.

I agree entirely....but uno, having a plane thats just got one purpose is the way I reakon it should stay. The whole combination plane idea is a bit too ambitious I feel. I try not to switch and change blades on my metal planes. Like to keep one blade for one plane. That way the settings don't need to be changed much, and there ready to go.

Originally Posted by MikeW

But, and here's what so many don't know or are unwilling to try: Either type of plane is faster than a router table. I would reckon it would take needing to run 50 feet or more before the router table would be an economical use of time.

And Jake. Don't tell these people this: I even think wood planes or combo planes are cheaper to buy and use than tables and bits and fences and jigs and ...

Take care, Mike

Shhhhhh Mike !....not too loud....you'll put a few noses out of joint with words like that .

I knocked off the tresels ....I mean, TRELLISESES (How do you write it when theirs more than one ? ) today. So, I'm in the good books with Esther (my wife).

I didn't have enough wire to take them all to the top cross piece, but it'll do. I think she's going to keep them in the garden anyway,,,,and wait for it, shes going to paint them white !... ..

Anyway, I tried to be cute, by leaving them on the front veranda for her to notice when she got home, with little paper roses on them..... girls like that sort of stuff eh

Always good to talk to you Mike. Have a good week.