A method of plane setting after sharpening which ensures successful planing. From David Charlesworth's DVD: Plane Sharpening. Filmed and produced in 2016 in the UK by Artisan Media. Published by Lie-Nielsen.
RIP Mr. Charlesworth. A wealth of knowledge gone. Thank you for having the foresight to publish your expertise on RU-vid for the rest of us to cherish.
Just got my first vintage hand plane as a restoration project to use making custom handles for axe restorations. And I have now found the David Attenborough or wood working. I legit made a cup of tea, aircast this to my TV, and learned stuff. Thank you for making such an excellent video on the subject sir. 🍻
Thank you Mr charlesworth , your tips are a pleasure to watch ! I see a lot of people using planes online, that don’t really have a grasp of what they are talking about! Your a person to look up to, thanks
I'm in my late 30s, and I've just realised how beautiful are the shape of planes. There is something so pleasing about them. I don't even own one yet!.. but I will soon.
Took me a great deal of work to get the sole dead flat with a granite surface plate as well as lapping in the frog on both the blade side and the plane body reference surfaces but I made a ca. 1925 Stanley Bailey No. 5 for which I paid $40 perform quite like that Lie Nielsen you've got there. 0.0005" shavings - it's truly a thing of beauty - and so is the silky finish-ready surface left behind. Wonderful video good sir!
I like your teaching style, good job. Woodworking is new to me. I retired from toolmaking after 50 years. I enjoy the fine details about razor sharp plane blades. I just received my plane, but still waiting for the sharpening stones and diamond plates. But the screw driver is what I need right now, to take this plane apart. Thank you again for sharing your expertise with us all.
THANK YOU David for this superb video, I was having problems with my plane after sharpening (tho' the sharpening seems to be the best that I have achieved recently) the blade, I just could not get zero shaving and the adjustment screw was totally bottomed out, anyway I realised that I had not set the chip breaker close enough to the blade and through watching your video realised that the cap iron lever was taking FAR too much effort to close and the tip for using a small piece of wood for finding the point whereby shavings begin is brilliant. I have done just as you instructed and the plane is now great, Thanks again. I was totally enthralled by your precision and presentation.
4 minutes into the video I noticed the Telefone. Probably everything was better back in the days (früher war alles besser, as we say in Germany). Very worthwile watching.
Wow, very Masterful work David! Your work, and video has helped me out tremendously, and I cannot thank you enough. I basically got a Grizzly #7, but upgraded to the Veritas pmv-11 iron, along with flattening the plane sole properly, and thanks to your teachings am very happy with the planing work I can now do. I could never have gotten my plane to such levels without your teachings, so Thank You so very, very much at the very least! I always look forward to your work and videos; Keep it up!
Electric planers are really not equivalent and share some uses but are quite different from a hand plane. Not even a matter of being different or worse just different. Just like you can't say a screwdriver is better or worse than a hammer.. Electric hand planers and stationary planers work differently and do not actually leave a smooth surface because the rotating knives take many circular cuts, which leaves a scalloped surface which usually needs to be sanded or, ironically, smoothed with a hand plane. They are great for flattening timber along with a jointer, but to get a truly smooth and flat surface there's no substitute for a hand plane.
I love your Gunsmiths Screwdriver ? at the beginning, reminds me of my favoured type, the "London Patterned Screwdriver" a simple rectangular length of metal coupled to a two faced handle. Only experienced the 14" and 6" all a very stable platform, and can only imagine your little shorty (Blacksmith driven ?, badly fit/angled blades are a bane)
50 years ago as an apprentice I was told that it's a good habit to get into, when putting you plane down, lay it always on its side as to avoid damaging your beautiful honed sharp edge! ;)
Maarten, This is a popular but misguided view. As far as I can tell all woodwork teachers from 50 years ago and more, rapped the knuckles of those who put their planes down on their sides. The snags of this method are; 1. the blade is now exposed to passing tools and fingers. 2. With a Bailey pattern plane, the lateral adjustment of the blade may be inadvertently knocked on the bench. In my opinion the sole down method is infinitely preferable. You may notice that I place the plane with card, or thin wood, or a pile of shavings under the front sole. No possibility of damage to the blade. Best wishes, David
David Charlesworth I agree entirely and have heard many long standing and well respected cabinet makers say the same thing. If you put your plane sole down on a bench, what's the worst that can happen? It's accidentally knocked and pushed forward. What's the result? It cuts into the wood. Isn't that what they're for?
Hi David This video has taught me much more than the correct use and setup of a plane.....Thank you. Is the blade sometimes inserted with the bevil on top?
I purchased a Taytools 5-1/2 budget friendly 125$ haven’t been able to get it functioning.. really curious if I need to bite the bullet on the premium models. I’ve followed your steps exactly from sharpening to assembly.. still no luck
David, this question didn’t occur to me last month. We tighten down on the chip breaker screw quite firmly so the blade and CB maintain contact. When I do that it bends the blade out of flat! With a scrupulously flat frog, aren’t we creating an opportunity for chatter? What am I missing?
Bob, This happens with virtually all chip breakers. Chatter might occur if the heel of the bevel were not well supported. The slight bend ensures support in the most crucial area. Many users are not aware of this fact. Some think the lever cap will flatten things out but it does not. Best wishes, David
in the world of high end planes, would you say that the LN is superior to the Woodcraft lineup? Not interested in paying an arm and a leg but appreciate quality where ever I can afford it.
Rick, I would not use such a large angle as it would compromise the fit of the chipbreaker to the iron. My ruler trick imposes a backbevel of 2/3 of one degree. My C/B has a clearance angle of 1 1/2 degrees, this ensures that the front edge mates tightly with the blade.
@@DavidCharlesworth thank you for the response David. I'm hoping to pick up your DVDs on sharpening, the one for planing and the one for chiseling. I had read online of a gentleman who spoke to you about the ruler trick. He has a website and a microscope. His premise was that if you put a micro bevel on the back of the blade each time, it would avoid the wear bevel dulling the blade. He was adamant that you needed 3° for it to be effective. Thanks for your response. I'll do my best to get my hands on the plane DVD and chisel DVD. I'll try the ruler trick and report back afterwards. Polishing the back of plane blades the entirety of the way to the slot is just a huge waste of time.
‘You don’t always want superfine shavings’. May I ask why? I’m a bit perplexed by this. If it helps, I’m a beginner woodworker, so please forgive my ignorance.
Coarser shavings take the wood down faster. If you are working to a gauge line you want to get there. Then you can save the ultra-fine shaving till the end when it will leave the best surface.
I like the oil pad idea as the tin keeps things clean. The small lateral adjust with the toffee hammer will save time rather than guessing with the lever. Thank you for the clear advice, haven't managed a shaving as fine as yours yet, practice makes perfect I guess.
It’s in the board. His started out flat. If yours is not quite flat yet, it will be after a few (or maybe several) shavings. Then you can go for half a thou.
