On Sun, 31 Aug 1997 16:16:19 -0400 (EDT) Dnbyr@a... writes:
>Couple of weeks back, Thomas McCluskey inquired about the proper skew 
>angle
>of cutters for the Stanley 46 plane, to which Patrick Leach replied:
>
>>>  25 degrees +/- an angstrom or two.
>
>snip all the measuring stuff.

Thanks for the response

Chock it up to newbie lack of vocabulary. 

 I reasoned that the angle/angles that the cutter clamps into the plane
is fixed. ( I can't change it)   The only angles I control as someone who
wants to sharpen his blades accurately, is the bevel angle (the primary
angle of the cutting edge in relation to the flat part of the blade)  and
the skew angle (the angle  of the the cutting edge in relation to the
sides.)  On a typical plane blade the "standard" bevel is 25 degrees. 
The "standard" skew  is 90 degrees ( or maybe 0 degrees)

(BTW I am trying to indicate my understanding whether correct or
incorrect by use of parentheses)

Based on the input from the group, the skew on the #46 cutter is 68 to 71
degrees.

BTW what was the variance on your 1880s vs. 1920s?.  The reason I ask is
my plane is from the 20s and the cutters wers purchased separately and
are older.

Anyone have good definitions for the various blade angles we've
discussed? (Newbie has inquiring mind and needs to know to prevent future
faux pas.)