Lee Laird

The Plane Facts: The 9-1/2 Adjustable Mouth Block Plane

Tool Tips, Woodworking Tips, Woodworking Videos

Jan 312011

Generally, the block plane is one of the most reached for planes in most shops. Most block planes are small enough to live in an apron pocket, so it is never more than an arm’s length away. Besides the convenient size, they are extremely flexible in their usages.

Specifically, the 9-1/2 block plane is the regular angle (as opposed to the low angle) block plane with the adjustable mouth. The “regular angle” refers to the angle at which the blade iron sits in the plane body, which is 20 degrees. The “low angle” version of this plane is the 60-1/2 block plane, and its blade iron sits at 12 degrees. The primary difference between the two is the low angle’s ability to trim end grain, like when working on a butcher-block top. The only other difference is the feel of these planes in your hand. The 9-1/2, with its slightly higher angle lifting the back of the blade and cap iron, can stretch the smallest of hands a bit more than the 60-1/2.

The adjustable mouth on these planes allows you to easily bring the throat in tight when working to remove extremely thin shavings, supporting the wood to prevent tear out. Just as easily, the mouth can be opened up allowing a thicker, less refined shaving fit through, when working to remove material more quickly. If a thicker shaving was attempted, If the throat set too tight, the shaving would jam and you’d have to stop and clear the shaving, before continuing. This would certainly slow down your work.

As you might have already imagined, these block planes have a wide range of functionality. You can easily use it to put a chamfer on tenons and along the long grain surfaces, breaking the edges of any carcass or box, use it as a smoother on small scale work for face, edge or end grain. The block plane can certainly fill in for a wide range of tasks, even though it may not rise to the level of replacing specific purpose made planes. A pinch hitter can always come in handy.

Since the block plane has its iron in a bevel up configuration, you can also buy a spare blade or two that you can use to hone higher angles. This would allow you to just swap out the irons, if you were working on some really figured wood, as the higher bevel angle on the iron is in essence the same as changing to a higher frog angle in the bench planes (which use the iron in a bevel down orientation). Highly figured woods respond better to a higher angle of attack, which (without getting too deep into the science of it) allows the shaving to release without the normal tear out.

Don’t overlook the 9-1/2 adjustable mouth block plane for your shop. I think you will find it a go-to for a multitude of jobs.

I hope to see some of you at our events across the country. Feel free to come up and say hello.

Lee Laird has enjoyed woodworking for over 20 years. He is retired from the U.S.P.S. and works for Lie-Nielsen Toolworks as a show staff member, demonstrating tools and training customers.

The Plane Facts: Restoring an Old and Rusty Bench Plane

Woodworking Tips

Jan 142011

I received a question recently relating to the restoration of an old plane. We’ll focus on the iron bodied bench planes for now. There are times when we find, or are given, an old plane that we’d like to put back into use. How the plane was stored will directly affect the condition and magnitude of work required to ultimately use it as it was intended.

If the plane was stored in a damp environment, without proper precautions, then it is likely to have rust on much of the body and blade. If I find a plane that is very rusty, then I usually try to weigh the importance or uniqueness of the plane. If it is either important or unique, then I’ll likely go forward with the restoration and work that goes along with that. If on the other hand, it is an every day type of ubiquitous plane, I will normally just move on to another plane. While the techniques and processes for restoration are valuable to possess and practice, ultimately a person’s time is worth something as well, and the decision must be made how much time to spend on a basic plane.

Once I’ve decided to go forward with a restoration, I’ll usually start with the sole of the plane. If the sole is rusty, too, then I’ll use some 220 grit sand paper on a known flat surface. This flat surface is usually a granite precision surface, a thick plate of glass or one of my shop surfaces (table saw top, jointer beds, …) When I’m going to flatten a sole, I’ll put all the pieces together as if I was ready to plane wood, then back the blade up so there is no way it will make contact with the sand paper. This keeps the plane body with normal stress, so if there is any flexing, it will be the same as during use. After making a few passes over the sand paper, I’ll check the sole to see the progress. All of the shiny areas are the portions that touched the sand paper. I will continue with this until the complete sole is shiny. I’ll use one of the SandFlex hand blocks to remove rust from the remaining external areas of the body. There are three different grits available, and it just depends on how much rust is present as to which grit level is appropriate. Before moving on, I’ll spray some Camellia Oil or Jojoba Oil onto a rag and wipe a light film over the areas we’ve completed.

Once I get the external body rust under control, I’ll remove the lever cap, blade/chip breaker, tote and knob. Next I’ll remove the screws holding the frog in place. Now the plane body is completely bare, I’ll check to make sure the area where the frog sits is in good condition. It should be flat and make good contact with the frog. If there is any old grunge, clean it up and again apply a light layer of Camellia Oil or Jojoba Oil, and re-install the frog.

Next we’ll take apart the blade and chip breaker. Usually the blade is what requires the most work to restore, but the chip breaker can have problems, too. If the blade is rusty, use sand paper on a flat surface to work it back to shiny steel on the back of the blade. The bevel section of the blade is best worked while it is in a blade holder, so the correct base angle is established. At Lie-Nielsen, we begin with a base angle of 25 degrees on our blades. Depending on the shape of the bevel, and what angle it presently has, use 80 grit to completely re-establish the bevel. If the bevel is in decent shape and is already 25 degrees, you might choose to use 180 or even 220. Follow this with sharpening at 1000 and then 8000 grit at a 30 degree micro bevel. Once the work is complete on both the back and the bevel, apply a light layer of Camellia Oil or Jojoba Oil. Put the chip breaker back onto the blade. Check to make sure the chip breaker has no gaps between it and the blade. If it does, it will likely allow shavings to gather and prevent the plane from working properly. If there is a gap, we can either modify the front edge of the chip breaker or look for a replacement. Many of the new chip breakers are more substantial and do a better job. Still, restoring the original is an option. If you decide to work on the original, make sure material removed is from the inside edge. The important section is the outer most edge, so that the chip breaker compresses and there are no gaps when it is tightened.

The next part is optional, and is primarily cosmetic. This includes cleaning the other interior surfaces of the plane body and the tote and knob. Much of this can be cleaned with regular surface cleaners, assuming their original surface has not been compromised with rust onset. Once clean, just reinstall the tote and knob, making sure they are snug, but don’t tighten to the point of damage.

The remainder of the restoration is setup. Put the blade/chip breaker on the frog with the lever cap. (I set my lever cap so it holds the blade while working, but still allows me to adjust the blade without releasing) Make sure the blade fits through the mouth of the plane, when the blade is advanced. If the blade makes contact with the mouth, and won’t come through, remove the cap, blade/breaker and move the frog rearward (that is unless you have a plane where the frog’s to/fro adjustment can occur while the blade is in place). Tighten down the frog and try again. Once you have the frog set so the blade is through the sole and the opening is appropriate for the shavings, then it’s just a matter of fine-tuning the settings to set the plane for operation.

Keep in mind that this is a how-to relating to bench planes. There can be slight differences in restoration for other types of planes.

I always enjoy seeing an older plane still working like they were intended. Good luck with your restoration and feel free to ask any questions in the comments.

Lee Laird has enjoyed woodworking for over 20 years. He is retired from the U.S.P.S. and works for Lie-Nielsen Toolworks as a show staff member, demonstrating tools and training customers.

The Plane Facts: Planes for finishing – the Scraping Planes

Featured Products, Tool Tips, Woodworking Tips

Dec 302010

I have a lot of customers who want to discuss which one of our planes will ultimately leave the best final finish on flat wood. Most of them are anticipating the comparison of our Low Angle Block plane v. our Low Angle Jack plane v. our 4 1/2. Many are surprised when I bring out one of our Scraping Planes. I think part of the surprise is that the visual of the Scraping plane is completely different from most of the usual planes which have a blade that lays back towards the user. Now with the scraping planes, the blade is angled forward, on the other side of 90 degrees, compared to the regular bench/block planes.

Many woodworkers will follow a smoothing plane with a hand-held scraper, which can leave an exquisite surface, depending on the skill of the user. Unfortunately, on the other end of the spectrum, it can leave scallops and other surface irregularities in the hands of the less proficient. This is where I see the scraping plane excelling, especially when working on flat surfaces. Since the scraper (scraping blade) is carried in a plane body, it is much easier to end work with this tool without the fear of negative surface consequences.

So how do we set up one of these scraping planes? Since it looks so different from the bench/block plane, it can seem like a completely foreign tool. In actuality, it can be one of the easiest planes to set up for great results. One of the first aspects of setup is the blade. The blade can seem strange for those who have previously used a hand-held scraper, and are familiar with the sharpening techniques for that tool. On the scraping plane, the blade comes with a 45 degree bevel, which when honed is completely sufficient for finishing cuts. That’s right. Without needing to create a hook. Sounds a little bit different than the usual hand-held scraper, doesn’t it? If you don’t yet own a scraper plane, and would like to see just how effective this can be, take one of your widest bench chisels. Hold it with the blade pointing straight down, with one hand on each side, and lightly pull the chisel across the wood, like you would a hand-held scraper. You can adjust the angle of the chisel, similarly to the adjustment of the scraper plane, to get the best results. Amazing what it can do without the hook. Some may still wish to apply a hook, which can make the plane a bit more aggressive. If you do this, you might have to play around with the angle of the blade so the hook engages properly, just like you do with a hand-held scraper. Now back to the setup of this plane: The blade is inserted into the mouth (some prefer to feed it up through the bottom to prevent any damage to the blade) with the bevel facing towards the rear of the plane. Just lightly snug up the thumb screw, to prevent the blade from slipping out and damaging the plane or yourself! With the blade in place, we can work on the angle of the blade. We’ve found that 15 degrees forward of 90 degrees, towards the front of the plane is what works best for most situations. Once the angle is set, place the plane on a flat wooden surface (which could be your workbench). Slightly loosen the pressure of the thumb screw, while holding the plane flat on whatever it is resting on, put a finger’s pressure on the middle of the dull end of the blade. This will just so slightly make the blade proud of the bottom of the plane. Now, while holding the pressure on the blade, tighten the thumb screw. You have successfully set up the scraping plane for nice fine final shavings, such that it can follow after a smoothing plane and leave a wonderfully smooth finish to the wood.

In my opinion, the Small Bronze Scraper Plane leaves one of the best surfaces one could ever hope to get.

I hope to see some of you at our events across the country. Feel free to come up and say hello.

Lee Laird has enjoyed woodworking for over 20 years. He is retired from the U.S.P.S. and works for Lie-Nielsen Toolworks as a show staff member, demonstrating tools and training customers.

The Plane Facts: Bench Planes – why are there so many sizes?

Featured Products, Tool Tips, Woodworking Tips

Dec 092010

A question I hear from customers at many of our shows regarding bench planes is: “Why are there so many different plane sizes and do/will I need ALL of them?”

In this article, I’ll talk about the range of bench planes, their sizes and purposes.

All of the bench planes (those that range from a #1 up through a #8) get split up into three basic categories: Smoothing planes, Jack planes and Jointer planes. Each of these categories perform specific functions, but can ultimately cover ground outside of the primary function.

No. 3 Smooth Plane

Starting with the smallest (and smallest numbers) are the Smoothing planes. This encompasses the #1 through the #4 1/2, and the primary differences are the size and weight. The Smoothing planes are used for, well, smoothing a surface. These are usually setup for use with an extremely sharp blade just barely protruding and a very small mouth opening. This setup is ideal for taking a very fine shaving from a piece of wood that is already flattened, which ultimately can leave one of the best surfaces a piece of wood can ever hope to have.

No. 5 Jack Plane

The next group is the Jack planes. These are the # 5 & # 6. Size and weight are the primary differences between these two planes. The Jack planes are usually setup to deal with initial stock removal (when the job isn’t so severe as to warrant using a scrub plane, which we’ll touch on in a later segment), which will deal with rough surfaced wood that may have a multitude of negative characteristics (twist, wind, bow, etc…) that are between you and a flat, square piece of lumber. Since the wood the Jack plane is used on is not usually flat and square, this plane is often setup with the blade protruding deeper and the mouth set much wider (to handle the thicker shaving created by the further advanced blade). These settings allow the plane to rapidly remove material, but will normally require additional work.

No. 8 Jointer Plane

The last of the bench planes are the Jointer planes. These are the #7 & #8. Size and weight are the primary differences between these two planes. The Jointer plane setup is somewhere between the Smoothing plane and the Jack plane, but usually much closer to that of the Smoother. The Jointer plane’s primary purpose is to flatten wood.

Always remember that even though a bench plane size is normally used for a specific function, many can be used in other ways. An example would be using a Jack plane with the blade opening closed up and the blade projection reduced, so it could function as a Smoother.

So now that you know how the planes sort out, the question is whether someone needs one of every size. Part of that depends on whether the end-user works with a wide range of sized projects. If the answer is yes, then it becomes a personal decision. I personally would recommend starting with one bench plane in each group and then expanding your set if/when it is necessary or desired.

Now that we’ve covered all the bench planes, you may be wondering about block planes. We’ll be talking about those in a later post, so check back again later.

Highland Woodworking’s full selection of Lie-Nielsen hand tools.

Lee Laird has enjoyed woodworking for over 20 years. He is retired from the U.S.P.S. and works for Lie-Nielsen Toolworks as a show staff member, demonstrating tools and training customers.

The Plane Facts: Using a Smoothing Hand Plane

Featured Products, Tool Tips, Woodworking Tips, Woodworking Videos

Nov 182010

I know that many woodworkers, both those new to the craft and even some who have been around for a while, might like to have some subtle instruction to improve their results when using a smoothing plane.

Anyone who has visited the Lie Nielsen booth at a woodworking show has likely both heard us describe the necessity of a sharp blade as well as watched as we demonstrate a very simple sharpening technique. I won’t go into this technique here, but for those that would like more information, you may watch our video on plane sharpening below:

After setting up the sharp blade, many would think the remaining aspects of plane use would be without issue. From my experience, this is not always the case. Through time spent demonstrating and talking with other woodworkers, certain issues are common and recurring, so perhaps I can provide assistance. At many shows, I’ll set up a plane to take a shaving that is somewhere between 1 and 2 thousands of an inch, in order to demonstrate just how sharp the blade is. After I take some shavings, I’ll hand the tool to one of the attendees and let them see how it feels to use a sharp tool. What I’ve noticed is they often push the plane across the same board and the blade barely touches the wood, if at all. This tempts them to adjust the blade so that it is protruding further than necessary.

The reason this is happening is the subtle pressure difference between what I was applying in a downward fashion, and the lack of pressure applied to the plane by the attendee. I will actually utilize this pressure control when planing a board or panel. I find I can set the blade for a relatively light cut and adjust to either a slightly thicker shaving or a lighter shaving simply by adjusting the pressure I apply to the plane. The lightest shaving is obtained with the majority of the force applied across the board as if I’m making the plane just slide on top of the board. To take a slightly thicker bite, the pressure is about half way between the light shaving and full force downward. You could think about this as if you were drawing a line starting from the edge of the board and going down and away at a 45 degree angle. This is the direction I envision applying the force for the thicker shaving, as if I were following the line down the line at 45 degrees.

One other issue relating to setting up the plane’s blade. If you can see the blade, when sighting down the sole, there is a good chance the blade is not sharp enough (a sharp edge is the intersection of two surfaces at a point, which will reflect no light) or will be very difficult to use, as it will take a very thick shaving. When we set up the smoothing plane’s blade at our shows, we are normally setting it for a very light shaving, using a small piece of wood to engage the blade. It’s surprising how little blade is actually protruding when the blade is set. Most of the people I’ve dealt with at our shows can not even see the blade, including myself, when sighting down the sole.

I hope this helps increase your enjoyment when using a smoothing plane.

Highland Woodworking’s full selection of Lie-Nielsen hand tools.

Lee Laird has enjoyed woodworking for over 20 years. He is retired from the U.S.P.S. and works for Lie-Nielsen Toolworks as a show staff member, demonstrating tools and training customers.

Personalizing your mallets

Tool Tips, Woodworking Tips

Nov 052010

For many years, I worked with mallets that I’d either made or purchased. I had a tendency to use them just as they were when they were first made. After a while, I decided I might be able to make slight alterations that would positively affect the comfort and potentially the usefulness of the mallet. One mallet I made in 1990 and used for about 5 years before the light came on. Ultimately I took the mallet and held it in my hand, the way I do when using it. I did a little ambidextrous drawing with a pencil, around each of my fingers and also my thumb, so I could make sure when I removed material, it would fit my hand. Turned out to be a great decision.

More recently I turned some old oak into a nice smallish mallet. The piece of wood was fairly short, so it didn’t lend itself to making the handle portion as long as I’d have liked to fit my hand. Again, I decided there was some modifications I could do to ultimately make the mallet more user friendly. This time I decided I’d carve a notch where my thumb will sit, to make it more comfortable and hopefully more usable. I snapped a picture of the mallet from it’s opposite side, to show what it looked like prior to “surgery”.

I started off by holding the mallet a couple of different ways to find what felt the best. After I was sure of my decision, I again drew in pencil around the location of my thumb, while I was holding the mallet.

I used a couple of carving gouges, a #7 20mm and a #9 20mm. I was able to hold the mallet securely with a hand screw, and held the hand screw in my bench vise. I used my #9 gouge starting in the center of my marked area and making sure to work the correct direction for the grain of the wood. I didn’t want to pop off any chunks outside of my intended area. I used my old square mallet to drive the gouge, especially at the beginning since I was working in Oak, which is fairly tough. After I had a fair amount roughed out, I moved over to my #7. For me, this gave me a little more control as it didn’t take as big of a bite with each strike. After I had the shape I liked, I then stopped using the mallet and used the gouges more like paring chisels. I was able to take light cuts to smooth out the area where my thumb will ride on the mallet. After all of that area was feeling good, I used the #7 very lightly again, on the edges of the carved section. I blended this section with the surrounding areas totally with the gouges. I didn’t use any sand paper, and the thumb recess feels great. The key to using these tools is exactly the same as using regular chisels or hand planes. Sharp tools are much more predictable and because of this are also much more safe to use.

Remember, even though the two mallets I modified were some that I made, you can still modify those that you buy. Ultimately it’s all about making your woodworking experience better.

Until next time, keep woodworking.

Lee Laird has enjoyed woodworking for over 20 years. He is retired from the U.S.P.S. and works for Lie-Nielsen Toolworks as a show staff member, demonstrating tools and training customers.

A quick workbench solution

Featured Products, Tool Tips, Woodworking Tips

Oct 132010

Some folks are lucky enough to have a fully stocked workshop, with a dedicated workbench to hold work pieces for hand cutting dovetails. For those who aren’t as lucky, I came up with a plan that allowed me to supplement my work holding abilities. My shop was part of a garage, with a couple of go-to machines – Table saw, Band saw and Drill press. There was no extra room for a work bench, and I’ve been seeking a solution for my work holding situation. After working on my table saw, I noticed the wings had pre-cut holes, since they are setup to work on either side of the table. After seeing I had attachment points, I started looking for “screws” I could use in my “dovetailing vise”. The solution I came up with was to use veneering press screws that had adequate capacity for dovetailing most projects. These screws come with a mating piece which acts as a nut for the screw.

I cut a piece of 8/4 Maple, wide enough to attach just shy of flush to the table saw’s wing (didn’t want there to be a chance of wood movement that might throw off a cut on my saw) and to house the mating pieces for the screws. I clamped this piece of Maple to the edge of my table saw wing, so I could leave marks on the wood for drilling. I drilled and countersunk holes large enough for the bolt’s head and washer to sit below the “clamping” surface. I used a washer and an aircraft nut on each bolt, so they would not loosen with vibration. Next I drilled three holes on my drill press just slightly larger in diameter than the press screws, in a location low enough that the screw’s “nuts” would not hit the table wing. The mating “nuts” for the screws required a slightly different technique, since they are not cylindrical. I started by using a forstner bit to drill out a hole slightly larger diameter than the “nut’s” conical section and just slightly deeper than the “nut’s” depth, minus the thickness of the square lip. Once that was completed, I threaded the nut onto the screw until it was tight. This allowed me to mark for the two holes used to hold the “nuts” in place. Before I installed the two “nuts”, I cut another piece of 8/4 Maple to use as the outer vise jaw. I cut this second piece the same length as the first, but only about 2″ in width. I clamped the outer jaw over the previously drilled holes for the press screws. I took the same drill bit as was used for the holes, and put it into the holes from the back side, spinning lightly to leave a mark on the inside edge of the outer jaws. I took the drill bit and the outer jaws over to the drill press to make holes that would be in the same plane as those drilled earlier. I made sure to remember to slide a washer over each press screw, before putting everything together. After each veneer screw is almost completely inserted, I re-install the free rotating piece that comes with each screw. This will reduce the likelyhood that the screw will unscrew completely.

I’m sure someone will recognize that I drilled three holes, but am only using two press screws. In actuality, I initially bought two press screws. After setting the screws about 20″ apart, I noticed some flex in the outer jaw, even though I was using 8/4 Maple. As many of the dovetailed items I make are less than 6″ in width, I decided to add another screw hole about 6″ away from one of the first screws. I purchased a third press screw so I would have the mating “nut” to install in the back side of the “extra” hole. This provides me flexibility. Since the mid hole isn’t centered, it provides me with openings in three sizes, to limit the flex that occurs when the opening is much larger than the work pieces.

The press screws I purchased are the 12″ versions. If you follow this link:
http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/veneering-clamps.aspx
you’ll find three sizes available, 9″, 12″ & 18″.

Good luck!

Lee Laird has enjoyed woodworking for over 20 years. He is retired from the U.S.P.S. and works for Lie-Nielsen Toolworks as a show staff member, demonstrating tools and training customers.

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Highland Woodworking Blog

Lee Laird

The Plane Facts: The 9-1/2 Adjustable Mouth Block Plane

The Plane Facts: Restoring an Old and Rusty Bench Plane

The Plane Facts: Planes for finishing – the Scraping Planes

The Plane Facts: Bench Planes – why are there so many sizes?

The Plane Facts: Using a Smoothing Hand Plane

Personalizing your mallets

A quick workbench solution

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