The Holy Grail of Planing (and a style question)

[Andy Kev.]

Yesterday I was planing up some pine and paused to take the iron of my N0 8 to the sharpening stones just to touch up the edge. One minute later the iron was back in but it started to work in a way I've not experienced before: the shavings were coming out as straight lines, almost leaping out of the plane vertically and that irrespective of depth of cut and on three different boards. Normally they tend to curl one way or another. I read once on the internet that this means that a plane is working ideally.

This gives rise to two questions:

a. Is it indeed the ideal function?

b. What did I do right? The sharpening consisted of about four passes on a 3,000 waterstone, remove wire followed by about six on an 8,000 and remove wire. The blade has a very slight camber.

Secondly, the pine I'm planing is for a book case which will have a back made up of floating 1/2" thick boards running in grooves in rails at the top and bottom. I forgot them when buying the pine but I do have some American poplar which would fit the bill. The question is: if I paint the poplar e.g. creamy white, would it look OK? The book case will be up against a wall, so it will not be seen from the back and the back would obviously only be seen from the front and only then if there were significant gaps between the books. Would another colour look better with pine e.g. pale blue? (I'm clueless about arty things like colours.)

Thanks in advance.

 

[Racers]

It sounds like you have set your cap iron very close to the edge, the shavings go come out straight and you get less or no tear out.

It's a good technique for difficult wood.

Pete

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

What Pete said (I was about to post this same comment).

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[AndyT]

I'd put it slightly differently and say that you found the sweet spot for four factors which can all be varied/fiddled with - so the cap iron was set right for your chosen thickness of shaving, in that bit of wood (with its own characteristics of stiffness and splitability) with an iron as sharp as yours was.

These things all need to be just right, so let the iron go blunt, change the wood, alter the depth of cut, or shift the cap iron, and your vertical ejection of shavings could disappear.

I think painting your poplar cream would look fine, but round here all bookcases soon fill up, so it's not something I've ever done. Maybe a similar colour to the surrounding walls would work - you may even have the paint already.

I'd use a rebate for the back, rather than grooves - it would be much easier to assemble. Or a deep rebate with a narrow beading if you want the effect of a groove plus easy assembly.

 

[G S Haydon]

The results are not to do with your sharpening aside from you can raise a good edge. The edge could have come from sandpaper, ceramic etc. Through practice you're simply setting and using your tools well. Brilliant! The wood plays its part in the Hollywood shavings. Areas around knots or grain changes will change things.

You could paint the Poplar if you want. If you're already painting the pine it'll make no difference. If you're clear coating the pine, a painted back would not look out the way. As Andy said, by the time it's loaded you're not going to see much of it. It sounds like a vernacular style piece, it was often the case they would be made of a mix of species. I'd avoid over think and use it, previous craftsman would of done just the same.

Is the back rebated on the sides in addition to the grooves in the top and bottom? A photo would be great. The back sounds over the top for what is potentially a basic piece, rebates and a nailed back would be fine, however a photo would clarify if that is appropriate in your design.

 

[Andy Kev.]

Thanks for the replies. The cap iron is set close - under a millimeter. I think Andy's idea of four factors combining makes sense as I usually set the cap iron close. Maybe pine tends to cooperate this way.

I had to laugh at "hollywood shavings". I got a sudden vision of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers planing away to music.

Ref. the back: I will take a couple of pics when I get around to putting it together.