Making a Wooden Plane
Finishing the Mouth
For many planing operations, the fineness of the mouth is not crucial. For roughing planes, a wide mouth is actually an advantage. For your first plane, I wouldn't obsess about it. A sharp blade and a well-made chipbreaker will handle the majority of woods with very few problems. That said, when making fine cuts in difficult woods, a small mouth opening is very important. More than a few thousands can make a difference. This is a level of accuracy that machinsts work with, not most woodworkers.
My strategy is to estimate the final width of the mouth, and to mark a knife line where it would lie. Actually, I mark the line just slightly shy of the final width. I then carefully pare most of the waste with a sharp chisel or knife, and then finish the last bit with a fine file. If I've underestimated, I repeat the procedure. I find that making a knife line is a big help in making a straight, accurate opening - particularly one that is parallel to the edge of the iron. When I remove material, I try and keep the leading edge perpindicular to the sole, or slope it forward a little bit. This will help to prolong the life of the mouth, as you re-flatten the sole periodically. Some antique planes actually angle that ledge towards the bed of the plane, but doing so does not allow creation of a fine mouth opening because you need clearance for the chip breaker and the curls you'll create.
Once the iron pokes through, I call it quits. The final adjustment will be made after you flatten the sole. Also, I find that slight sole adjustments are necessary a week or two after the plane is made. Each flattening widens the mouth slightly, so you want the minimum mouth that you can get away with.
One of my early (and favorite) planes has had approximately 1/16" removed from the sole. The mouth is now 1/16" wider, and it's delegated to tasks where tearout isn't an issue. Methods to cope with this will be presented later on.
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Steve Spodaryk
Medford, MA
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article
12.10.2008
- Making a Wooden Plane
Introduction
Tools
The Iron
The Chipbreaker
Wood
Marking Out the Blank 1
Marking Out the Blank 2
Forming the Plane Bed
Drilling the Pin Holes
Making the Pin
Test Fit
Glue Up
Post Glue Cleanup
Adjusting the Mouth
Making the Wedge
Test Run
Shaping the Plane Body
Troubleshooting
Advanced Topics
- Making a Wooden Plane
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