tuning up an old wooden smoother?

[overland]

I've got an old coffin smoother that I'm trying to put back into action. I've sharpened the iron and narrowed down the mouth with an insert in the sole. But it's still not working very well. Is is just me, or are there more things I need to do, or to check, to get it working well again?

[blackhat]

Define " not working very well". Is the sole flat? Is the bed flat? Does the wedge fit well? Problems setting iron depth?

[overland]

I've flattened the sole. How do I check the fit of the wedge and the flatness of the bed?

[Derek Cohen]

Have you closed down the chipbreaker? If so, the closed mouth your went to the trouble of fixing may be a problem. To test this, pull the chipbreaker back and see if if takes shavings. If you have not closed up the chipbreaker, then issue lie elsewhere. So, what happens when you take a shaving?

Regards from Cornwall

Derek

[barryvabeach]

A agree with Blackhat, hard to guess without more info about what is going wrong. If you are getting nice even shavings, that usually means that the iron is sharp and well bedded, and the plane sole is flat enough. If it cuts for a second or two, and then you get nothing, then is can be a problem with the iron not being bedded - which could mean the bed is off, or the wedge is not right. To test bedding, it would be great if you have a .001 feeler gauge, or a thin shim, and see if you can insert it from the bottom of the plane under the iron
if so, there is a problem with the mating of the iron to the bed, or the fit of the wedge. When it is done correctly, the front of the iron is firmly lying on the bed.