# Rookie horrified by hand plane use.



## Oldiebutgoodie (Jun 26, 2012)

I'm a little intimidated by these after giving it a try. I know there a quite a few threads dealing with this and I'll look at them all, but this first try was such a failure I was hoping for some real quick insight into my problem. I bought a smaller Stanley block plane. I did the sharpening with a waterstone and it looked to have taken a good bevel. 

Use was a nightmare. Instead of paper thin smoothing I could hardly get it to move forward at all. When I did force it forward it jumped and hopped. On a part that was finished it did scape off the finish layer, but on the bare areas it hopped and stuck. Nasty. Is there anything I might be doing that would cause this bad a result?

Sharpening job not anywhere as good as I thought?
Mounting error? Too much iron extension? Too little? Set at wrong angle?
I'm not sure this little thing has an angle adjustment.
The wood was mostly pine, with some hardwood molding on one side.


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Were you going with or against the grain? I still have trouble looking at a board and knowing which way the grain is going. Maybe some images of your plane setup would help others see what might be wrong.


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## woodbutcher360 (Jul 1, 2012)

with the info you provided I will say you have way too much blade exposed.
Reduce blade exposure to nil, then adjust the blade to you can just feel it when you drag your thumbnail a cross it. Try it on a piece of scrap wood, you should get a very fine, curly shaving.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

woodbutcher360 said:


> with the info you provided I will say you have way too much blade exposed.
> Reduce blade exposure to nil, then adjust the blade to you can just feel it when you drag your thumbnail a cross it. Try it on a piece of scrap wood, you should get a very fine, curly shaving.


+1 sounds like too much blade trying to take too much cut. Slide it across with the blade completely retracted then advance it slowly until you just start to get a cut. You may also need to lap the sole (flatten it).


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

I agree with the others about too much blade. Also check to make sure the blade is square to the plane body. Finally, the sole of the plane may need to be flattened. As Paul said, post some pictures to help us diagnose your problem(s).


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## gideon (May 26, 2010)

yeah, to deep a cut. retract your blade, lock down a piece of scrap wood and bring your blade out until you can barely see a the iron coming out yet nearly flush with the sole, run it over your board. If it jams, to much blade is exposed, if glides over the scrap with out any shavings then the blade is still to low, if you get a nice shaving then you're just right.

but always start with your blade retracted and bring it out slowly in little increments. it's always better to take nothing off your work piece than to gouge it. you'll get a touch for it, it just take s a little bit.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Were you going with or against the grain? I still have trouble looking at a board and knowing which way the grain is going. Maybe some images of your plane setup would help others see what might be wrong.


This is really the key item.

George


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## Oldiebutgoodie (Jun 26, 2012)

Thanks for all the help. I'm going back to square one and applying all of these suggestions. One problem is that I don't recall and instructions in the retail sales package and when I took the thing apart for sharpening I didn't make notes for re-assembly. I've googled the model (Stanley/12-220 Block plane) and been over the website many times, but I cannot find so much as a diagram. Cheap is the gift that keeps on giving.

Am I right in assuming that since this is a block plane the iron would be bevel-up? 

It is with the grain, I think. Anyway I thought a block plane was meant to go across the end of the grain. Do this make it inappropriate for use along the long sides? Or do I misunderstand grain? Is there only one direction that is "with the grain" as opposed to across the grain, or is it possible to be going in the same surface that takes me parallel to the grain but "with the grain" means only going one way? I know that sounded muddled but that's where it is at in my minnie brain.

Last of all how do I check to see if the sole is true?


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## tc65 (Jan 9, 2012)

Yes, the bevel is up.

A block plane is good for planing end grain (end of the board) but can also be used for the edge of a board as well as the face of the board. 

When talking about planing with the grain, a better term is grain run out. When you look at the edge of a board, you can see the grain angling from the top to the bottom. You don't want to plane in the direction when the grain is angling down or you will chip out pieces of wood instead of planing thin shavings. You should plane in the direction where the grain is angling toward the top and "running out" the surface.

To check the flatness of the sole take a thin stainless steel rule or other item you know is flat and run it across the sole in both axis and look for any light shinning between the two. If you see any, you need to flatten the sole. If it needs flattening, use a sharpie or other marker and draw lines perpendicular to the length of the plane. Then start sanding and when the lines have disappeared the sole should be flat. 

There are several discussions on what grits paper to use, etc. Do a quick search and you should find all the info you need on various methods people use to flatten soles.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

The guys have all given you good advice Tim did a great job explaining what grain is and how to read it.
So an honest question? is the iron sharp? I ask that because if any one starts woodworking as a hobby its hard to understand just what sharp is.

A little test take a piece of paper say a newspaper in your left hand and the plane iron in your right now with the plane iron slice a piece of paper off all the way down and the the piece should fall on the floor if it doesn't do this the iron is not sharp.

When the iron is not sharp especially on end grain the plane skims across the grain so you set it down and down till it bites and then you push it and it jumps, this is called chatter.Try the test. Billy


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## Oldiebutgoodie (Jun 26, 2012)

Thank you all again for your help. With each post I learn more about planes. :notworthy:

At this point it appears to be a blade extension problem. Trouble is with this little hunk of metal, adjustment options are not that much. There is no lateral adjustment and the knob for advancing the blade has very little play. So I'm forced to grab the three items making up the blade holding mechanisms and get everything as close as possible by hand. It has a little pressure plate that swings to the left and right for final tightening, but if you're not in the ballpark to begin with, you run out of adjustment room, and must make another go at it. 

But all of this has helped me to the point where I'm sure I can correct it with a little noodling. I really appreciate Billy De's sharpening advice so I'll start with that part of the equation.


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## gideon (May 26, 2010)

can you post a photo of the plane?


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## Oldiebutgoodie (Jun 26, 2012)

Yes, but give me a day to hone my macro photography skills. I'll put one up tomorrow.


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## Oldiebutgoodie (Jun 26, 2012)

Someone asked for a picture. If I may ask one more not-so-serious question. This little beast is brand new. What do they coat it with to make it smell like that. Kind of a hind end of a locomotive diesel type of smell. Maybe it's the plastic polymer coating. Whewww.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Well what a nice little plane it has lateral adjustment and depth control about the only thing missing is the adjustable mouth but I think you can live with out that.

Afraid I cant help you with the smell.

What a difference a pic makes in the first two pics you have the lateral adjuster on Up side down that's the silver coloured plate that fastens to the body of the plane with the hold down screw.

The wings on the out side should be pointing down and not up,with the plate in the position that it is you cant use the depth control or the lateral adjuster,just turn it around.

One of the slits in the plane iron should sit on a little bump on the Depth adjuster plate and away you go.

Its a easily made mistake if your not use to the plane but now you should notice the difference you`ll have more control over the settings.:thumbsup:


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I have one of those. Bought it when I just started woodworking. The casting on these is not very good but with a little work it can be a good user. You have sharpened the blade. The other two important things to do are lap the sole (flatten it as trc said above), and flatten the frog. 

To lap the sole use wet/dry sandpaper on a known flat surface. Glass or granite are common choices and you can use water to lubricate the sandpaper and make it stick to the surface. You could also use the iron bed of a table saw or jointer, but use mineral spirits instead of water. That plane will be pretty far out so I would start with 100 grit (maybe even 80) and plan to go through several sheets. This will be a kind of "wash on, wash off" exercise (if you get the reference). Work your way up to at least 220. I'll go to 400 grit. 

For the frog, you need to flatten the part that registers against the blade so it is held firmly and squarely. This takes off paint which is good. On better planes there is no paint on these mating surfaces anyway. 

There is an excellent video by Chris Gonchour (sp?) on the Fine Woodworking web site. I'll try to find a link when I get to a computer.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Oh...and when done you can give all parts a good spray of WD-40 and wipe down thoroughly. This will clean and provide some protection, and should help with the smell. 

Good luck!


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## EWerner (Oct 14, 2010)

woodbutcher360 said:


> with the info you provided I will say you have way too much blade exposed.
> Reduce blade exposure to nil, then adjust the blade to you can just feel it when you drag your thumbnail a cross it. Try it on a piece of scrap wood, you should get a very fine, curly shaving.


2X on the too much blade exposed. Also by have a micrometer of blade exposed to start allows you to adjust the blade tilt side to side better.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

Guys I don't want to go OTT but do you actually read the posts that go before yours or do you just post regardless Micrometer of blade or flatten this or square that up ,this is a guy new to his hobby. He is listening to your advise Just turn the lateral adjuster the other way round end of problem sheesh?


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

Billy De said:


> Guys I don't want to go OTT but do you actually read the posts that go before yours or do you just post regardless Micrometer of blade or flatten this or square that up ,this is a guy new to his hobby. He is listening to your advise Just turn the lateral adjuster the other way round end of problem sheesh?


The lateral adjuster was a good call, but not the only possible end to the story. I was relaying my experience with this plane from when I was new to the hobby, and provided further details. I don't see the issue.


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