Hi,

I have a few questions about adjusting a Stanley plane.

1: I notice that the frog can move back behind the rear of the mouth.
Why is that? If you move the frog back behinid the mouth and then add
the blade and chip cutter then there is no support for the bottom of
the blade. Also, it looks like if you do that and then try to set the
depth of the knife, it will run into the metal behind the mouth.

2: Is it correct that if you want a thick cutting then the frog has to
line up right with the rear of the mouth so when the blade is in and
the depth is set the blade will be fully supported by the frog and
will be positioned right at the rear of the mouth.

3: If you want a thin shaving then you move the frog closer to the
front so that the blade is near the front of the mouth. It can't be
right near the mouth because once you set the depth too deep the chip
cutter will run into the front of the mouth. So the frog tends to ends
up being somewhere near the center of the mouth.

4: I was trying to prep some 5/4 wood which was wider then my 6"
jointer. So I thought I'd run it through the planner instead. The
pieces were about 8" x 20". The wood was not flat so I tried to use my
hand planes to flatten one side. I was not getting satisfactory
results with my Stanely 4 or 5. I don't have a scrub plane but would
that have been the correct one to use in this situation?

Thanks

Alex

4: I was trying to prep some 5/4 wood which was wider then my 6"
jointer. So I thought I'd run it through the planner instead. The
pieces were about 8" x 20". The wood was not flat so I tried to use my
hand planes to flatten one side. I was not getting satisfactory
results with my Stanely 4 or 5. I don't have a scrub plane but would
that have been the correct one to use in this situation?


yes.

"alex" wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

I have a few questions about adjusting a Stanley plane.

1: I notice that the frog can move back behind the rear of the mouth.
Why is that? If you move the frog back behinid the mouth and then add
the blade and chip cutter then there is no support for the bottom of
the blade. Also, it looks like if you do that and then try to set the
depth of the knife, it will run into the metal behind the mouth.

That is correct, but given manufacturing tolerances it is better that you
have some adjustment. It also allows you to widen the mouth if you put in a
thicker iron.


2: Is it correct that if you want a thick cutting then the frog has to
line up right with the rear of the mouth so when the blade is in and
the depth is set the blade will be fully supported by the frog and
will be positioned right at the rear of the mouth.

Generally, yes.

3: If you want a thin shaving then you move the frog closer to the
front so that the blade is near the front of the mouth. It can't be
right near the mouth because once you set the depth too deep the chip
cutter will run into the front of the mouth. So the frog tends to ends
up being somewhere near the center of the mouth.

Maybe. Depends on the plane condition and the iron.

4: I was trying to prep some 5/4 wood which was wider then my 6"
jointer. So I thought I'd run it through the planner instead. The
pieces were about 8" x 20". The wood was not flat so I tried to use my
hand planes to flatten one side. I was not getting satisfactory
results with my Stanely 4 or 5. I don't have a scrub plane but would
that have been the correct one to use in this situation?

Probably. Depends how "unflat" the boards were.

Give up on those old metal planes and get a newfangled wooden one:
http://zo-d.com/stuff//stanley-vs-st...he-planes.html

-Jack

wrote in message
ups.com...

4: I was trying to prep some 5/4 wood which was wider then my 6"
jointer. So I thought I'd run it through the planner instead. The
pieces were about 8" x 20". The wood was not flat so I tried to use my
hand planes to flatten one side. I was not getting satisfactory
results with my Stanely 4 or 5. I don't have a scrub plane but would
that have been the correct one to use in this situation?


yes.

I think that in a historical context the No 5, a jack plane, with the iron
ground with a radius rather than flat would be the tool of choice for the
initial flattening. After that a jointer plane and then a smoother... or in
the case of the OP, perhaps right to the thickness planner to do the off
side and then smooth up the side flattened with the jack plane. I have to
wonder if the OP was using winding sticks and straight edges to assist in
flattening the initial side of the board?

The scrub is useful for the initial flattening of a piece of rough cut
lumber, or for taking high spots off dimensioned framing lumber in
construction, but beyond that you wouldn't have anything resembling a smooth
surface.

John

"alex" wrote in message
oups.com...
4: I was trying to prep some 5/4 wood which was wider then my 6"
jointer. So I thought I'd run it through the planner instead. The
pieces were about 8" x 20". The wood was not flat so I tried to use my
hand planes to flatten one side. I was not getting satisfactory
results with my Stanely 4 or 5. I don't have a scrub plane but would
that have been the correct one to use in this situation?

Since you have a planer, you can use a planer sled to flatten the first
side of your stock: See:

http://books.google.com/books?id=QAD...di3Q0#PPA20,M1

While looking for a URL for a planer sled, I also came across this scheme
which uses a router.

http://www.leestyron.com/sled.php

On Aug 31, 12:27 pm, "John Grossbohlin"
wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...



4: I was trying to prep some 5/4 wood which was wider then my 6"
jointer. So I thought I'd run it through the planner instead. The
pieces were about 8" x 20". The wood was not flat so I tried to use my
hand planes to flatten one side. I was not getting satisfactory
results with my Stanely 4 or 5. I don't have a scrub plane but would
that have been the correct one to use in this situation?

yes.

I think that in a historical context the No 5, a jack plane, with the iron
ground with a radius rather than flat would be the tool of choice for the
initial flattening. After that a jointer plane and then a smoother... or in
the case of the OP, perhaps right to the thickness planner to do the off
side and then smooth up the side flattened with the jack plane. I have to
wonder if the OP was using winding sticks and straight edges to assist in
flattening the initial side of the board?

The scrub is useful for the initial flattening of a piece of rough cut
lumber, or for taking high spots off dimensioned framing lumber in
construction, but beyond that you wouldn't have anything resembling a smooth
surface.

John

he's flattening enough to put it through the planer. surface finish is
not an issue, moving wood quickly without clogging the mouth of the
plane is.

wrote in message
ps.com...
On Aug 31, 12:27 pm, "John Grossbohlin"
wrote:
wrote in message

ups.com...



4: I was trying to prep some 5/4 wood which was wider then my 6"
jointer. So I thought I'd run it through the planner instead. The
pieces were about 8" x 20". The wood was not flat so I tried to use my
hand planes to flatten one side. I was not getting satisfactory
results with my Stanely 4 or 5. I don't have a scrub plane but would
that have been the correct one to use in this situation?

yes.

I think that in a historical context the No 5, a jack plane, with the
iron
ground with a radius rather than flat would be the tool of choice for the
initial flattening. After that a jointer plane and then a smoother... or
in
the case of the OP, perhaps right to the thickness planner to do the off
side and then smooth up the side flattened with the jack plane. I have to
wonder if the OP was using winding sticks and straight edges to assist in
flattening the initial side of the board?

The scrub is useful for the initial flattening of a piece of rough cut
lumber, or for taking high spots off dimensioned framing lumber in
construction, but beyond that you wouldn't have anything resembling a
smooth
surface.

John

he's flattening enough to put it through the planer. surface finish is
not an issue, moving wood quickly without clogging the mouth of the
plane is.


True, but he already has a No 5 and doesn't have a scrub... it sounds like
it may be a process problem rather than a tool problem which is why I asked
about the winding sticks and straight edge.

John

On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 11:26:44 -0700, alex wrote:

I have a few questions about adjusting a Stanley plane.

Try to find:

Jeff Gorman's website
Used to be at http://www.amgron.clara.net/ but the planing section
seems to have gone?

A 1950's British book called "Planecraft", published by Record tools