I've set the circular plane aside for now, and am concentrating on my
other flea market find, a double spokeshave with one concave and one
flat surface. Both blades are clearly marked Union Plane Co. It looks
like it's all original parts. Nice looking tool.

But now I see that the concave blade doesn't match the concave bed on
the plane. When the middle of the blade is flush with the bed, the
side edges stick way out. The radii are slightly different between the
blade and the bed.

This is my first concave spokeshave so I don't know if this is normal
and I've been googling and so far no mention of anything like that so
now I'm wondering if someone has replaced the concave blade so it
would look complete. The odds that they'd find another Union blade
with the same sort of mottling and wear as the other Union blade seem
rather high, though. I suppose someone could have reground the blade
long ago for some reason. Or maybe that's the way it was made.

Huh.

On Sep 13, 8:10 am, " wrote:


But now I see that the concave blade doesn't match the concave bed on
the plane. When the middle of the blade is flush with the bed, the
side edges stick way out. The radii are slightly different between the
blade and the bed.



either it's a frankenplane or you're seeing some sloppy manufacturing
tolerances, or maybe somehow some damage. in any case you have to
figure out what to do. here are some options:

seat the blade. remove metal from the blade or the bed (carefully) to
make them fit. files, sandpaper on a shaped wood block, even rubbing
compound directly between the blade and bed.

make a shim between the blade and bed. could be brass or even hard
plastic. if it's brass you might be able to get away with folding the
edges to make it thicker there. hard telling from here how much blade
to bed contact you need to have to avoid chatter.

bed it in metal filled epoxy, like JBweld. use a release agent on the
blade and clean the bed well. a light sanding of the bed with 600 grit
paper followed by an alcohol wipedown should get good adhesion. saran
wrap on the blade might work for a release.

good luck....

" wrote in news:1189696249.896074.56990
@y42g2000hsy.googlegroups.com:

I've set the circular plane aside for now, and am concentrating on my
other flea market find, a double spokeshave with one concave and one
flat surface. Both blades are clearly marked Union Plane Co. It looks
like it's all original parts. Nice looking tool.

But now I see that the concave blade doesn't match the concave bed on
the plane. When the middle of the blade is flush with the bed, the
side edges stick way out. The radii are slightly different between the
blade and the bed.

This is my first concave spokeshave so I don't know if this is normal
and I've been googling and so far no mention of anything like that so
now I'm wondering if someone has replaced the concave blade so it
would look complete. The odds that they'd find another Union blade
with the same sort of mottling and wear as the other Union blade seem
rather high, though. I suppose someone could have reground the blade
long ago for some reason. Or maybe that's the way it was made.

Huh.



If you don't get an answer here that satisfies your curiousity, try the
hand tools forum at www.woodcentral.com. A picture or two, in smaller
sizes, might help.

There are some pretty knowledgable folks there on old tools.

Patriarch