Rex Krueger
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Early Access Video: How to Read a Plane Shaving
🕑 Added 2023-05-20 11:01:01 +0000 UTCFriends:
This week: details.
As you learn to use your tools, you focus on smaller and smaller things. At first, you might struggle just to get a shaving, but you clear that hurdle and you start to think about fine-tuning that shaving to get the surface you want. Often, the waste from our tools tells us important things.
I don't usually talk about plane-shavings. They're the junk, after all. But they can tell you a few things about how your plane is working and why it's not working well. Today, a brief tour of all things a shaving can tell you and how that information is valuable.
Happy Saturday!
--Rex
PS: The Furnitology app I mention is right here: https://www.furnitology.com/
Comments
Rex Krueger
You know what's in my future? More woodwork!
Rex Krueger
Ah, that is an editing mistake. I mis-spoke when I was talking there and there should have been pop-up text correcting me. I'll need to speak with the editor about that.
Rex Krueger
I'm really glad this was useful. I wasn't at all sure about this video.
Rex Krueger
Camber is tough. Too little and you get tracks. Too much and you get narrow shavings. It's a real balancing act.
Rex Krueger
It can be pretty tough to learn to set it right...but once you've got it, you'll see a big change. Usually.
Rex Krueger
Ironically the chipbreaker massively improves the performance of most bevel-down blades....and it's the source of most problems.
Rex Krueger
I'm very fond of Hock irons, but I should say that I think standard Stanley irons are also very good. I don't change them out unless they're damaged or worn out.
Rex Krueger
I'm kind of shocked I even came up with this topic. I got irritated watching another creator exclaim over the shavings he was getting from a cheap plane and then I thought....actually, there IS something there.
Rex Krueger
It's true. Plane shavings have a lot of information and I guess that's true of so many things.
Rex Krueger
I'm glad it was useful!
Kevin Hogg
I take the shavings to my psychic to have them read for what the future may have in store for me. It’s amazing what information those shavings have in them!
John
. I don't understand your conclusion at the 5:40 mark when you're looking at the tightly curled shaving and you say, "...this would have been set too closely". I thought you said the tight curls were likely from having the chip breaker set too far back and not engaging with the wood at all. Confused.
Matt Evans-Koch
Thank you Rex for the tips about shavings and what they can tell us. There is nothing so satisfying as watching those shavings appear as I hand plane and now I know what to look for when something doesn't look right. Have a good weekend.
Richard C von Brecht
Based on your examples I don’t think I have enough camber on my iron. I’ll have to get bolder with my sharpening stones. As always I appreciate your pragmatic approach I.e. don’t get lost in the detail, focus on the result.
Stefan Tarras
This is very helpful Rex! I'm a total newb and I thought I was getting nice shavings from a No. 4 I recently purchased. First time taking shavings! However, the surface was not as smooth as I would have hoped. After seeing this, I was getting very tight curls. Time to have a look at that chip breaker!
Meryl Logue
lignum tondenti interruptus! (Thank you, Google. 😏) Good post. That darned chipbreaker! I don’t give it nearly enough credit.
John Griswold
Excellent information...was getting tear out yesterday on some padauk, will be resetting the chip breaker. I notice that you have a Ron Hock iron and chip breaker...they are simply the best!
Bradley Barth
Great insights. It is always nice finding little quick 'tricks' to improve your performance.
Martin Hartley
It really is amazing how all the little signs are there and it is easy to read it once you know how!
DALE PATTON
Well said and helpful.
