So I have had this scraper plane for quite some time now, a Stanley 
No112 (honking big scraper that looks like a plane Jeff). A round to-it 
suddenly appeared and I decided I should begin using the beast. So I 
honed a nice 45deg angle plus micro-bevels front and back on the Hock 
iron that came with it . And have given it a wee bit of a hook. The iron 
cuts beautifully hand-held. But even when set to a high angle, close to 
85deg from horizontal, the 112 is acting like a plane that's worn down 
in all the wrong places, either not cutting at all, or cutting too deep 
( shavings of 4-5 thou instead of the whisper-thin bits I get from a 
cabinet scraper).  And so it is, worn down a little more than 3 thou 
fore and aft of the mouth. So I guess I need to flatten it out some. 
Initially, I was thinking it wouldn't be as fussy a job as flattening a 
plane sole, but now I'm thinking that since I want whisper-thin 
shavings, I may have to spend some considerable effort to get it as flat 
as pee on a plate. I have some good Alox papers  glued to glass, so I'm 
equipped for the task, but given the size of the real estate, this will 
take a while...

So here's my specific question: how flat will I need it to be to give 
whisper-thin? Do I need perfection or can I do with less?

More generally, how is it that plane soles wear most where it most 
matters? Why is it concentrated around the mouth? I think I understand 
wear at the heel and toe, and maybe along the sole in front of the iron, 
but why right behind the iron, when the wood surface it passes over has 
already been reduced?


Don

-- 
I have decided to leave my past behind. So, if I owe you money...I am sorry, but
I’ve moved on.

The harder they come, the bigger they fall." Ry Cooder