OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

161994 Ken Pendergrass <kenp794@c...> 2006‑07‑19 Re: Toothing plane question
Hi Don,
Good point I should learn to specify that my advise is specific to my 
experience.  Indeed the way I do it and the way Lee Valley does it is 
the luthier way.  My intended purpose being surface prep /joining or 
thicknessing a highly figured wood. In my experiments the sharpening 
style in your quote of _spon's results in a very frustrating experience. 
If one needs to remove several millimeters of wood.   I should  not 
attempt to comment, I'd just be guessing anyway, about a comparison of 
the Lee Valley to antique manufacture.  I would consider the way 
described in the quote to not be economical. If one starts with a well 
made antique toothed blade, that is one which is nearly flat before 
tuning, one can have very narrow, pin like, mini plane blades as I think 
of it. I know there are brands of toothed irons being made other than 
Lee Valley,  Hock and ECE for example but I have not seen how they do it.
All the best,
Ken

Don McConnell wrote:

> Ken Pendergrass wrote:
>
> Regarding a toothing plane iron:
>
>> Yes I sharpen mine as with any other cutting tool early and often. 
>> The dirty little secret of the toothing blade is the fact that it too 
>> is a flat backed tool. In flattening the back one creates what 
>> amounts to a cutting edge of many mini plane blades. ...
>
>
>
> I hesitate to wade into this, as Ken has used toothing irons in his
> work far more than I have. But, unless I'm misunderstaning his
> meaning, it seems to run counter to what I've understood concerning
> the sharpening of toothing planes/irons for veneer work.
>
> Here is a quote from _Spons' Mechanics' Own Book_ (sixth edition,
> 1901) which reflects what I believe to be the traditional approach:
>
> "... Besides the ordinary planes, the cabinet-maker uses a
> 'toothing' plane. This has a stock similar to the hard wood hand-
> plane, but the iron, insead of having a cutting edge, presents a
> series of sharp teeth to the wood. This serrated edge is formed
> by long narrow grooves on the face of the iron next the wedge, and
> when the iron is ground in the usual manner those ridges terminate
> in sharp points. In setting-up the iron on the oil-stone, only the
> ground back [i.e., the bevel] is applied to the stone. ... "
>
> Do you feel this discrepancy arises from today's manufacturing
> processes for toothing irons? Or does it arise from different
> usages in instrument making? Or do you simply feel the
> traditional advice is incorrect?
>
> Don McConnell
> Eureka Springs, AR
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