Paean for the Veritas BUS

[Chris Knight]

I was making a box with my grandson Harry who is 13 and taller than me but weighs rather less(!) and he was having trouble planing the end grain of some Gonçalo Alves which was indeed hard going. I had tried a variety of planes, taking time to sharpen and hone the blades to perfection, mainly concentrating on the low angle tools. Whilst I could manage them I need to bear down hard and push hard to make a clean cut and Harry just didn't have the weight or strength to use them this way. In desperation, I tried my BUS which had been set up with a very high angle (nearly 60 degrees) for some exotics I had been working. To my surprise, it worked like a charm, it cut very easily, not requiring any slew and with far, far less effort than the low angle things I had used.

I have no idea why this worked but Harry was able easily to do the job with this tool. You learn something every day!

 

[Alf]

You learn something every day!

Ain't that the truth; 'specially given the perceived wisdom is a higher angle is always harder to push. Interesting.

But still a pretty transparent grandpa-grandson-workshop-time gloat, Chris. You're kidding no one. [-X :lol:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Philly]

Chris-interesting!
I love Terry Gordons' planes (HNT Gordon) All of his are set up at 55 or higher degrees. They deal with endgrain no problem (as you have found out).
As you say, perceived wisdom says low angle is the way to go, but that doesn't hold true for all timbers.
Cheers
Philly

 

[Chris Knight]

But still a pretty transparent grandpa-grandson-workshop-time gloat, Chris. You're kidding no one. [-X :lol:

Cheers, Alf

Well spotted!

 

[Midnight]

never reaally thought about it till now, but I'm in pretty much the same boat with my #9... bed angle is 20 deg, blade's honed at 30.. long grain or end grain...it deals with both with equal ease..