[GISer3546]

My mother just gave me her old veritas scraping plane she doesn't use anymore. Until recently i havent had much of a use for it but recently my wood river #5 has started to give me tear out on some panels I've glued up with less than perfect grain directions. I plan on resharpening my #5, moving the frog forward a little and trying again but figured this would be a good chance to get the scraping plane ready for use. I've heard they're difficult to set up and sharpen but am wondering if there's some suggestions to make it easier. Also been wondering about burnishing the blade, could i use a honing steel for kitchen knives or will i need something else?

 

[Dave Paine]

It does not hurt to sharpen your plane. Sharper is generally going to cut smoother with less tearout. There are some grain patterns which do better being scraped than planed.

Which scraper plane, Veritas presently selling three models?

http://www.leevalley.com/US/Wood/page.aspx?p=68491&cat=1,41182

I have the "C" scraper.

This is the instructions on the plane including how to sharpen and create the burr for the blade.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/shopping/Instructions.aspx?p=48492

A burnisher is normally a piece of hard smooth steel, like drill stock. It is used to slightly turn over the edge of the blade. A kitchen knife steel is really intended to hone, slightly removing metal.

I would get a burnisher or make one. Not expensive.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=32643&cat=1,310,41070

I seem to have an easier time using my hand card scrapers than this plane.

 

[GISer3546]

I have the "C" scraping plane as well. I have a full set (220, 1000, 4000, and 8000 grit) of water stones and a veritas honing guide and was able to get my #5 iron sharp (took hair off my arm) over the weekend but was still getting tear out. This morning i read a little about pushing the frog forward, and since i have never touched the frog's adjustments on my plane i figured id try that. I will also pick up a bernisher on my way home and also try the scraper plane.

 

[Dave Paine]

If you are tweaking various settings on the No. 5 to try and reduce tearout, include trying out the distance of the front of the cap iron to the edge of the blade.

The following text is from "Planecraft", written by employees of the old Record company, back in the 30's.

For rough work, cap iron 1/32in to 1/16in from edge of blade.

For finishing work, cap iron 1/64in from edge of blade.

For hard woods with irregular grain - as close as you can get it to the cutting edge.

I wish it was always so simple, sometimes as close to the edge does not work for me and I have to move back slightly.

The concept is that cap iron closer to the edge means the shaving is forced upward faster which ought to be a cleaner cut. Worth trying out what works best for the present wood you want to plane.

 

[GISer3546]

I will try that thanks, i think mine is about 1/16th now