[ I originally sent this Monday afternoon, but it hasn't shown
      up as of this afternoon, so I'm bouncing it back in, as I'd made
      references to it earlier.  Apologies if it shows up twice.  djd ]
 
 
    Paul wrote,
  
> I just went downstairs and measured the flexibility of three planes.
> 
> Here is the data, someone else can compute if there's any of that
> to be done...
> 
> All three planes were supported 1" in from their extremities and
> a 10 lb weightlifting weight was placed vertically and straddling
> the plane right over the mouth.  The deflection was read off the 
> sole, in the center, about 1/8" in front of the mouth.
> 
>                      distance                
>     plane         between supports          deflection
> 
>   old    #8            21-3/4"                 0.0020
>   2 pd   #605-1/2      13"                     0.0005
>   CDN SW #5            12"                     0.0008
 
    I changed the support points in like that from 24", adjusted
    the loading and measuring points in to where you put them, all
    only for my Stanley #8, and got a deflection of 0.007 inches.
 
    Thanks for measuring those things, this is gonna get more
    interesting as I keep working on it ( in my spare moments when
    I'm exhausted for anything else. )  Yep, there's gonna be more
    parts...  this stuff is too accessible to be the least bit
    controversial.
 
    My estimates were geared to be maximal estimates, i.e. I tried
    to give the people who say planes flex like crazy as much benefit
    of a doubt as possible.  I.e., I'd feel safe saying that you
    wouldn't see any _more_ deflection than that, pretty much.  To
    that end, I had set the side height to be roughly it's minimal
    average value of an inch.  The side height of mine peaks at 
    2 3/8 inches, and is above 1.5 inches for a good 5 inches of
    plane length.  If you set the "effective side height" to 1.5
    inches, my earlier calculation matches your result of 0.002 inches
    exactly.  I think a good estimate of the effective side height is
    one of the most critical things here, as far as that calculation
    went, barring a more elaborate analysis.
 
    Stay tuned for Parts III+, and notes on the earlier replies to
    this thread.
 
    Doug Dawson
    dawson@p...