# Hand plane woes



## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

I've been using a hand plane for a few months now (WoodRiver #5) and I keep running into the same two problems:

#1 I store my plane in a cabinet with the blade retracted. I'm not sure what the "norm" is, but that's how I do it. When I'm ready to plane, I turn the knob with my finger while making a few passes until the blade starts to make contact. It seems that right when I'm about to touch the wood, the knob gets tight. It's like...right when I need some fine tune adjustment, it starts binding up. Just going on assumption here, but I'm guessing I need to back off the lever cap screw half a turn or so?

#2 I can't plane a surface level to save my life. It's *always* low on the right side. Then I have to go back and rework half the surface to make it level. My blade is fine - I'm guessing that this is some kind of technique error on my part. Am I pushing too hard and not letting the plane do the work? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.


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## hawkeye10 (Feb 18, 2015)

I have the same plane you do and some of the same problems. It's not all that easy to learn how to do things in woodworking. You can watch You-Tube but they don't tell you all the story. I have two block planes that I bought on Ebay and reworked and do a little better with them but I still have problems. Maybe we have to keep trying till we pick it up.


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## sunnybob (Sep 3, 2016)

there is a range of movement on the adjusting knob, youre obviously at the bottom of it when you start. Just reset the blade a touch lower with the knob in the middle of its thread.

If you are planing too heavily on one side, its most likely you are leaning to that side and putting more weight on it. Maybe too much weight on the fore end? as a quick fix, just move the tilt lever slightly and watch the results.


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## tangolima (May 9, 2018)

I don't retract the irons when I store the planes. Once I got them tuned up, I keep them the way they are, till I have to retune them, or have to take the iron out for sharpening. I even keep the sole down on wood surface. The iron edge won't get nicked that way. 

The unevenly planed surface, more information is needed. Are you planing the flat or the edge? They are rather different things.

-TL

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

Don't have that plane but sounds like you need to move the frog forward a hair. The blade may be binding as it reaches the mouth. As for the deeper cut on one side, use a thin piece of wood in a vise to check the depth of cut. Get the blade where it appears to be evenly protruding. Retract it and then do as you do moving it up until it starts to take a shaving. Once you get a decent shaving on one side, move the plane over and take a shaving with the other side of the blade. Are they the same thickness? If not, adjust until you get an even thickness. This is better than using feel or sighting down the sole only. If you are still having problems, you are probably pressing heavier on one side as suggested earlier.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

Is the frog tight to the base? I had the same symptom with a fulton plane which uses a stamped frog. I reinforced the stamping by making a 1/8" tool steel washer to keep the frog from flexing, which solved the problem. If your frog isn't tight, it could allow the frog to tip forward and the iron would dig in. The thing I learned is that when tuning a hand plane is that each cause has an effect measured in thousands. I check my frog to make sure it in not too far rearward, where the iron would contact the sole casting as it is extended. If it contacts the sole casting, it could increase the tension on the adjustment knob as well as bow the iron. This bowing could cause more tension on one side allowing the iron to cant toward the looser side. I would concentrate first on the frogs relationship with sole. Then the chip breaker, and finally the cap iron. With these parts well tuned, you can then concentrate on your sharpening techniques. It's all in the minute details, that multiply/exaggerate into what happens.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

Lots of great advice, thanks guys. Sounds like I need to take my plane apart and check a few things. I haven't had it apart since I bought it and cleaned all the oil off and sharpened the iron. I'm due for another sharpening anyway.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> I've been using a hand plane for a few months now (WoodRiver #5) and I keep running into the same two problems:
> 
> #1 I store my plane in a cabinet with the blade retracted. I'm not sure what the "norm" is, but that's how I do it. When I'm ready to plane, I turn the knob with my finger while making a few passes until the blade starts to make contact. It seems that right when I'm about to touch the wood, the knob gets tight. It's like...right when I need some fine tune adjustment, it starts binding up. Just going on assumption here, but I'm guessing I need to back off the lever cap screw half a turn or so?
> 
> #2 I can't plane a surface level to save my life. It's *always* low on the right side. Then I have to go back and rework half the surface to make it level. My blade is fine - I'm guessing that this is some kind of technique error on my part. Am I pushing too hard and not letting the plane do the work? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.


If you like using a plane you need to build a place to store it where you can lay it down and the part where the blade is has a hollow space where there is no contact. 

As far as the plane taking too much off to the right either the blade isn't parallel with the base of the plane or you just have a tendency of leaning the plane to the right. A plane has a lever at the top of the handle where you can angle the blade left or right to control how much wood is taken off the left or right side.


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## Toolman50 (Mar 22, 2015)

I’m jumping in on this post late because I’ve said forever the hand plane is one of the most difficult of all woodworking tools to master. 
After reading Amish’s original post, here are some assumptions I’ve made:
A quality plane
A sharp blade
Attention to the adjustments

Here are a few tips I’ve used for many years that I hope will help. 
I store all my planes on their side. This keeps the blade from contact and keeps me from having to readjust the depth every time I want to use it. 
Any time I start to plane, I bring a straight edge and a pencil to the workbench with the plane. 
I plane the board holding the plane at about a 30 degree angle to the board. On really hardwoods it’s okay to use a non-staining lubricant like kerosene or paint thinner to give you an easier slide. 
Once the rough is off, I start using the straight edge. I mark only the high spots with the pencil. These are the only places I plane until I have the board flat. Don’t keep planing in a low spot. Check your board with the straight edge after every 5 passes marking the high spots until you get it flat. 

As far as the knob being hard to turn, I would rarher have a hard turn than a loose knob. Once you have your depth of cut adjustment, don’t touch the knob again. Turn the plane upside down and sight the blade angle with the bed to assure you have it absolutely straight and not planing with your blade at an angle. Ideally, I try to plane a shaving that is so thin, it’s almost transparent. 

And it takes some practice to get “a feel” for planing. Softwoods are easier to plane and best to practice on. Some hardwoods have such wild grain they are challenging for the most experienced woodworker.


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## AmishElectricCo (Jan 3, 2018)

More great advice! :vs_cool:

I really do believe it's my technique vs any mechanical issue w/ the plane. I have a pretty good eyeball, and I can say with 95% certainty that my iron has been straight. I've never gotten the calipers out or anything, but it looks straight enough. I think I'm just putting too much shoulder behind it, which is causing me to take more off on the right side. After my tear down, I'll definitely be more conscious of how I'm planing and looking at my shavings. Great advice using the pencil also, I'll have to start doing that. I've got a huge workbench surface to flatten, so I'll be getting some practice in this week.


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## JohnTC (Mar 1, 2018)

AmishElectricCompany said:


> More great advice! :vs_cool:
> 
> I really do believe it's my technique vs any mechanical issue w/ the plane. I have a pretty good eyeball, and I can say with 95% certainty that my iron has been straight. I've never gotten the calipers out or anything, but it looks straight enough. I think I'm just putting too much shoulder behind it, which is causing me to take more off on the right side. After my tear down, I'll definitely be more conscious of how I'm planing and looking at my shavings. Great advice using the pencil also, I'll have to start doing that. I've got a huge workbench surface to flatten, so I'll be getting some practice in this week.


Concerning the workbench top. When doing the top, make sure to check the diagonal when you check the width and length for flatness as you go. Did mine not long ago and it appeared to be flat when I checked the length and width, but I neglected the diagonal and discovered a "twist" when I thought I was done. Ended up making a router sled and recommend it highly for larger surfaces.


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## gmercer_48083 (Apr 9, 2016)

When using a hand plane, The initial setup should be able to slice a curl the full width of the iron when taking whisper thin slices. To confirm this on your #5 plane, plane a 3/4" board down the length...holding the plane so only the left edge of the iron slices by using your fingers wrapping under and against the board to guide the plane. Then do the same guiding the plane to cut a curl using the right side of the plane. Also note: the sound...should be the same. Once you are convinced that the iron is slicing evenly you can move on. If you are planning a board and it seems you are taking off too much (heavier cut) one side or the other, it is most likely the plane is not centered on the 3/4" board as you stroke your plane. use your fingers wrapped under the plane to guide the plane centered on the board. You will find that if your board is not square... A couple more strokes with the plane guided along the high side of the board will easily correct it. Do not use the lateral lever to correct heavy cut problems... it is used to correct slight imperfections after sharpening the iron only. Hardly any downward pressure is required on the knob, and forward pressure is all that is required on the tote most of the time. The biggest pitfall of any plane is almost always the iron is not as sharp as it should be. A sharp plane will cut curls from the edge of dried old plywood, although not recommended because of the glue.


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