Record 078 Rebate Plane

[Harbo]

This morning I had to cut a 40mm wide 5mm deep rebate on the edge of some 600mm long beech.
So instead of using my router I thought it would be an ideal job to try out a recently fettled 078 I had inherited.
Maybe it was me, maybe the wood was too hard (but the blade had been sharpened) but I got nowhere with it. I had never tried one before, but apart from not cutting, the single rod fence kept rotating and coming loose.
In the end I am afraid I gave up and cut it on the router table!

Is it me or are these planes a waste of time? The plane seems fairly light and the blades are very thin? I have used 043, 044, 050 etc so am familiar with the technique of working backwards? The 50C I actually bought back in the 60's and never liked but the 43 and 44 (that I have fettled and made shorter rods as Bugbears suggested) works really well.

Perhaps I should save up for a Philly Fillister?

Rod

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Rod,

I have the #778 which is much better in terms of the fence because it has two rods. Don't know why they bothered with that single rod version - and the bullnose position for the blade is a bit of a waste of time. However, it's probably my least favourite plane. How flat is the sole? Mine was out quite a lot and it's been better since I sorted that out. If you wanted to use hand tools, you might have been better off ploughing a groove then removing the rest with a bench plane - 40mm was probably at the limit of the #078's capablity and beech is very hard..... :-k

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Philly]

Rod
I have one and its fine for certain jobs. As Paul says, 40mm width is pretty much full capacity and that shows up the designs weaknesses.
Sounds silly but try taking a 20mm wide rebate and then reset the fence to 40mm to complete.
And I couldn't possibly comment on the lovely Philly Fillister........ :wink:
Cheers
Philly

 

[woodbloke]

I used to have both versions of that plane at various times and would agree that 40mm is too wide for it. I would have done it by hand as Paul suggests...make a 10mm groove to depth and then use a bench plane to take out the waste - Rob

 

[bugbear]

Don't know why they bothered with that single rod version

A long as you're working on the near side (moving fillister mode as opposed to sash fillister mode) and the rebate is narrower than the body (and blade!) the fence is constrained from rotating by the body.

This is (of course) the normal mode of working.

BugBear (who nonetheless has a Woden W78)

http://www.geocities.com/plybench/record.html#778

 

[Frank Drew]

I actually like my 778 (vintage ca. 1981) a good deal and have done a lot of work with it. I will say that I've rarely used it with the blade in the bullnose position.

 

[jonbikebod]

Hi Rod,
This plane is a challenge but the best starting point IMHO (compared to Stanley or Woden).
It is well worth flattening the sole and using the 0.95” replacement blade from L-N. The real secret with all plough, combination and rebate planes is the fence needs to be at right angles to the (flat) sole and with as large a bearing surface as possible. An additional, extended wooden fence works wonders. This becomes your guiding surface. The blade also needs to project a few thou to the side or the rebate will wander outwards.
If you have loads of rebating to do, a power router is the better option. Get your plane sorted and it is much quicker for small runs.
Jon.

 

[Harbo]

Thanks for the advice folks - I will not chuck it away yet but will give it another try- perhaps on some softer wood and a much narrower rebate?

I will have to drill some holes for a supplementary fence has it has not got any!

Rod

 

[Smudger]

Egg-suck-instruction, probably, but make sure that you start by taking light strokes at the far end of the piece, and then work backwards as you take more off.

 

[joiner_sim]

I have the 078 and must say i find it great to use, it took a while til I got the blade sharpened correctly but one that was done, I have used the blade in both positions for multiple various jobs.