Thread: Jack plane converted to scrub plane...???

All I use is a #4 with a reshaped blade. Works fine for me. But a proper scrub doesn't have a depth adjuster or a cap iron. Very simple tools.

My woodie scrub is the same width as a #3 and it's actually fun to use. I'd think the biggest problem in converting a smoother to be a real scrub would be opening up the mouth enough to get the necessary blade depth in contact with the wood with space to let the shavings out.

Maybe find a real junker first to play with before committing to alter a good #4. On the other hand maybe you don't have to put as radical a radius on a blade to get a good narrow bite, but the whole idea of a scrub is to remove a lot of wood quickly.

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

......I'd think the biggest problem in converting a smoother to be a real scrub would be opening up the mouth enough to get the necessary blade depth in contact with the wood with space to let the shavings out.

Fuzzie - there is ample room for chips in any of the Bailey type planes I've come across, if you stick with a reasonably close to standard thickness blade. On most I've fiddled with, you can move the frog back quite a ways, behind the bevelled edge of the sole. With a thicker blade (which consequently has a longer sharpening bevel) this isn't a problem, as the blade will clear the sole, but with thinner, standard blades, the back of the blade meets the sole, so there is no point moving the frog back any further than flush with the sole angle (which gives plenty enough room, anyway).

Like Dan, I've used an old #4 (and I mean OLD - pre lateral-adjustor era!) with a 'standard' blade as a scrub and it works a treat. As Dan says, it's a very simple tool - just a gouge with depth-control. But be very careful with wild-grained woods, 'cos there is little finesse with this tool - it's only meant to be a roughing-down thing. But the way you can chew off a pile of chips (and they're more like 'chips' than 'shavings'!) and bring a very rough board to something close to flat & straight is very gratifying.

Cheers,

thanks all...
I will give it a go....