bevel-down planes... sell me!

[Mike Wingate]

Pedder, I hope the following photos can offer you the info needed. The machining is very clean, and the adjustable mouth is level with the sole of the plane along it's travel I was warned that this are may need some internal work, but mine seems fine. Do you know if I am supposed to put a bevel on the 50 degree blade?
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010819.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010820.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010821.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010822.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010823.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010824.jpg
http://i130.photobucket.com/albums/p244 ... 010825.jpg

 

[condeesteso]

Hi Mike - that's a vote for B/U planes then... ?
I have the Lie 62 (equivalent I think) and it is an absolute cracker.
re 50 degrees, puzzled. the bed is 12 degrees I think. The blade primary will be 30 I think. So polish a 5 degree secondary fine ribbon onto that and you have a good start point. Also with the QS, I would have a second blade with a steeper secondary on it, say 46. For the tricky stuff. Then I'd have one more as a scrub. They are good, those BU planes, yes?

(Hold on there, not losing faith - just re-tuned my Sweetheart No3 with its original blade. Not called a sweetheart for nothing.)

 

[Mike Wingate]

The primary bevels are 25, 38 and 50 degrees. I am happy with the plane and mouth, not the front handle yet, too small, nor the brass throat adjuster, but they can be sorted or got used to. I was planing on a high bench today, so the angles and hand position were not my usual. I put a secondary bevel on the 25 degree blade and am happy with it's performance, a little more polishing, a play with the throat and more experience with it, can only get better. I need more advice on the other 2 blades. 100 people have this model plane, so there shoud be some opinions about. I shall make a hotdog handle and that should improve the shooting aspect. More practice tomorrow. The best Chinese made tool I have ever bought. This has changed my opinion of Chinese tools.

 

[condeesteso]

sorry but i didn't see anywhere re 3 blades primaried at 25 / 38 / 50. You know what to do.
Back to my Lie Nielsens.

 

[Mike Wingate]

Must make a Bubinga Hotdog. 3 piece laminate, with off centre slot and an Allen key grub/set screw to hold it firm.

 

[Vann]

Do you know if I am supposed to put a bevel on the 50 degree blade?

Interesting. People seem to have a hang-up with 25, 38 and 50 degrees with their bevel-up irons. These are just the manufacturers angles. You set the Effective Pitch to whatever suits the wood you're planing.

So, for example, if you are getting tearout with the 50 degree iron (EP=62deg.) put a 5deg. micro-bevel on it (=67deg.). If that doesn't tame the tearout put a 10deg. micro-bevel on (=72deg.).

And, if you prefer a single bevel, stick with the 50degs. If you prefer a micro-bevel add a 2 deg. micro-bevel as your starting point. If that doesn't cure tearout add another 5 degrees...

The minimum EP that doesn't tearout (in ~5 degree increments) is the correct EP for that particular piece of wood (as I understand it).

Cheers, Vann.

 

[pedder]

Pedder, I hope the following photos can offer you the info needed.

Yes, Mike, thanks a lot!

Cheers
Pedder

 

[AndyT]

While I agree with Mike that the QS is a really nice plane and well worth the price, I do have one minor gripe/surprise. The rear handle is a bit small for my hands (which are large but not exceptionally large). So instead of an ordinary grip with all four fingers wrapped around the handle, this one needs the index finger curled across the top in order to give the other three enough room.

Not a big thing, and it will get resolved - either by learning to hold this plane differently, or making another handle.

 

[Mike Wingate]

I agree with you on the rear handle/tote Andy. The top has too much curve and does not offer enough grip for the index finger. New handles all round. Matthew from WH told me to polish the brass throat adjuster for improved action, and not to worry about a secondary bevel on the 50 degree scraping blade.

 

[custard]

Congratulations on the new plane, it looks very, very nice. My job takes me to China regularly and although a lot of Chinese manufacturers are locked into who can make the cheapest pair of flip-flops, many are fast realising that with growing wage costs they've got to climb the value chain and produce higher quality goods. Besides which there's thousands of years of Chinese tradition in producing unbelievably high quality items. I visted the National Museum in Taiwan and the craftsmanship on display was amazing. There was a series of "fretwork" ivory balls one contained inside the other, about nine in total. It took a family of craftsmen three generations to carve this one thing as a gift for the emperor!

At the risk of sounding personal, are you a straight iron or a cambered iron sort of guy? And if "cambered" what's your planes for cambering BU irons?

I camber my LN low angle jack, using the Derek Cohen template system, but I've just got a Jet camber jig for the Tormek so when I find some time I'll have a go at grinding a camber on a BU iron.

 

[David C]

I have that Jet camber jig. It was a bugger to set up but does the job. What strange language the spellchecker uses... I wrote reggub but you have to read it backwards to catch my drift.
David

 

[woodbloke]

Do you know if I am supposed to put a bevel on the 50 degree blade?

Interesting. People seem to have a hang-up with 25, 38 and 50 degrees with their bevel-up irons. These are just the manufacturers angles. You set the Effective Pitch to whatever suits the wood you're planing.

So, for example, if you are getting tearout with the 50 degree iron (EP=62deg.) put a 5deg. micro-bevel on it (=67deg.). If that doesn't tame the tearout put a 10deg. micro-bevel on (=72deg.).

And, if you prefer a single bevel, stick with the 50degs. If you prefer a micro-bevel add a 2 deg. micro-bevel as your starting point. If that doesn't cure tearout add another 5 degrees...

The minimum EP that doesn't tearout (in ~5 degree increments) is the correct EP for that particular piece of wood (as I understand it).

Cheers, Vann.

Exactly. To me, this is the correct way to use a BU plane as it's so easy to adjust the EP of the iron to suit the conditions - Rob

 

[Mike Wingate]

I have polished the brass adjuster and lapped the steel area that it sits on. There were 2 small bits of flash that flicked off the casting edge, so that is all nice. Might put some grease on the steel, lithium paste or some moly to ease the movement and to give a bit of slip, not sure? I think the blades are terrific. I honed the 50 degree blade and polished the back, but no secondary bevel. planes really well as a scraper plane. Shavings. Smoothed out the Bubinga, some swirly mahogany and a pippy piece of oak so far. I have bent the brass adjuster a little, and that is now out of the way. The 38 degree blade planed some oak nicely without any sharpening, polishing or secondary bevel, will sort that one out. A coupe of hours at my normal bench and the handles are now fine. The tool is great, with the 25 degree blade and a closed mouth all the wood is smooth. Planed some end grain, excellent. I am really pleased, and heartily reccomend both the plane and Matthew at Workshop Heaven. Hotdog to make next, first a template then some planing.

 

[Mike Wingate]

No camber for me yet, I just take off the corners.

 

[Benchwayze]

I am a camber honer. For ALL my bench planes.

Rebate, block and shoulder planes I hone square.

For some reason I can't seem to plane edges square, with a square ground Bench plane iron. Strange isn't it? :wink:

Mike, if you 'dub' the corners, how do you avoid scuff marks? I tried it, but never could avoid the scuff marks. Not as bad as tramlines i know, but they still need extra work to remove.


John

 

[barkwindjammer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcCHRW8G9yY

 

[Mike Wingate]

Initially I do, then I wind the blade in for finer cuts and the lines are no longer cut. I used to camber blades, but it did not lead to the finish I wanted. I edge join plenty of wood for laminated work, e.g. guitar necks and bodied, so I went for a flat blade to get the required finish. Tony Hart's Gallery music?

 

[condeesteso]

Mike - I do put a very slight camber on most blades, but each to our own I think - question is in what way is the finish different with or without camber (apart from the obvious slight concave from a camber... and I'm thinking maybe a thou at most)?

 

[Mike Wingate]

I camber guitar and bass fingerboards. A flat blade works best. I have a Ryobi thickness planer that often gets some use. That has flat blades also. I may camber a few blades, as I have spares. Have you seen the FineWoodworking video on cambering?

 

[Benchwayze]

Tony Hart's Gallery music?

I forget the chord progression! :mrgreen:

I dunno why, we used to get loadsa requests for that!
John