I’m block planing a balsa fish blank and finding the blade quikly clogs with small strips of wood (weed, if you insist). Not fully clogged, just strips not cut and clogging. Using my Stanely $120 plane and a good sharpening guide. This is leaving little 1/16 or less gouges. I have sharpened the blade but maybe more is needed? Advice?
Hi GregTate -
I assume you’re using one of the fancy low angle block planes?
If so, try switching to a cheap one with a wider chute for the shavings. You’ll be able to cut more material without as much clogging. There should be an adjustment on the mouth of yours but in my experience they’re still prone to clogging. Not sure if they’re really designed for barely shaving harder woods or what(?)
Even with a cheap block plane, sharpen the blade and set it shallow. Hold the plane at an angle as you cut… so the blade isn’t perpendicular to the grain. By that I mean hold it so one of the front corners of the blade cuts first.
try a different plane. I have pretty good luck with the Artu razor plane for shaping balsa, and you don’t have to sharpen anything, it uses a disposable razor type blade. You’ll still get some wood strips in the plane but they are easy to grab and pull out because its an open design. Surf supply places sell them as does Lee Valley…
Mr Tate, get a muslin wheel and some jeweler’s rouge. If you have a bench grinder, this is the best way to go but you can work with a hand drill wheel also. Flatten the back side of your blade on a whetstone to the finest degree you have. Same as sharpening the bevel. Then polish both the bevel and especially the back of the blade so it shines with the rouge and muslin wheel. This will shave hair if you go to 1000 grit on the stones. Wax and buff the soleplate of the plane and the throat while your are at it. Sharpness and smoothnest will cut even hardwoods like butter. It is well woth the effort. If you plan to do a lot of wood, go to 6000 or 8000 grit stones before honing with the muslin wheel. All prior effort will make the task much easier as in life. Best of luck.
Hi Greg,
Certainly the keener the edge the better the cut. It’s an old axiom.
The deeper the cut the more likely you are to clog the planer’s throat.
Fianally setting the planer at a about a 15 degree angle off the direction
of the cut will allow the lifted material to spiral out of the the troat more easily.
Gradually making you cuts deeper will get the blade set at an optimum depth.
… Note; I seem to recall you mentioning something about fins a while
back. The fin shack is up and going so sign out if I’m to make you something.
Stay Stoked, Rich
This may not be of value to you. Never tried mine for bulk balsa planing:
Master Airscrew Razor Plane
I do some sort of balsa stringers every day, some wood is a complete bastard, refusing to plane from any direction or depth. Skewing the plane lets it slice the wood rather than “planing”, but still no guarantee. Humidity also is a factor, I’ve planed them below flush only to come back the next day and the wood is bulged above the foam, a F’n wood barometer.
On wide sticks, I do the best I can, give an initial fine sand, tape off with 2" tape about a half inch off from the wood each side, block sand the stringer flat, pull the tape and give it a gentle finish
The 2" tape trick is awesome. Jim turned me on to it years ago. Also works on nose and tailblocks. I love the razor planes but it’s best to buy an older one made in the USA. I bought two on Ebay.
I use an English record low angle block plane. The throat is adjustable.
I am in to vintage. The quality is better. I saw a new Record low angle block plane and it looked like a Chinese piece of shit.
Love this. Thanks so much guys. I have a line on a used bench grinder and will try that as well.It seems to be little strings of balsa wrapped across the blade.
Love the tape trick for stringers.
Great advice from the crew.
All the best