Posted by
Easy WoodCraft on
Aug 1, 2016
For a jack plane or jointer plane to create thin, wispy shavings without tear out, you'll need to tune it. This involves flattening the sole, adjusting the frog, removing any slop in the cap iron, sharpening the blade, and fine tuning the lateral and depth adjustments.
Flattening the sole
The flatness of a plane's sole will have a huge impact on its performance. The easiest way to check a sole for flatness is with a straightedge. I've found that holding the plane up against a bright light while doing this will best show any dips or high spots.
To flatten a sole, temporarily fasten some sheets of silicone-carbide sandpaper to a known flat surface with spray adhesive. A piece of replacement glass for a Jalousie window works great (available at most hardware stores). What's really nice about Jalousie glass is that its edges are rounded over for safety. I usually start with 80-grit and work my way up to 220-grit.
Although you might be tempted to remove the blade and cap iron, don't they keep tension on the sole. If you flatten it without this tension, and then install the iron, the sole won't be flat. Just make sure to back off the iron 1/8" or so before rubbing the sole on the silicon carbide paper. Use firm, steady strokes, and flip the plane end for end occasionally to ensure even pressure over the entire length and width of the sole. Check the sole often for progress. Although purists will flatten the entire sole, the only parts where it's critical that it be flat are the toe, heel, and around the throat.
The frog
The frog is another important part of the plane. It holds the plane iron firmly at the proper angle, while at the same time letting you adjust the depth of cut and the position of the iron. A poorly tuned frog is the leading cause of blade chatter. For a frog to do its job well its mating surfaces the bottom where it contacts the sole, and the sloped face that holds the plane iron must be absolutely flat and square. To flatten these, I use a diamond hone or a small stone and gently rub it on the surface. Check often with a straight edge.
Cap iron
A sloppy cap iron can also cause chatter. Its job is to add rigidity to the plane and prevent it from flexing. The slight hump at the end also serves as a wedge to break chips as the iron cuts into the wood. Neither of these will happen if the cap iron doesn't fully contact the entire edge of the plane iron. And a poorly fitting cap iron can allow shavings to Jam up between the cap iron and the blade. The solution to all these problems? Ensure full contact by flattening the front edge of the cap iron on an oil stone.
Before you attach the cap iron to the blade, the blade needs to be sharpened. (For an in depth look at sharpening, see
Sharpening Edge Tools.) Then reattach the cap iron and secure it to the blade to check for gaps. Position the cap iron on the blade square to the front edge and set back about 1/16".
Handle and knobs
If the handle and knobs of the plane are in good shape, take a moment to tighten the screws that secure them to the plane body. There's usually one for the knob and two for the handle. If the handle is cracked or broken, replace it with a new one (see
CUSTUM HANDLES).
Depth of cut
If you removed the frog, you 11 need to fine tune it. Start by loosening the frog screws so they're friction tight. Then, use the frog adjustment screw to slide the frog to align with the sole at the throat opening. You may need to remove the handle to get to this screw. NOTE: If there's a lot of play in the depth adjustment knob, you may be able to remove the slop. If the yoke that accepts the knob is steel or brass, you can squeeze it tighter with a C-clamp. If the yoke is cast, leave it alone any pressure at all will likely snap it.
Lateral adjustment
There's not much to do on the lateral-adjustment lever; check for burrs on the cam, and smooth any you find with a fine file or a piece of emery cloth. Then flip the plane over and sight down along the sole. Pivot the lateral adjustment lever back and forth until the edge of the plane blade is parallel with the sole.
CUSTOM HANDLES
To make a new handle, use the old handle as a template. It's best to drill the hole for the handle screw before shaping the handle. Then cut out the shape, and smooth and sand the handle to fit your hand. Even if there's nothing wrong with your handle (or the front knob), I always suggest shaping them to fit your hand. The factory made handle is designed to fit the "average" hand, not yours. A custom-fit handle feels much better.
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