Alf
Established Member
and then...Tony":3ac96x02 said:
Neither of which I meant to say, so if I did my apologies for being misleading. I dunno, I'm just hopelessly confused really... :roll: :lol:Tony":3ac96x02 said:
Cheers, Alf
LN replacement blade or Hock blade+chipbreaker ?
- Thread starter pompon44
- Start date
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Cheers, Alf
Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
Pompon44
Here is another option for replacement blades for your planes.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 43698&ap=1
I am curious as to what you feel you will gain by switching to a new blade?
The reason I ask is that I hardness tested a blade from an older Stanley #6 at work the other night. Three readings were 62.0, 61.5, and 62.0 HRC. These are in the same range as the replacements. I realize that there is an improvement in edge holding with A2 and that there is some decreased chatter with the thicker blade, but if these haven't been an issue up to this point. What is to be gained? I could understand if the blade had been used up and couldn't be sharpened or was badly pitted.
Somehow I have to believe that a lot of good blades are being thrown out unnecessarily especially in light of the fact that the planes are being employed as a pastime and not used hard in daily production. It's the "fashion" at the moment but if I were ever to replace one I'd make sure I oiled up the original and stored it for the day when someone wanted an original to put back.
I'm not trying to say you or anyone else is wrong for making the change, only that in my view the improvement may not be entirely warranted.
Here is another option for replacement blades for your planes.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... 43698&ap=1
I am curious as to what you feel you will gain by switching to a new blade?
The reason I ask is that I hardness tested a blade from an older Stanley #6 at work the other night. Three readings were 62.0, 61.5, and 62.0 HRC. These are in the same range as the replacements. I realize that there is an improvement in edge holding with A2 and that there is some decreased chatter with the thicker blade, but if these haven't been an issue up to this point. What is to be gained? I could understand if the blade had been used up and couldn't be sharpened or was badly pitted.
Somehow I have to believe that a lot of good blades are being thrown out unnecessarily especially in light of the fact that the planes are being employed as a pastime and not used hard in daily production. It's the "fashion" at the moment but if I were ever to replace one I'd make sure I oiled up the original and stored it for the day when someone wanted an original to put back.
I'm not trying to say you or anyone else is wrong for making the change, only that in my view the improvement may not be entirely warranted.
Alf
Established Member
:lol:Jake":pr9b9x31 said:
Eeek, I hope not. I'll have 'em; apart from my #5 1/2 that I was obliged to fit with a Hock all mine are old blades. To be honest, and this is no doubt a contentious opinion, I've never really understood the point of fitting a top notch blade to a plane that by design isn't intended for fine work and cabinetry. But then I wouldn't spend time tuning a Skoda to compete in Formula One either, although that may simply be a lack of ambition on my part... :lol:Inspector":pr9b9x31 said:
Cheers, Alf
Lord Nibbo
Established Member
Alf":h529k0ed said:
But if you added go faster stripes down each side it would go faster or is that a myth, maybe a pair of furry dice hanging in the windscreen would work better! :lol:
Alf
Established Member
Well even if it is a myth then it must go a little faster - after all a myth is as good as a mile...Lord Nibbo":11u26502 said:
Coat, hat, door, me, gone 8-[
Cheers, Alf
DaveL
Established Member
The 'go faster' in this case refers to your money, not the car.Lord Nibbo":7wzni42i said:
David C
In Memorium
Inspector,
Thickness is very desirable, helps to cut chatter. The harder the timber the more apparent this is.
Stanley's best blades, sweetheart area maybe? are undoubtedly much better than later ones.
My students have been tuning up bench planes since about 1974, and they all detect improvement in performance within a day or two.
It has been an interesting progression;
In the beginning we found older blades were better.
Then Samurai laminated had much better hardness and edge holding but were still thin.
Hock carbon steel were better again due to thickness.
L-N and Hock A2 kept us working longer between sharpenings and are the current favorite.
Have not tried L-V yet. Ray Iles, Holtey and Academy saw works are all excellent if not superb.
There are even better blade materials, but generally they require more sharpening time, (diamond lapping).
Of course function is relevant.
My approach is to tune one bench plane for the finest cabinetmaking work. With machinery you don't really need more than one for quite a long time, if ever.
I choose to use a 5 1/2 for perfecting the finish and accuracy from a machine planer/ thicknesser. In the same way Alan Peters chose to use a No 7. He said the work had to be very small indeed before he thought about a smaller plane!
A well tuned plane with a high quality replacement blade achieves about 90 to 95 % of the performance of an expensive bench plane.
If you work without machinery, this approach no longer works and more planes are needed.
David Charlesworth
Thickness is very desirable, helps to cut chatter. The harder the timber the more apparent this is.
Stanley's best blades, sweetheart area maybe? are undoubtedly much better than later ones.
My students have been tuning up bench planes since about 1974, and they all detect improvement in performance within a day or two.
It has been an interesting progression;
In the beginning we found older blades were better.
Then Samurai laminated had much better hardness and edge holding but were still thin.
Hock carbon steel were better again due to thickness.
L-N and Hock A2 kept us working longer between sharpenings and are the current favorite.
Have not tried L-V yet. Ray Iles, Holtey and Academy saw works are all excellent if not superb.
There are even better blade materials, but generally they require more sharpening time, (diamond lapping).
Of course function is relevant.
My approach is to tune one bench plane for the finest cabinetmaking work. With machinery you don't really need more than one for quite a long time, if ever.
I choose to use a 5 1/2 for perfecting the finish and accuracy from a machine planer/ thicknesser. In the same way Alan Peters chose to use a No 7. He said the work had to be very small indeed before he thought about a smaller plane!
A well tuned plane with a high quality replacement blade achieves about 90 to 95 % of the performance of an expensive bench plane.
If you work without machinery, this approach no longer works and more planes are needed.
David Charlesworth
Jarviser
Established Member
Record call it a Cap Iron, And THE MAN Charles Hayward calls it a Back (or Cap) Iron. I think if you have shavings coming through big enough to be broken up by the cap iron you're a carpenter, not a cabinet maker. Maybe it's all those timber frame houses the other side of the pond?scooby":2kxnb99t said:Alf":2kxnb99t said:
I've always known it (and called it a cap iron). I did call it a chipbreaker once and was greeted by a confused look by my dad. I've worked with a lot of joiners who didn't know what it was called, suppose it doesn't matter as long as you know how to use the thing,etc.
scooby
Established Member
I'm a bit dubious about admitting this here.. but I thoroughly abused my Hock iron today Had to reduce some 1/4" thick Plastic fascia and all I had was my Hock equipped Stanley 5 1/2.
I was dreading looking at the blade after I'd finished. The iron was hardly dulled and had no visible nicks, etc. I was very impressed and relieved.
Had to reduce some 1/4" thick Plastic fascia and all I had was my Hock equipped Stanley 5 1/2. I was dreading looking at the blade after I'd finished. The iron was hardly dulled and had no visible nicks, etc. I was very impressed and relieved.
David C
In Memorium
Hock blades,
as I keep repeating in a boring and repetetive manner, are excellent.
both A2 and Carbon
David C
as I keep repeating in a boring and repetetive manner, are excellent.
both A2 and Carbon
David C
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