Back Bevels

[Philly]

Hi All,
I've been preparing a fair bit of interlocked timber recently and am unable to use my #5 (the slightest look and it tears out! :roll: ). Yesterday I could take it no more and decided to try out Mr Charlesworth's back bevel trick.
I ground a very small bevel on the flat side of the plane iron, at 15 degrees, giving an effective pitch of 60 degrees.

The bevel is very narrow, approx 1mm wide. I used a 800 and 6000 grit waterstone. If I decide I don't need it a little grinding should remove it.

So, put the iron back into the plane. Set it up for a very fine shaving and....

Hooray! Success!
It took shining shavings off the timber, leaving a tear-out free surface. What a result! Two minutes earlier it was tearing it up like a plough!
So I really recommend using this trick if you come up against difficult timbers.
regards
Philly

 

[Frank D.]

Hi Philly,
Congratulations on your success. I have been reading and rereading Charlesworth for several years (him and Jeff Gorman are my gurus :wink: ) and his back-bevel trick has been most helpful. I use mostly hard maple and a lot of it is figured and prone to tearout, sometimes it can be heartbreaking. When things get tough I also use a low angle plane with a blade ground to 45° but not because it gives better results, I just find it handier. BTW, what kind of wood is that you're planing?
Frank

 

[Anonymous]

Very impressive Philly and nice to hear from a forum member that it works. I have often thought of grinding a back bevel but never really been sure exactly how much to grind, and so not had enough confidence to try - now I know!!!

Thanks

 

[Alf]

Philly,

Aww, sweet. You've even made a Charlesworthian angle gauge.

I'm a back bevel fan too, although maybe that should be in the past tense as I'm turning into a bevel-up plane bore these days. Will you be getting a second iron for your Cliffie so you don't have to undo all your back bevel-making work? And how are you finding the Ice Bear stones? Wish you'd got the Nortons yet...?

Cheers, Alf

 

[Philly]

Frank,
The timber is Ovangkol, an African hardwood. It a bit like black walnut in colour, with lovely dark streaks.
Tony,
it was surprisingly easy to do-a couple of minutes and voila!
Alf,
Glad you like the gauge-knew you'd pipe up!
Considered re-grinding my L-A jack, but then I like it for the shooting board. Glad I did it to my #5 though, I use that one the most for truing up edges, etc.
The ice bears are great-just what I expected. Wouldn't consider anything else (until they wear out, of course!). I bought the set at Axminster-large 800, 6000, nagura and holder for the 6000 stone. £32-bargain!
Just keep that piece of wet and dry handy to flatten the 800 every minutes.....
regards
Philly

 

[Waka]

Philly

I'm still learning how to sharpen the conventional way and now you introduce something new. Looks like you'll have to give me another training session.

Alf's point about another blade sounds very sensible.

 

[gidon]

Nice one Philly.
Out of interest, why didn't you try your low angle jack? Easier grinding back a front bevel than reflattening the back is it not?
Cheers
Gidon

 

[gidon]

Doh! The joys of simultaneous postings!

 

[Philly]

Guys,
I didn't do it to my Low Angle jack because I use it on my shooting board a lot, and the low angle is a benefit here. I enjoy using my #5 for trueing up edges and faces (and have a few other Cliftons I can "borrow" irons from!) so that was the reason.
It definitely sounds easier with the L-A as you just re-grind the main bevel. But I don't have a spare iron, and you know how tight money is around here........ :wink: :roll:
cheers
Philly

 

[Chris Knight]

Philly,

What happened to your HNT Gordon with its 60 degree blade - lost under the piles of Cliftons/LNs etc?

 

[Philly]

Chris,
I love my Gordon planes!! The smoother is set up just for that-to true up out of square edges I use a more curved iron. Didn't want to do that to the Gordon as it reduces the width of the shaving. Guess I should buy the Try plane, but you know, I've been a bit "busy" lately and the Missus will kill me! :wink:
cheers
Philly