Scraper Plane

[Bill Yacey]

I picked up a Lie Nielsen small scraper plane awhile back, and just wanted to report that this is a very useful addition to the shop. For scraping rib stock it works great and leaves a consistent thickness, unlike the dips and valleys that can occur with a hand held scraper blade. Another place it really shines is leveling or reshaping the radius on fingerboards. I've had some fingerboards with gnarly grain that tended to tear out even with a low angle block plane, but not so with the scraper plane. Every shaving taken left a smooth surface cut.

[Guest]

Bil

I went back and forth between buying a LN scaper plane and their low angle jack plane w/toothed blade...I prefer to use highly figured ribstock and I tried other methods and different planes...but still got tearout. The LN low angle jack plane w/toothed blade leaves no tearout but then you have to scrape quite a bit to get it smooth...glad to hear the scraper plane leaves the ribstock finished. I might have to try one...I have ordered a 6X48 belt sander that will help with leveling ribstock quickly.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=62

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Combinatio...-1725-RPM/G1276

[JimMurphy]

Bill,

For scraping ribstock, do you put a burr on the blade?

Thanks,

Jim

[Allan Speers]

I have both the Lie Nielsen & the LN.

I prefer the LV because you can mount a thinner blade & bow it. This helps in difficult woods where edge marks might be a problem.

I keep the thin blade in the LV, and use the thick (and larger) LN for big jobs. Ultimately, of course, it's best to do it free-hand. but that really gets to my fingers. I would think though that a luthier would need that control, no?

[Oded Kishony]

low angled planes were designed for things like end grain, the standard or 50 degree planes are more suited for planeing higly figured rib stock.

I use my L-N Jack plane to finish the ribs.

Oded

[fiddlecollector]

low angled planes were designed for things like end grain, the standard or 50 degree planes are more suited for planeing higly figured rib stock.

I use my L-N Jack plane to finish the ribs.

Oded

I agree with Oded ,i keep hearing about low angle this and low angle that, for difficult woods.Ive always read that higher angle planes give better results,at least they do in the older planes i have with a York pitch. Which is why a scraper plane works so well.

[Atomino]

Here's the #112 Stanley Scraper Plane I use

great for wider rib-stock (Cello & DB).

A #212 (Stanley or LN) would be perfect for smaller ribs. Got to build one someday.....

[iburkard]

That's a nice scaper plane too... check out that low angle.

I've had luck with some highly figured pieces using a low angle... glides right through if the wood feels up to it.

[TimRobinson]

I bought this for $5 at a market. The blade was badly pitted, but will be fine for toothing when I get around to it. I put another blade I had in it (an old Sorby I think) and it's terrific.

Forrester Plane

Tim

[actonern]

One thing I've not seen described that works quite well is lining up 3 (or however many strips of rib strips you'll need for an instrument) parallell to one another and then planing them across grain (as you would plane a back plate cross grain), up and down their length, turning over and repeating, till you're where you want to be.

Using a thin piece of rib stock as a stopper (stapled into a piece of MDF) the process works quite fast and you don't get tear-out on wildly flamed grain, and, most critically, you don't get thickness variations edge to middle of rib strip as can happen with less than careful scraping.

If they tend to jump over the stopper some double stick will keep them anchored...

E

[Bill Yacey]

Bill,

For scraping ribstock, do you put a burr on the blade?

Thanks,

Jim

I haven't tried a burr yet, it has performed flawlessly with the straight blade edge as it comes from the factory. I haven't even needed to sharpen it yet.

[COB3]

I bought this for $5 at a market. The blade was badly pitted, but will be fine for toothing when I get around to it. I put another blade I had in it (an old Sorby I think) and it's terrific.

Forrester Plane

Tim

What a great find, at a great price! Makes me want to go build one like it. :-)

[TimRobinson]

What a great find, at a great price! Makes me want to go build one like it. :-)

What about this for $2

Sorby mortice gauge

(I know the pins are too long - they need to be ground down. I had just soldered them in)

Or this, also for $5:

small German scrub

There's no scale in the photo, but its only about 5" long.

Oh dear! I turned into a tool collector

Tim

[Allan Speers]

I bought this for $5 at a market. The blade was badly pitted, but will be fine for toothing when I get around to it. I put another blade I had in it (an old Sorby I think) and it's terrific.

Forrester Plane

Tim

Tim, I have that exact plane! Mine came with a perfect blade, also toothed.

I love coffin planes in general, the way they fit the hand. I wonder what the technical term for this one is? Maybe a veneering plane?

When you say "Forrester," is that the brand, or a type? (mine is not branded)

[~ Ben Conover]

Agree, toothed planes are good for highly figured ribstock.

I bought a nice old wooden plane with a heavy toothed blade, it's perfect for Cello ribs.

Still use a simple rectangular Cabinet scraper for finishing ribs.

That belt sander looks like a compromise.

I'd skip the belt sander and just get the circular disc sander, for F/b ends etc.

[TimRobinson]

Tim, I have that exact plane! Mine came with a perfect blade, also toothed.

I love coffin planes in general, the way they fit the hand. I wonder what the technical term for this one is? Maybe a veneering plane?

When you say "Forrester," is that the brand, or a type? (mine is not branded)

Allan,

This is the stamp in the end Forrester

I thought it was by Wm Forrester of Glasgow but the brains trust at http://www.woodworkforums.com/ couldn't assist.

Regards,

Tim

[JohnCockburn]

I agree with Oded ,i keep hearing about low angle this and low angle that, for difficult woods.Ive always read that higher angle planes give better results,at least they do in the older planes i have with a York pitch. Which is why a scraper plane works so well.

Surely the point about the "low angle" smoothing and jack planes is the versatility they offer, in that they can become high angle planes simply by grinding a steeper bevel angle?

[Allan Speers]

Surely the point about the "low angle" smoothing and jack planes is the versatility they offer, in that they can become high angle planes simply by grinding a steeper bevel angle?

That's what folks say. Also, there is supposed to be less chatter, I guess because the blade is more hoizontal.

Never tried one, myself, but they're basically just large block planes, no? I keep always keep one block plane on-hand with an extra-steep angle just for little touch ups on curly maple. Works fine, though you can't pull it.