# Straight Cutting Edge On Bench Plane Iron



## pollys13 (30 Apr 2019)

In the past I've read about cambered plane irons. I read this today, " A crowned – slightly cambered, or rounded – iron is best for fore planes used for flattening faces of wood that are wider than the iron. With the middle of the cutting edge projecting through the mouth, but the corners slightly retracted, overlapping strokes on larger pieces will not leave ugly tracks in the wood" I've seen David Charlesworth edge planing a board with a cambered iron. I seem to recollect his tool of choice is a 5-1/2 Jack.

I also read today, by the same guy writing about cambered irons, " Straight cutting edge on hand plane iron If used for jointing edges narrower than the iron, then a straight cutting edge is best. "

After machine planing face and edge I know I can use a smoother to remove any planer ripple. 
That said on the edge though, cambered or straight iron or use a cabinet scraper, or hand sand? I'm thinking of this in relation to interior, exterior house doors with perhaps difficult grain.
Cheers.


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## Trevanion (30 Apr 2019)

Just run your pieces slower over your machine, you should get a ready to glue edge straight off the planer so long as you keep the feed rate low enough to keep the washboard effect to a minimum.


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## Racers (30 Apr 2019)

I use a cambered blade like David Charlsworth recommends for hand edge jointing, I can't see any other way being easer, or to remove the ripple marks.
The slight hollow will give you a finer glue line.

Pete


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## pollys13 (1 May 2019)

I'm thinking about any machining marks I might get on the outside edge of door stiles.


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## Trevanion (1 May 2019)

pollys13":3k6txo87 said:


> I'm thinking about any machining marks I might get on the outside edge of door stiles.



I just run a Makita belt sander over the edges of doors, far quicker than any other way.


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## pollys13 (1 May 2019)

I don't have a belt sander like that and time isn't an issue. So I assume a smoother would be the way to go.
Thanks.


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## Benchwayze (1 May 2019)

For long straight edges I might prefer a 5-1/2 jack, or a No.6 fore-plane. Still, the plane is the tool you would prefer! 

A Festool track saw is reckoned to make a good edge joint, but I have not tried that. Certainly not for nice furniture. There's something satisfying about a hand worked edge joint. 

Cheers

John 8)


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## pollys13 (2 May 2019)

So you would say 5-1/2 jack plane, or a No.6 properly set up would be the most suitable way, for removing any machine ripple that I might get on the edge of house door stiles?
Thanks.


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## Benchwayze (2 May 2019)

A longer plane would be my choice over a No 4 smoother for instance. The six is the biggest plane I have, but I find the 5-1/2 Jack feels better to me in use. But that's just me. 

John (hammer)


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## El Barto (2 May 2019)

+1 on a longer plane. You will find it easier to take stopped shavings (as David Charlesworth demonstrates) and therefore get the ideal straight edge.


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## Jacob (2 May 2019)

pollys13":3rxq0hep said:


> So you would say 5-1/2 jack plane, or a No.6 properly set up would be the most suitable way, for removing any machine ripple that I might get on the edge of house door stiles?
> Thanks.


Yes to 5 1/2 . It's the joiners standard plane for almost everything. 6 and bigger are useful but heavy and less general purpose.
It's normal to camber all plane blades except for the odd specialist item such as a shoulder plane. It makes planing and sharpening much easier.


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## pollys13 (2 May 2019)

OK thanks for the input people
Faithfull bench planes have good reviews on here and by, several prolific, long well established reviewers on Amazon, whose opinions I take as being genuine.

I already have a Faithfull No.5, they don't do the larger version. I also have an Axminster 10mm float glass lapping plate and bought sandpaper to stick to it. Intending to use the Chris Schwarz sole flattening technique, on a nice Faithfull No.10 rebate plane I got as an Amazon Warehouse return for £26.74 inc post. On the glass I could get a 0.04mm feeler gauge under the sole in a few places, so the sole even at the moment is quite close.

Have just bought a Faithfull No.6 Fore Plane £36.30 inc post. Which I hope when set up well and flatten back of iron and sharpen, will do an acceptable job of removing any machining, ripple marks off the door stiles. Is heavier than the 5 - 1/2 hopefully won't be an issue.

I'll get back to the forum and let know how well the No.6 does.


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## Jacob (2 May 2019)

I bought a Faithful 10 and it was utter cr*p, unusable and beyond remedy.
Sent it back. 
Pity really as it the bits were made OK and the blade was good it's just that they didn't fit together. :roll: 
You may be lucky but don't give them the benefit of the doubt


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## Benchwayze (2 May 2019)

I started out in the early 50s as a Stanley plane man but during my first year in the joiners' shop I acquired a 4 and a half Record smoother, on the advice of my Foreman. He was right . The Record planes just seemed nicer finished and generally performed better.
A couple of years ago, on a whim, I bought an older Record number 5-1/2 off eBay. When I opened the box the plane looked brand new. In fact it had never been used. I don't know the backstory but it's one of the nicest planes I have. 

John (hammer)


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## pollys13 (2 May 2019)

I'll look and check very closely.


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## woodbloke66 (2 May 2019)

I use BU up planes almost exclusively now (for at least the last 12 years) and because the iron is held on the plane bed at 12 degrees, it's virtually impossible to use a blade with a camber...so I don't, but the corners are relieved to prevent 'tram lines'. The notion that you must, or are advised to use a slight camber is sound and does makes sense, but in actual fact, you don't need one and a straight blade will work equally as well, even on conventional bevel down irons, but the corners still need to be relieved- Rob


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## Benchwayze (2 May 2019)

pollys13":45j6fbcd said:


> I'll look and check very closely.



I just noticed a remark on a slight curve across the edge of plane irons. The only planes I put an absolutely straight edge on are the ones I keep for truing narrow edges. For surfacing I always have the slight curvature present. I don't lose much cutting width, and the finish is much better. Ninety-degree corners leave tramlines, and if you knock the corners off the iron on a stone, and do it the wrong way, you blunt the corners and wind up with scuff marks where the tramlines used to be! 

With the curvature, there's always going to be a slight waviness to the surface, unless you sand like crazy afterwards, but then Robert Thompson, the 'Mouse-man' used to finish his surfaces with an adze, so I don't worry about slight undulations across the top. You might gather I am not a fan of sanding; slight undulations from the plane used to be a sign of hand-work! :lol: 

PS Rob. I am not declaring war on your post re tramlines. It's just the way I do my finishing! 
Regards 
John (hammer)


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## woodbloke66 (2 May 2019)

Benchwayze":11rqooph said:


> PS Rob. I am not declaring war on your post re tramlines. It's just the way I do my finishing!
> Regards
> John (hammer)


I appreciate that John; 'horses for dooberies' as ever  The thrust of my comment was that it's virtually impossible to use a cambered blade with a bevel up plane iron, so you need to make allowances, one of which is to knock off the corners to prevent 'tram lines' - Rob


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