Comments on: More Experiments with Chipbreakers

By: knot2serius

knot2serius — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 15:09:51 +0000

Chris: You put a 50 degree micro bevel on the chipbreaker and apparently set the chipbreaker as close to the front of the blade as possible, whereas the video suggests an 80 degree angle on the chipbreaker and backing it off to 2 or 3 mm. Why the difference? Bill Lyman.

By: JWatriss

JWatriss — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 22:41:56 +0000

A 105 degree angle on a bevel up wouldn’t work. It would simply slide, as it would be a bevel that tilts up and away from the wood, like the front of a toboggan. The edge still needs to be at a workable pitch, the cap iron is there to bend the shaving further forward. I’m still not clear on whether it’s the pitch or the cap iron angle that was the deciding factor on that cherry knot, but I do have an extra cap iron on hand to test that myself.

As long as the cap iron is shaped so that it will come down and the edge will meet the face on the iron, your plane should work. On that note, an older style chip breaker might be better.

By: randyk

randyk — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 17:01:50 +0000

I have a question about this method. I have several older planes and plane irons and, as a consequence, use the ruler method to sharpen the irons. When I tried getting the cap iron crazy close the back bevel caused problems. I assume that the ruler method can’t be used under these circumstances.

Also, it seems to me that the true test would be to grind a 105 degree bevel on a bevel-up plane iron and try it.

Finally, I wonder how hard it was to push the “105″ degree plane?

By: mgbacon@bellsouth.net

mgbacon@bellsouth.net — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 22:47:10 +0000

Chris,

Have you seen this research that Steve Elliot has on his website? It is Japanese and I think explains the phenomena that you have been experiencing. http://planetuning.infillplane.com/html/chipbreaker_study.html

By: Zeb

Zeb — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 17:29:28 +0000

Love to hear a response to this. Does seem like a huge difference between having different frog angle setups (usually on multiple planes) versus just having a couple different chip breakers with different bevel angles.

By: JWatriss

JWatriss — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 16:25:12 +0000

Cool results, but this is where the theory gets put to the Schwartzian Hammer…

If the total angle of the pitch and cap iron is the deciding factor, you *should* be able to get similar results by putting a 60 degree bevel on the cap iron for the 45 degree smoother.

Does it work just as well that way, or is the pitch/ relief angle still a relevant factor?

What about AFTER you hit the plane with a hammer?

By: Bill Lattanzio

Bill Lattanzio — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 14:20:20 +0000

I should have different phrasing. Time may not have been the right word. I just mean that I set the chip breaker where I think it looks right and get to work. Maybe I’m the antiwoodworker but I’m trying not to think too hard when I’m in the shop. I think enough at work. I feel the same way about sharpening chisels. I don’t worry about the angle, just that it’s consistent everytime. I hope you aren’t offended. I always like your advice. I read the Anarchist Toolchest…twice…I may even read it backwards just to be a hotshot.

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 02:39:46 +0000

Yes, but I have tried it without a camber and it doesn’t make a difference.

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 02:39:14 +0000

The surface is different that a scraped surface. Give it a try and I think you will agree.

By: Christopher Schwarz

Christopher Schwarz — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 02:38:35 +0000

You hit the breaker until it looks like it is about as far away as a human hair.

I thought this would be hard. It is not. Repeat: It is not.

I urge everyone to stop “thinking” about what is happening and try it.