Support for Scrub Planes

[AndyT]

Ok, if we are going to talk about the 75, I remember seeing somewhere a way of making a comfortable handle for the thing, so that the back end of the blade doesn't puncture your palm quite so often. Anyone else remember it properly? I don't mind admitting that I have a no 75 which was brand new in box (as it was bought new for me as a present) but feel it could do with some cunning modifications...

 

[Jacob]

Ok, if we are going to talk about the 75, I remember seeing somewhere a way of making a comfortable handle for the thing, so that the back end of the blade doesn't puncture your palm quite so often. Anyone else remember it properly? I don't mind admitting that I have a no 75 which was brand new in box (as it was bought new for me as a present) but feel it could do with some cunning modifications...

I think you wouldn't ever use one for long enough to warrant the trouble of making a handle. Just the occasional odd little job, for an odd little plane.

 

[mu]

When my wife saw my 75 said "What a beautiful plane shaped keychain!"

 

[jimi43]

Ok, if we are going to talk about the 75, I remember seeing somewhere a way of making a comfortable handle for the thing, so that the back end of the blade doesn't puncture your palm quite so often. Anyone else remember it properly? I don't mind admitting that I have a no 75 which was brand new in box (as it was bought new for me as a present) but feel it could do with some cunning modifications...

There's an infamous phrase about polishing something smelly I think here! :mrgreen:

Jimi

 

[GazPal]

#90A and #90J are the same size.

Still - I too have found a use for a #75. I found a SW era one, still in its box, at my local auction.

I sold it on eBay at some substantial profit and bought something decent.

BugBear

#075's/#75's are in a world of their own and do work pretty well on shallow rebates, but something that often crops up is where people inadvertently insert the blade to bevel down instead of it's intended bevel up orientation. Having the iron in bevel up can make them a bit of a bear to use, but they're not too difficult to set up and use in bevel down format. Like Jacob, I too find they come in handy for rough prep work (Stripping out previously glazed and puttied rebates, sometimes flush trimming inlay, etc.), but I'd much rather use either a #90, #077, or even a #076 for tidier rebate and end grain work.

 

[GazPal]

I agree the plane is of a two piece construction, but have a feeling it was originally made that way and not necessarily reduced in width. Another pointer is the nature of the divot/damage to it's upper fore end which looks all too similar to old bismark (Type) planes when the front horn has sheered off during use or by accident. Wear would be far smoother and more natural in appearance, rather than looking so splintered.

 

[baldpate]

Hi,

I recently picked-up a knackered little wooden razee jack plane off ebay (1.75" blade, about 12" long) with the intention of eventually converting it to a scrub plane. I've read through this thread, and others on the subject, so I think I understand generally what I have to do except for one point : the shape of the mouth.

I understand the mouth must be fairly wide to pass the large chips which a scrub is designed to take. However, in an earlier post (this one : https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post625062.html#p625062) bugbear links to his archive about converting a similar plane; in the archive article he talks about reshaping the front of the mouth to be an arc which conforms with the shape of the blade arc.

I can't quite understand why, and I'm wondering if it is absolutely necessary. Would it be sufficient to leave the mouth square but wide enough to pass the shavings taken by the centre of the curved blade? What am I missing?

Thanks

Chris

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Hi,

I recently picked-up a knackered little wooden razee jack plane off ebay (1.75" blade, about 12" long) with the intention of eventually converting it to a scrub plane. I've read through this thread, and others on the subject, so I think I understand generally what I have to do except for one point : the shape of the mouth.

I understand the mouth must be fairly wide to pass the large chips which a scrub is designed to take. However, in an earlier post (this one : https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post625062.html#p625062) bugbear links to his archive about converting a similar plane; in the archive article he talks about reshaping the front of the mouth to be an arc which conforms with the shape of the blade arc.

I can't quite understand why, and I'm wondering if it is absolutely necessary. Would it be sufficient to leave the mouth square but wide enough to pass the shavings taken by the centre of the curved blade? What am I missing?

Thanks

Chris

Hi Chris,

A scrub plane is for removing large amounts of wood pretty quickly, without bothering too much about finish. Just get the worst of the waste off, so that you can follow up with jack and maybe more 'precise' planes like a try or jointer. So, finish is not an issue in scrub-plane use, so mouth shape doesn't matter much as long as it's wide enough to pass large shavings without clogging. Make the mouth any shape that's easy and convenient.

 

[Jacob]

Just put a big camber on the blade and hey presto you have a scrub plane.

 

[bugbear]

Hi,

I recently picked-up a knackered little wooden razee jack plane off ebay (1.75" blade, about 12" long) with the intention of eventually converting it to a scrub plane. I've read through this thread, and others on the subject, so I think I understand generally what I have to do except for one point : the shape of the mouth.

I understand the mouth must be fairly wide to pass the large chips which a scrub is designed to take. However, in an earlier post (this one : https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/post625062.html#p625062) bugbear links to his archive about converting a similar plane; in the archive article he talks about reshaping the front of the mouth to be an arc which conforms with the shape of the blade arc.

I can't quite understand why, and I'm wondering if it is absolutely necessary. Would it be sufficient to leave the mouth square but wide enough to pass the shavings taken by the centre of the curved blade? What am I missing?

Thanks

Chris

Yes, that would work fine. The mouth on my example was quite tight, and I simply opened it the minimum neccessary at all points.

Opening a mouth "square" so that it's wide enough at the edges means that it will be wider than it needs to be in the middle, but that's not fatal to a scrub.

BugBear

 

[Richard T]

I don't think you're missing much Chris - as long as you leave a wide enough mouth to cope with the heaviest shaving you are likely to take.
With a heavily cambered iron the shaving will be the thickest in the middle and I guess that the mouth was traditionally shaped to let a theoretical, thickest possible, gouged chunk of a shaving through - but with a mouth that is 1/2" wide, you'd need an awful lot of muscle, even with something like green Poplar that expands when cut to make a shaving to fit.

I would have thought that a jack plane, with a gentler 8" ark camber and a much narrower mouth would be the one that needed the mouth to mirror the iron but I've never seen it - *disclaimer* could be that some do as I haven't seen all of them.
Maybe it's just done for looks and tradition?

 

[baldpate]

From the replies, it seems I don't have to concern myself with shaping the front of the mouth (unless, as bugbear suggests, there are other reasons for doing so).
Thanks to everybody for the further information - Chris

 

[Tony Spear]

a huge knob.

If I give you the materials, can you make me one too?

Ancient joke revised in another context. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: