tool prejudices

[David C]

Slight undercutting of non glue surfaces has always been the recommended practice in cabinetmaking. I was taught this 35 years ago.

Perhaps a degree or so, not great diving slopes!

For furniture where we are not concerned with water penetration, there is no need to even glue the endgrain portions of a joint. This is a great help in keeping the interior surfaces clean.

Best wishes,
David C

 

[woodbloke]

Paul Chapman wrote:

leather strop and polishing compound

I've used a strop for years now, the difference it makes is remarkable, but don't use the normal stropping paste, go instead for some super-fine Jewellers Rouge (available through Axminster) and work thoroughly into the leather with a little vaseline. When the strop is first used, a lot of this goo will be transferred to the bevel side of the blade - make sure this is removed with a cloth before doing the DC ruler trick on the flat side. Its also very useful to make a cover for the strop to stop workshop dust and grit from contaminating the leather - Rob

 

[Anonymous]

I've used solovol autosol metal polishing cream as a stropping paste, also water stone slurry. I've put it on wood blocks shaped to fit gouges and leather on a wooden backing that is especially good when I do my billhook :shock: I also use wheels coarse and soft useful as an intermadiate touch up between sharpenings

 

[Anonymous]

the DC ruler trick

Is that where you hold a ruler along the back of the "flat" chisel and see if the mirror refelction is straight right to the very edge or if it curves over indicating you've not yet got a flat back? (or some ones been clumsy trying to save time and doctored it with a belt sander/linisher contraption?) :roll: :roll:

I expect Paul will pop up and say "its all very well explained in Mr Charlesworths hand planing dvd.." :wink:

 

[Paul Chapman]

the DC ruler trick

I expect Paul will pop up and say "its all very well explained in Mr Charlesworths hand planing dvd.." :wink:

Not this time - I've not seen that one and never used the "Ruler trick" :lol: :lol:

Paul

 

[DaveL]

The DC ruler trick is for use on plane irons, not chisels, as it produces a small back bevel which is OK in planes but stops chisels cutting a straight line.

To get a good sharp edge you need two flat faces on the metal to intersect, so the back of the blade needs to be nice and smooth, mirror finish is the ultimate smoothness. For a chisel there is nothing for it but to polish the back on finer and finer abrasives of your choice until this is achieved. The trick that DC has promoted is to lay a thin steel rule on one edge of your stone, place the plane iron across it and flatten the back on the other edge. You are grinding a very small strip at the cutting edge of the iron so it gets flat very quickly. In a plane only the last 1/16" of the back of the blade is used in cutting, in a bevel down setup so the small back bevel has no undesirable side effects but saves you loads of time.

If you have new high spec plane irons of the LN or LV style the backs are very close to flat to start with, however on some of the cheaper irons you may find machining marks on the back which must be removed if you are to get a good sharp edge without leaving a toothed finish on the work.

 

[Anonymous]

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[DaveL]

So the point is that you don't need to polish the back of a plane iron as the mini bevel takes care of machine marks etc. Have I got it right? Sounds a good idea I'll give it a go.

You've got in one Jacob.

 

[Anonymous]

Jonathan,

I dont think the void in the centre of the glued edge joint is significant, it may not even exist.

I see a minute hollow in width when examining the edge, but this hollow may only be 1/4 thou in depth.

Medium hardwoods are definitely compressible, so when clamped, with sash clamps I believe this hollow may disappear.

Whether it
does or not you get extremely tight joints at the surface, and I have not noticed failures.

David

Just as an intresting post script I was having a read of gerge Ellis's book last night, he gives a good account of jointing (shooting up) edge's of boards. He advocates making the edges a little cocave along their length also, to ensure extra tight fit at the end of the panel so as air doesnt get in to ruin the joint (presumably humid air that would dissolve the glue??)

 

[Anonymous]

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[ivan]

I think scrapers too, and longer planes. I was bequeathed a truly flat pre war Stanley 4 1/2 as a youngster, and bought a Record 6 when I started work. I only wish it had. Much, much later (being self taught) I discovered planes were not necessarily flat, and had to save up for a straight edge. The number 6 had a 30 thou hollow, no wonder it couldn't cut. For far too may years I thought this was my fault.

The same cautions apply to lower cost machiery - safest to regard as a kit of parts.

 

[bugbear]

The number 6 had a 30 thou hollow

That must have been horrible. For anyone who hasn't used a concave plane, what happens is...

The blade doesn't cut.

So you advance the blade...

until it cuts.

At which point the blade PULLS the rest of plane down (or the workpiece up) so the blade suddenly digs in.

The net effect is a plane that either doesn't cut at all, or digs in.

Not an easy diagnosis, since a simple blunt blade exhibits similar properties.

BugBear

 

[Anonymous]

I know exactly what you mean Bugbear :roll: Diaganosis SPOT ON!!
That is the exact thing as happened with my little blockie plane until I straightened him out good and proper on the glass and emory paper :lol: :lol: Even when I knew my blade was very sharp. You end up thinking your crap or something and think about giving up trying to do woodwork at all :roll: Its like a micro world in among all that plane geometry stuff :lol: :lol:

As a matter of interest Bugbear, do the mouths wear down even on iron planes? Or is it just careless manufactering?
Cheers Jonathan

 

[ivan]

Also very cheap power tools. Never before touched with bargepole - but have been pleasantly surprised by Silverline HiSpec range, see posts 'bargain sander polisher' and 'bargain 4" belt sander'

 

[Paul Kierstead]

Believe it or not, Hold-fasts. I was somewhat yeah-yeah about them until I got a couple of very good knock-em-in ones from Joel and can't believe how useful they have been.

From the otherside, I had great disdain for the belt sander but have been discovering it is actually quite a fine tool

 

[David C]

Jonathan,

I believe that the soles of heavily used old planes do wear around the throat, and the sole as well.

Timber is often if not always abrasive.

I frequently note a depressed area adjacent to the front edge of the throat, in old planes.

The flatness issue, perfecting sharpening and chipbreaker set up, are just some of the reasons why my 5 day 'Tool Tuining and Skills' course is so valuable. People are amazed by the improvement!

Best wishes,
David C

 

[bugbear]

Jonathan,

I believe that the soles of heavily used old planes do wear around the throat, and the sole as well.

Timber is often if not always abrasive.

I frequently note a depressed area adjacent to the front edge of the throat, in old planes.

Yep; here's something I link to from my flattening page, showing just this:

http://img76.photobucket.com/albums/v23 ... Han/hf.jpg

BugBear

 

[promhandicam]

I know what you mean Mike & Nick regarding scrapers, its like well how can something so crude be a valid or useful tool?? :lol: I was the same way, but eventually learnt to sharpen them. Its fantastic to see a glassy smooth surface appear, and those dull grey rough ares melting away isnt it 8) !!

Excuse my ignorance, but how do you sharpen scrapers? I thought that having a nice square edge was enough. :roll:

 

[dedee]

This might help with further sharpening tips.

http://www.woodworking.org/WC/Channels/scraper.html


Andy

 

[Wiley Horne]

Promhandicam,

Here's another link; this one is about preparing card scrapers:

http://www.brendlers.net/oldtools/scraping/scraper.htm

Wiley Horne