Getting a cambered edge on a plane iron?

[fobos8]

Hi all

Bought the Veritas Low angle Jack plane last week thanks to your recommendations. It is amazing! I use it with the 38 degree blade and it works a treat.

Only problem is when used for smoothing it leaves a mark where the edge of the blade is. How do I stop this mark from apearing. Is it best to camber the blade or could I just round the edges slightly?


If best to camber has anyone used the veritas camber roller? whats it like?

Cheers, Andrew

 

[Karl]

I'd just knock the corners off slightly, rather than go for a full camber.

How do you normally sharpen your blades?

 

[fobos8]

on site I use the Veritas Honing guide

At home I use Tormek.

How do knock the corners off? Thats what I'd prefer to do.

 

[Harbo]

Normally using some finger pressure at the sides works for me - both on the Tormek and using the Veritas.
Veritas also sell a camber wheel adapter to fit the jig.

Rod

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi all

Bought the Veritas Low angle Jack plane last week thanks to your recommendations. It is amazing! I use it with the 38 degree blade and it works a treat.

Only problem is when used for smoothing it leaves a mark where the edge of the blade is. How do I stop this mark from apearing. Is it best to camber the blade or could I just round the edges slightly?


If best to camber has anyone used the veritas camber roller? whats it like?

Cheers, Andrew

Hi Andrew

I have an article on cambering BU plane blades on my website: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/TheSecretToCamberinBUPlaneBlades.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[mr grimsdale]

Easiest done freehand. Jigs are not much use for cambering, which is why it is discussed endlessly!

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi Jacob

Not this time.

I freehand all blades but not those high angle ones used on BU planes - these require a honing guide since the micro secondary bevel angle creates the cutting angle (if you can freehand micro secondary bevels accurately, then you're a better man than I! ).

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[woodbloke]

The issue with putting a camber on a low angle blade is the bed angle. As this is only 12deg, a much bigger camber needs to be applied compared to a BU blade to get the same degree of cut. I don't bother with a camber on any LA planes but just knock off the corners on the blades - Rob

 

[bugbear]

Easiest done freehand. Jigs are not much use for cambering, which is why it is discussed endlessly!

There's a thread you might usefully contribute to over on "General"

"Starting a sash window business"

BugBear

 

[woodbloke]

Easiest done freehand. Jigs are not much use for cambering, which is why it is discussed endlessly!

There's a thread you might usefully contribute to over on "General"

"Starting a sash window business"

BugBear

Nice 8) - Rob

 

[OPJ]

I don't bother with a camber on any LA planes but just knock off the corners on the blades - Rob

Rob, could you explain how you know the corners off, please? I tried doing this once (one the edge of an oil stone) but it seemed to blunt the iron at the corners and I couldn't get it to cut very well. :?

 

[woodbloke]

I don't bother with a camber on any LA planes but just knock off the corners on the blades - Rob

Rob, could you explain how you know the corners off, please? I tried doing this once (one the edge of an oil stone) but it seemed to blunt the iron at the corners and I couldn't get it to cut very well. :?

Hi Olly - difficult to explain, easier with a pic :wink: Hold the blade on the stone as if freehand honing the entire edge, then lift the right hand corner by about 30deg (not critical) so that the left hand corner is in contact. A couple of strokes will then remove the corner, repeat for the other corner and then remove the burr on t'other side in the normal way.

Whatever you do, don't to this on a waterstone if you'd like to keep a pristine surface or you'll end up with a nice pointy groove in the stone's surface :evil: Use a diamond stone (not a 'holy' one either) or an old oilstone - Rob

 

[OPJ]

Thanks, Rob. I'll give it a try later. Sounds a bit like applying a "micro camber"...!

 

[mr grimsdale]

Hi Olly - difficult to explain, easier with a pic :wink: Hold the blade on the stone as if freehand honing the entire edge, then lift the right hand corner by about 30deg (not critical) so that the left hand corner is in contact. A couple of strokes will then remove the corner, repeat for the other corner and then remove the burr on t'other side in the normal way.

Whatever you do, don't to this on a waterstone if you'd like to keep a pristine surface or you'll end up with a nice pointy groove in the stone's surface :evil: Use a diamond stone (not a 'holy' one either) or an old oilstone - Rob

Or a new oilstone. If you do normal freehand honing you adjust the pressure from one side to the other with a sort of twist. You don't lift the stone off at all and from the outside it doesn't look different from the normal movement - you merely shift the pressure.
This gives you a camber eventually, which is better than knocking the corners off IMHO.
I'ts kinda obvious and with a little practice becomes really easy.

 

[woodbloke]

Hi Olly - difficult to explain, easier with a pic :wink: Hold the blade on the stone as if freehand honing the entire edge, then lift the right hand corner by about 30deg (not critical) so that the left hand corner is in contact. A couple of strokes will then remove the corner, repeat for the other corner and then remove the burr on t'other side in the normal way.

Whatever you do, don't to this on a waterstone if you'd like to keep a pristine surface or you'll end up with a nice pointy groove in the stone's surface :evil: Use a diamond stone (not a 'holy' one either) or an old oilstone - Rob

Or a new oilstone. If you do normal freehand honing you adjust the pressure from one side to the other with a sort of twist. You don't lift the stone off at all and from the outside it doesn't look different from the normal movement - you merely shift the pressure.
This gives you a camber eventually, which is better than knocking the corners off IMHO.
I'ts kinda obvious and with a little practice becomes really easy.

Jacob, just to clarify here, I wasn't talking about producing a camber, rather knocking the corners off a straight blade - Rob

 

[mr grimsdale]

.....
Jacob, just to clarify here, I wasn't talking about producing a camber, rather knocking the corners off a straight blade - Rob

Rob yes I did notice. I just thought that if you were doing it your way you might as well go a step further and do a whole camber across the blade, as the OP was asking abt camber too.

 

[fobos8]

cheers fellas

gonna go for woodblokes method of knocking off the corners. Sounds like the easiest to me

many thanks, Andrew

 

[Crooked Tree]

I seem to have ended up with cambered blades by accident, which suggests to me an alternative method of achieving camber using a standard honing guide: use an oilstone which is a bit worn and thus hollow!

 

[bugbear]

I seem to have ended up with cambered blades by accident, which suggests to me an alternative method of achieving camber using a standard honing guide: use an oilstone which is a bit worn and thus hollow!

That works, but having such an oilstone would make getting straight edges where required (e.g. shoulder planes, rebate planes) a "bit tricky"

BugBear