I have read in an article that some people can obtain a "glass-like" finish using a scraper plane (e.g. Stanley #112). I can use my #112 to avoid tearout issues, but the results are not as smooth as a regular plane. Do you find that you can get a better finish with a #5 or a scraper plane? If you get a better result with the scraper plane, do you have any tips you can share?
Thanks.
What kind of wood are you using? Scrapers don't work as well on softer woods like pine/poplar. Andy
Well, I will keep experimenting with the sharpening to see if I can get better results.
Thanks.
mart> This should be the last planing your doing with the scraper plane if you
I get fantastic results with my Veritas scraping plane, much smoother than "just" planing. The trick is in knowing at what angle to turn the burr, what angle to set the blade, and how far to have the blade protrude. When I took mine out of it's box a couple years ago, it worked like a dream. After a short period of time, I honed the edge and turned a burr, reinstalled it and couldn't scrape worth a damn. I called LV, got a few tips, followed them, and now it's all good!
My first mistake in turning the burr was to turn it too far. The "angle of attack" is critical for getting the edge to scrape the wood at the precise angle necessary for optimal results. Try scraping some wood with the blade out of the plane and duplicate that angle when you set the plane's blade angle adjusters. I put the blade into the plane while it sits on a flat surface. tighten the blade lock knob and take a test scraping. If it's not aggressive enough, loosen the rear adjuster about 1 turn, tighten the front one and test again. Doing that causes the blade to protrude ever so slightly further than the original position.
Dave
I wouldn't say "glass like", but then it's not set up that way. My #12 gives a better finish that my #112, but a #80 (with a thicker blade) beats either. I use my #112 for stock removal on awkward timber, not for final finishing. It beats a #5 though, and all except just one of my #4s or a Norris on softer less-tearout prone timbers. For the "ultimate" finish though I prefer one of my Steve Knights -- it's not "glass like", it's "timber like". I don't really _want_ a dead and glassy finish on it.
If you're having trouble with scrapers (hand or planes) then get a copy of Leonard Lee's sharpening book, the Garret Hack plane book or many others, a decent scraper of nice thick good quality scraper steel, and a nice burnisher with a real handle on it. Then practice putting edges onto scrapers - that's the knack of it.
I have the Lie-Nielsen version. It took some work to get it perfect. Do NOT roll a burr on this blade. Sharpen carefully and adjust the tilt the blade to scrape perfect fuzzies. I adjust mine on the granite block with a dollar bill lifting one end and setting the blade to just touch the granite.
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