> On Apr 23, 2015, at 12:01 , Mark Jefferis  wrote:
> 
> On the jack plane, I am concerned that the number, placement, length and width
of the checks/cracks imply that the checks/cracks could lengthen and break the
body a part. I am imagining that stabilizing these cracks could prevent them
from growing. I am not worried about appearance. I just don't want it to fall a
part while I'm using it.

Meh. I have a wooden jointer that’s cracked from heel to
mouth, and the gap in the sole is probably as wide as a
penny. It’s perfectly fine to use, and isn’t growing. Same
with an ugly old Mathieson jointer I have; a few big
checks in the ends, but whacking it on the bench to
loosen the iron isn’t making them grow.

Pictures of yours might change my mind, but beech is
a _lot_ harder to split than it looks (I took an axe to
a plane once, and don’t want to talk about that).

> 
> Of most concern, the smoother has length wise cracks/splits on each side of
the body top where the wedge terminates in the throat against the iron. These
cracks in front of the wedge are directly affected by the wedge's pressure. The
cracks follow the grain. I am able to close these two splits with a pliers.

Is this a coffin smoother? Most of them split near the
abutments where the grain runs out. Ignore that; it’ll
be fine. If you must, blow some hide glue in there.

> Is there agreement that CA glue is an effective and easy approach to
preventing the two wooden planes from falling a part? Initially I was going to
use yellow wood glue.

No. It’s a wooden plane, and filling it with plastic is
only going to cause you more grief, in my opinion; you’ll
be changing moisture pathways and compressibility of it.

> 
> I will also take up the suggestion about soaking them in BLO.

I’m not going to touch this one :). John Manners suggests
plugging the mouth with putty and filling it with linseed
oil, but there’s enough fighting over that in the archives!

Whatever you end up doing, let them sit in your shop for a
while before correcting any wind in the body or flattening
the sole, and don’t store them with the wedges set hard!

Adam