Moulding Planes: A Beginner's Guide (article)
#11
"How do I use a moulding plane?" Let's dive in and answer that question with to a "how-to" for good steps on usage. Questions? Comments? Disagreements? Anger? Let me have it!

Moulding Planes: A Beginner's Guide
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#12
Hello Jordan;

Nice article..... good photos too.  My only comment would be that most of what you covered applies to most  wooden planes also. I'm not sure why you would think there would be disagreements and anger tho... it's a pretty straight forward approach, no controversy that I could see.  You could write something a bit more advanced for the rest of us....
Skip


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#13
Nice article. Would you mind if I print it out and distribute it to some of the folks in my hand tool group?
Currently a smarta$$ but hoping to one day graduate to wisea$$
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#14
Skip - I was more being tongue-in-cheek, but I do know at least one fellow who advises publicly for hitting a wedge with a metal hammer. And you are indeed correct that most wooden planes easily fit under this.

Dave, be my guest!
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#15
(08-09-2017, 04:28 PM)JQuacker Wrote: Skip - I was more being tongue-in-cheek, but I do know at least one fellow who advises publicly for hitting a wedge with a metal hammer. And you are indeed correct that most wooden planes easily fit under this.

Dave, be my guest!

Hi Jordan - I hope that guy is not one of us!

Altho we do get the occasional troll thru here, but we don't count'em as one of us. 

Now for absolute beginners you're pretty safe, but if you get off into the more advanced issues, there are a lotta different methods being used that are close to someone's heart.  I bought Zach Dillinger's book awhile back and I like his description of the old ways.  Folks with new methods - who are not selling their work as 100% traditional - are not gonna agree with them.

Besides, most of us here don't have that kind of time and are blended handtoolers with some powertool use.  I use my chopsaw when doing lots of rough crosscuts.

Good recommendation from Dave there, you're doing something right!
Skip


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#16
Chris Schwarz has a blog entry about molding planes that appeared recently.  Interesting perspective on them, saying that very few of us would have need even for a half set.
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#17
Nice introductory article.  I'm in the "it's OK to strike the wedge with a metal hammer" camp.  Nearly all Japanese planes are adjusted this way, and it doesn't seem to harm them.  They even strike their chisels with a metal hammer.  That said, I have one of the Lee Valley plane hammers, where one end has a wood insert and the other end is metal.  I use the wood end when hitting wood, and the metal end when hitting metal... most of the time.
Still Learning,

Allan Hill
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#18
Skip, I wouldn't feel right trying to put anything down for "advanced issues". Don't have that kind of experience, and as you say, it can become religious for some. I'll have to look at Dillinger's book.

And as my post count suggests, I'm not a long-time member, so names currently mean little to me. Thanks for letting me know that Dave's thumbs-up is a hearty one!

(And not sure how people respond to the name "Paul Sellers" here, but his moulding plane video he uses a crosspeen under the finial to remove a wedge after smacking the plane with the metal hammer....so yeah. That happened.)
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#19
(08-11-2017, 11:09 AM)Mike Brady Wrote: Chris Schwarz has a blog entry about molding planes that appeared recently.  Interesting perspective on them, saying that very few of us would have need even for a half set.

I believe that's an except from Matt Bickford's book.

https://blog.lostartpress.com/2017/08/10...-half-set/

https://lostartpress.com/collections/boo...n-practice

Excellent book by the way.


re:metal hammer & wooden planes -- do it all the time but only with an appropriately sized hammer.  A little tippy-tap watchmaker's hammer is my usual one, $10 from Harbor Freight.  Has a decently shaped wooden handle, one brass face and one nylon/Delryin face.

https://www.harborfreight.com/double-sid...98285.html (and apparently, now $7!)

What I don't do (as referenced elsewhere in these posts) is use the peen to strike in the notch of the wedge to pop it free.  For a seriously stuck wedge, I grasp the plane firmly, pull back on the wedge with the fingers of one hand and rap the back smartly against the bench.  Always works and minimal risk of damaging the wedge.
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things. -- G. Carlin
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#20
(08-11-2017, 01:48 PM)Rob Young Wrote: Always works and minimal risk of damaging the wedge.

Have I got a plane to send to you. I've tried everything. EVERYTHING.
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