chip breaker problem

[johnward]

I can't get rid of the gap between the blade and chip breaker on my No.4 plane. My Nos. 3, 5 and 6 are perfect. I've tried tapping and grinding it but with no luck - maybe it's a duffer.. I mainly use my No.5 so can manage without the 4 but it would be nice to get it working again properly. It was present from my parents for passing the eleven plus way back in 1954!! I'd be grateful for any tips.
Many thanks,
John

 

[Mike G]

Is it tensioned enough? You can bend a little extra curve into them just by hand pressure, which means the screw then forces the cap down harder onto the blade. The steel isn't tool steel, so you can achieve quite a lot very quickly on diamond plates or glass.......I really wouldn't be grinding as that process is just too clumsy.

It's only a chip breaker in the States, BTW. They're cap irons here and around the English speaking world.

 

[johnward]

Is it tensioned enough? You can bend a little extra curve into them just by hand pressure, which means the screw then forces the cap down harder onto the blade. The steel isn't tool steel, so you can achieve quite a lot very quickly on diamond plates or glass.......I really wouldn't be grinding as that process is just too clumsy.

It's only a chip breaker in the States, BTW. They're cap irons here and around the English speaking world.

Many thanks Mike

 

[Woodbloke]

I can't get rid of the gap between the blade and chip breaker on my No.4 plane. My Nos. 3, 5 and 6 are perfect. I've tried tapping and grinding it but with no luck - maybe it's a duffer.. I mainly use my No.5 so can manage without the 4 but it would be nice to get it working again properly. It was present from my parents for passing the eleven plus way back in 1954!! I'd be grateful for any tips.
Many thanks,
John

It may be the actual angle on the cap iron that needs fettling. The way I’ve done them in the past is thus; place it on a dead flat sharpening stone (a coarse diamond is ideal) so that the edge is parallel to a long side. Support the other end (using a suitable block of wood) so that it’s lower by say 4 or 5mm than the stone’s surface. Now move the cap iron up/down the stone keeping the edge parallel to the long side; you’ll start to wear away the back edge of the cap iron and eventually it will be left with a sharp knife edge. In practice, it’s only this edge that should be in contact with the cutting blade.
Not my method btw, but one that’s attributable to a certain David Charlesworth - Rob

 

[Cabinetman]

I can't get rid of the gap between the blade and chip breaker on my No.4 plane. My Nos. 3, 5 and 6 are perfect. I've tried tapping and grinding it but with no luck - maybe it's a duffer.. I mainly use my No.5 so can manage without the 4 but it would be nice to get it working again properly. It was present from my parents for passing the eleven plus way back in 1954!! I'd be grateful for any tips.
Many thanks,
John

It may be the actual angle on the cap iron that needs fettling. The way I’ve done them in the past is thus; place it on a dead flat sharpening stone (a coarse diamond is ideal) so that the edge is parallel to a long side. Support the other end (using a suitable block of wood) so that it’s lower by say 4 or 5mm than the stone’s surface. Now move the cap iron up/down the stone keeping the edge parallel to the long side; you’ll start to wear away the back edge of the cap iron and eventually it will be left with a sharp knife edge. In practice, it’s only this edge that should be in contact with the cutting blade.
Not my method btw, but one that’s attributable to a certain David Charlesworth - Rob

Good description, it’s the way I was taught back in the 70's, but no diamond stones then just the course side of the combination stone.

 

[johnward]

I can't get rid of the gap between the blade and chip breaker on my No.4 plane. My Nos. 3, 5 and 6 are perfect. I've tried tapping and grinding it but with no luck - maybe it's a duffer.. I mainly use my No.5 so can manage without the 4 but it would be nice to get it working again properly. It was present from my parents for passing the eleven plus way back in 1954!! I'd be grateful for any tips.
Many thanks,
John

It may be the actual angle on the cap iron that needs fettling. The way I’ve done them in the past is thus; place it on a dead flat sharpening stone (a coarse diamond is ideal) so that the edge is parallel to a long side. Support the other end (using a suitable block of wood) so that it’s lower by say 4 or 5mm than the stone’s surface. Now move the cap iron up/down the stone keeping the edge parallel to the long side; you’ll start to wear away the back edge of the cap iron and eventually it will be left with a sharp knife edge. In practice, it’s only this edge that should be in contact with the cutting blade.
Not my method btw, but one that’s attributable to a certain David Charlesworth - Rob

Many thanks for this Rob. I have used this method before but not as exactly as you describe so will give it another go.

 

[johnward]

Using Rob's method with a little more accuracy than before I have achieved success!! Thanks everyone.
John