Good guide for learning more about hand planes?

[LancsRick]

Just tried again, don't know if my technique was poor the first time but seems spot on now. Inch and a half wide translucent curl . Good end to a Sunday!

 

[Jacob]

Lapping a plane takes a while doesn't it?! I'm glad I don't have to do that very often. ....

You don't have to do it ever.
It's a modern fashion only been going a few years. Wearing doesn't mention it* and I'd be surprised if any of the older books do either. Ditto chisels. The old chaps wouldn't have had the means - all their oil stones were hollowed out (but non the worse for that).
You do need to have a good tight fit of cap iron to blade face, and a bit of polish up to the edge is good to reduce friction but beyond that 'lapping' is not needed.
I'd be interested to know where this fashion came from. I've got some ideas of the possible culprits!

If you are new to planing it's good to practice on the edge of a thin board - firstly because it's easier to get it to work nicely , and second you get a good idea about how it's working by watching the shaving emerge and how it varies with different parts of the blade, different adjustments. As you get to wider pieces you need finer adjustment.

*He describes how to remove the burr which is as near as you get to anything like 'lapping' but in fact is the work of a few seconds.

 

[bridger]

I've only ever had one plane that was so out of flat that it wouldn't work, and it was 1/16" or so hollow lengthwise. it was decades old when I got it and had never been in use. a bit of work with files and some blue and scrape and it makes nice curlies. I have had a few whose performance was improved by a bit of flattening, including a #2 with enough wear to the convex that the sole rocked a bit fore and aft. it would still cut, but required some attention as to where you were applying pressure on the sole.

Lapping a plane takes a while doesn't it?! I'm glad I don't have to do that very often.

I've now tuned my Stanley Bailey no4, with my copy of Sam Allen at my right hand. I'm really really pleased with how it has turned out, but for some reason I can't get full width shavings - they're perfectly centred on the blade but probably only about half the overall blade width (silky smooth translucent shavings though in lovely long curls!) . I've stopped for today now, and reflecting on it I assume there must be a camber running the long axis of the blade. Is this normal and will it cause me any problems? It's left a lovely finish on the scrap pine I tested it on.

 

[D_W]

Lapping a plane takes a while doesn't it?! I'm glad I don't have to do that very often. ....

You don't have to do it ever.
It's a modern fashion only been going a few years. Wearing doesn't mention it* and I'd be surprised if any of the older books do either. Ditto chisels. The old chaps wouldn't have had the means - all their oil stones were hollowed out (but non the worse for that).
You do need to have a good tight fit of cap iron to blade face, and a bit of polish up to the edge is good to reduce friction but beyond that 'lapping' is not needed.
I'd be interested to know where this fashion came from. I've got some ideas of the possible culprits!

If you are new to planing it's good to practice on the edge of a thin board - firstly because it's easier to get it to work nicely , and second you get a good idea about how it's working by watching the shaving emerge and how it varies with different parts of the blade, different adjustments. As you get to wider pieces you need finer adjustment.

*He describes how to remove the burr which is as near as you get to anything like 'lapping' but in fact is the work of a few seconds.

I think he's talking about lapping the plane sole vs. the iron. I've had plenty of planes that were hurting because they were higher at the mouth than the toes, slightly twisted (perhaps that was wear from a repetitive task) or where there was some other issue that made a plane really hard to use (First Norris A-5 that I got was as wavy as a sea surface - still not sure how that happens, but the other one was nearly dead flat and required nothing).