# #4 plane issue - set up or technique?



## Evilfrog (Aug 2, 2011)

I believe this is a mid 90's #4. It has a Hock blade / breaker. The blade is sharpened using water stones all the way to 8000. The blade has a slight chamber This is spruce. You can see the tear out, and i'm getting a pretty rough line on the corners. It also seems that the right side of the blade "bites" into the wood deeper than the left. The picture is up side down, you can see the line on the right. The line up the left is a glue line. The lateral adjustment on the plane is pretty loose. 

I have flattened the plane, but there are chips around the mouth.Should I flatten more? Maybe more of a camber on the blade?


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*maybe this will help*

http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Sharpen/camber.html

for scrub planes:
http://www3.telus.net/BrentBeach/Sharpen/scrubsharp.html


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

A recent thread on another site had a very interesting discussion on the placement of the cap iron.

The "sound bite" summary is to have the cap iron as close to the edge as possible, and to be 80 deg to the wood.

Check your cap iron. 

Also check the blade is parallel to the sole of the plane. Very easy to be slightly off.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Taking sharpening out of the equation - Sounds like the iron is simply set too deep... If the panel is not flat you will have the false sense that it is two shallow... when it does bite it diggs in.

I suggest checking the plane on the side of a board when tuning to remove some of that error. When doing so check the shavings too. If they ate thicker to one side adjust it laterally.

That's my $0.02

EDIT:
watch the grain runout direction too.


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

I am no expert, but from my reading, it looks like the mouth is set pretty wide for a No4 smoothing plane. Is that what you meant Tom saying that the iron is set too deep or did you mean it was sticking too far out of the sole and taking a huge cut?

If you have not read it yet get The Hand Plane Book by Garrett Hack. I got it from the library and it has taught me a bunch about planes.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Paul W Gillespie said:


> I am no expert, but from my reading, it looks like the mouth is set pretty wide for a No4 smoothing plane. Is that what you meant Tom saying that the iron is set too deep or did you mean it was sticking too far out of the sole and taking a huge cut?
> 
> If you have not read it yet get The Hand Plane Book by Garrett Hack. I got it from the library and it has taught me a bunch about planes.


I was referring to the depth of cut, but yes tightening up the mouth would also help by better supporting the grain as it's being cut.


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## Puma (Jun 28, 2012)

More camber. 

I certainly don't mean this condescendingly, are you petting the cat's fur from head to tail? That looks like tearout from planing the wrong direction.


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## Evilfrog (Aug 2, 2011)

So... More camber, adjust the frog forward so I have a smaller mouth, and make sure planing in the correct direction.


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## Evilfrog (Aug 2, 2011)

Well. I've played around with it a bit. It's better. I camber the blade more. Move the frog forward so there is less of mouth opening. I think the issue is with the cap. It seems the blade is to ready to float to either side. I just noticed this last night. I would have it set up to what I thought was perfect, then make a pass, and the gap would be smaller on the right side than the left side. I would adjust the blade, and the same thing would happen again.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

I could be wrong but try this,let the locking cap go and take it off the plane back the iron into the plane with the depth adjusting wheel.
Now turn the screw that hold the locking cap in place just a 1/4 of a turn down, put the locking cap back on and press the cam down.How does it feel ?Tight loose? turn the depth of the iron with the wheel how dose that feel tight ? loose? if it is loose take the cap off again and turn the screw a bit more put the cap back on.

Keep doing this till you can feel the weight come on the adjusting Wheel,you should still be able to adjust the depth with your thumb andfore finger.Turn the plane over and look down the sole from front to back set the iron out with the wheel till you can see the iron coming out of the sole.

Adjust the iron for square with the lateral adjuster, good? 
Back the iron back into the plan and now your ready to plane take a run at the wood and little by little sneak up on the wood take just a whisper the more and more till you get to where your taking of what you want to.Give it a go and see.


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## Evilfrog (Aug 2, 2011)

Billy De said:


> Adjust the iron for square with the lateral adjuster, good?
> Back the iron back into the plan and now your ready to plane take a run at the wood and little by little sneak up on the wood take just a whisper the more and more till you get to where your taking of what you want to.Give it a go and see.


The issue is with the lateral adjustment. I can get it square, it doesn't stay square. I'm going to tighten up the cap when I get a chance. (maybe tomorrow) But the forward adjustment screw is pretty tight.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I've never experienced that problem with a sharp iron. I'm wondering if the lever cap might need a little attention? Possibly due to poor casting... Have you checked the back for flatness?


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