New wood river 5 1/2 jack plane

[knockknock]

Please share an example of what brand name plane that requires its user to work on its chip-breaker before a new plane can be used.

Simon

On the new planes I have gotten (lv/veritas, woodriver, kunz plus). In order to use the plane, no work was required on the chip breaker, just set the chip breaker back from the edge a little (like 1/16" or 1/32"). It should work in well behaved wood.

But if you are getting tear out when planing, and a super sharp edge and thin shaving isn't getting rid of the tear out. You might be able to lessen or eliminate the tear out by tuning the chip breaker and setting it closer to the edge (approaching the thickness of the shaving you are taking). That is how you get a chip breaker to break chips (actually breaking the fibers of the shaving so they don't lift up in front of the edge of the blade, which is how some tear out is caused).

I would recommend that you learn some of the basics of planing and sharpening first. Before you start worrying about tuning the chip breaker.

[Tony Z]

A lot can be accomplished, with hand planing, with a modest amount of work on the chip breaker. Conversely, if you don't know what you're doing, a major detraction to a plane's ability to work can happen.

Every handtool expert has "tweaks" they like, but all are centered on proper seating of the lead edge of the chip breaker on the blade. From there, "tweaks" range from distance the lead edge of the chip breaker is set back from the tip of the blade, to polishing of the top of the lead edge of the chip breaker. I would look to one of the published handtool experts for tips to try. For my David Charlesworth seems to have the most clear to follow instructions.

But, as has been said, if you are fairly new to this hobby, and you're not clogging the mouth of your plane, and taking decent shavings, messing with the chip breaker should not be at the top of your priority list.

[Scoony]

Even if I get a new plane from Lie Nielson, I am going to put that chip breaker to a stone and smooth up that edge and make sure it seats flat to the iron. Does it need it? maybe not, but I know how I like my planes set up. If there is a slight imperfection in the chip breaker that I can fix, I am not going to waste time sending it back, I am going to fix it and drive on.

[Handplanesandmore]

You know that is not the same as expecting a new chip-breaker from LN that does not work in a newly bought LN plane. LN has full time people working in QA to try to avoid that from happening.

It is misinformation to tell the OP that he should expect to work on a new chip-breaker before his new plane can work. Or, should nonsense be the right word?

Simon

[Timberwolf]

We all do it, that's how we learn!  My mistake was several decades ago, while tuning a smoothing plane for the first time.  An article said to seat the chip breaker better by clamping one end in a vise and putting a bit more bend to the other.  My bit was way too much and worse, a bit twisted.

Gave me a reason to get a new, thicker one!

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I do "re-arch" the chip breaker on really old planes if they have become "stacked" over the years...{ all springs will eventually "stack"}...You can tell if it is needed by how easy it is to start the locking screw..If you can start the thread without squeezing the chip breaker a little, some re-arching could help...IMO, the chip breakers job is not only to turn the wood fibers but also to damp "micro-vibrations" at the edge of the iron which can lead to chattering..The front edge of the chip breaker must make a solid contact with the iron and if it does not, I relieve the inside of the "arch" by stoning it {the inside of the arch} until the edge makes perfect contact across it's width.

I don't recommend doing this on a really good vintage plane if you have no experience...Practice on a junker first, until you get it right...The procedure should not be necessary on new planes...That is the responsibility of the manufacturer..

[Scoony]

I must confess that reading the initial post in this thread annoyed me to no end. It's bad enough that he took a precision tool and butchered it so it can't be used, but what made it worse is that he found it funny, and said so publicly in a forum frequented by hand-tool enthusiasts. 

This guy is quite a piece of work. The best solution here is for him to put the plane up for sale so that someone can rescue it and use it for the purposes it was intended.

Really?

The guy posted a simple mistake and has learned from it. Would it have been different had he made it a somber affair? Have you never made a mistake?  The better soulution would be for you not to be offended by other's mistakes so easily.

[Scoony]

You know that is not the same as expecting a new chip-breaker from LN that does not work in a newly bought LN plane. LN has full time people working in QA to try to avoid that from happening.

It is misinformation to tell the OP that he should expect to work on a new chip-breaker before his new plane can work. Or, should nonsense be the right word?

Simon

I am not telling him that he should expect to work on a new chip breaker, only that I will take a brand new tool and get it set up the way I like. LN does have great QA, but I did have an older style chipbreaker on a bronze #4 that I had to replace years ago.

[Handplanesandmore]

On the new planes I have gotten (lv/veritas, woodriver, kunz plus). In order to use the plane, no work was required on the chip breaker, just set the chip breaker back from the edge a little (like 1/16" or 1/32"). It should work in well behaved wood.

That is how every new chip-breaker and new plane from any reputable vendors should be. It is the norm we expect from every reputable manufacturer who has in place quality control. In the rare cases where the new chip-breaker does not work, a customer can exchange it, return the plane or choose to try fix it himself or herself. Unlike sharpening the blade (which is a user's responsibility), it is a choice to fix the chip-breaker if it happens, not a necessity.

I am surprised (and disappointed) that this is a "learned" forum visited by experienced handplane users, but no one challenged the suggestion that honing the chip-breaker is a critical thing for handplaning. It is not. Yes, you can backbevel the chip-breaker (if you know what and how to do it) to deal with tear-cuts -- I have one plane set up exactly like that, but 99% of plane users don't do it. To suggest it is critical is like telling the owner of a brand new 2019 car that his or her new car needs to "break in" (whatever it means) before the car will run normally!  You guys are supposed to help fellow woodworkers, not to mislead new learners.

I am still waiting for information on which handplane vendors or manufacturers that say you need to hone their chip-breakers before their planes can be used. Anyone please?

Simon

[Handplanesandmore]

Really?

The guy posted a simple mistake and has learned from it. Would it have been different had he made it a somber affair? Have you never made a mistake?  The better soulution would be for you not to be offended by other's mistakes so easily.

I agree. The OP was just sharing an innocent mistake.

Simon

[David Charlesworth]

I'm afraid the comments about new chip breakers being perfect on purchase are completely untrue.

The seating of the underside front edge against the blade needs checking, and a small one and a half degree clearance angle is very helpful.

Some degree of square edge is very common on the top front edge surface.  A little honing at 45 degrees will get rid of this fault.

We have tuned hundreds of planes here, with students, and c/bs which need no work are a tiny minority.

Happy new year,

David