"toller" wrote

3) An article in a "Fine Woodworking" book said that a hair's width off
perfectly flat on a #5 might be okay for rough work, but for precision
work
it has to be better than that. Is this to be taken seriously?! I find it
hard to believe that a hair's width could even be measured over 14" (by
the
home woodworker anyways), let alone make a difference.

All planes, no matter how flat their soles, can plane a concave edge.

The radius is proportional to the square of the length divided by the set.

However, flatness is important partially because it is essential that the
front lip of the mouth makes firm contact with the wood.

Jeff G
--
Jeff Gorman - West Yorkshire - UK
Username for email is amgron
ISP is clara.co.uk
Website - amgron.clara.net