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26th November 2012, 08:06 PM #1
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Re: Did I waste my time trying to tune a #5 Groz?
So I am somewhat of a sapling when it comes to wood working. About 6 months ago I purchased a #5 Groz plane from Carba-Tec. I thought I was gonna revolutionise my woodworking. I had a very vague memory of my grandfather using a hand plane to work a piece of wood. My grandfather was an old school carpenter, handsaws, brace&bits, bench-planes and bow saws where his tools of trade.
I jointed a 2.8x1m table top using a reverse-glue bit. This joinery was not perfect and resulted in approx 0.5mm steps in joints across the top. When it came to smoothing this step I pulled out my #5 plane. Since I bought it I realised that it needed some work, I upgraded the plane iron to a (approx)2.6mm iron, this was re-bevelled to 30o, the Groz chip breaker was ground flat to the new iron and re-bevelled to 30o. This was all done using a recently purchased Veritas MkII honing guide.
I tuned the plane so that there was a few hair's breadths between the new blade and the throat opening. I may not have tuned the plane correctly, I admit that, haven't been able to find a decent tutorial that explains it. My grandfather is long past and my father had no interest in tools.
I thought I had done everything well, followed all I had read about setting up/tuning a plane, but I am getting some wicked tear-out on the table top I am trying to smooth. It is VERY old(80 year salt-water seasoned) Grey Ironbark, I am going with the grain and still really bad tear out. I have the blade set to only take a tiny amount, prolly in the thousandths of a millimeter.
I guess the question is, have I tuned/sharpened/re-bevelled things wrong on this cheap plane or am I just expecting more then what can be expected when working with this ridiculously hard/brittle timber.
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26th November 2012, 08:22 PM #2
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some decent notes on plane fettling can be found here
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26th November 2012, 08:59 PM #3
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If you would like me to have a look at the plane and give you my opinion send me a PM. Happy to have a look. I'm in Kenmore.
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26th November 2012, 10:34 PM #4
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I'd be inclined to go for 80 grit on a belt sander instead.
Doesn't answer the plane question, but will flatten the table.
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27th November 2012, 12:25 AM #5
Luddite Lite
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Re: Did I waste my time trying to tune a #5 Groz?
Have you tried the plane on a few other bits of wood? That might let you know how much of the problem is the plane and how much is the timber.
You could try planing across the grain where you're getting the tear out or turn the blade upside down so it's cutting at a steeper, scrapy-er pitch... Old iron bark isn't going to plane without a fight though....I'll just make the other bits smaller.
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28th November 2012, 08:27 AM #6
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I second what Berlin suggested. Ironbark is one big challenge for any plane, of any pedigree, so try your fettled machine on something a bit less recalcitrant before you condemn it. Apart from being brutally hard stuff, IB usually has 'rowed' grain, which means strips go in completely opposite directions. Even when relatively straight-grained, it often wants to pick out & splinter, for no apparent reasons. Most of the Ironbark I've encountered won't yield entirely to any plane, even my 60 degree infill - you can get it close, but it requires scrapers or abrasives to get it all the way.
There are good reasons why people from the pre-carbide cutters & drum-sander era avoided making fine objects from most of our tougher woods!
Cheers,IW
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3rd December 2012, 03:28 PM #7
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I ended up attacking it with a Belt Sander. I tested the plane both by taking some thick shavings with and against the grain on a piece of Red Gum(see attached picture). No tear out to be found, one or two strokes with a SW 12 1/2 scraper plane and the piece was glassy.
I love Grey Ironbark, the colour and the grain I find truly beautiful, I know for the future though that I need to stick with the powertool whilst working with it.
Thank you all that replied, and mic-d I will prolly take you up on your offer in the new year.
Cheers
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