Why won't my wooden plane work!?! Troubleshooting jack and smoothing planes

Tearout! Chatter! Jamming! Steps! From setting the iron to lapping the sole let's troubleshoot why your jack and smooth planes aren't performing at their best.

Music:
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[philipselman]

Hey there friend it’s 12:30 at nite your vid popped up = you got your ship together for sure = iam 73 yrs old bin wood working sense I was around 9yrs old =my grand father was a woods man cutting trees that a 6’cross cut w 18:30 ould not cut= he taught his sons about all that he new = then they taught me, they showed me everything about planes =every thing is spot on correct that you put in your vid = you are one of the select few that is telling the truth sir = God be with you sir = an thank you - west by god Virginia

[clashfive]

I've just started using wooden planes and this and your other videos have helped immensely. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it's becoming quite addictive. 👍👊

[andrewmccarthy]

Thank you for posting your knowledge on this! I've been struggling with these issues on a wooden jointer roughly the size you used for this tutorial. I realize I do need to replace the section in front of the mouth of the plane with a new piece of wood. It is broken on mine and was assuming that that may be one of my problems I'm running into with trying to plane. I'll have to watch your other tutorial you referenced on replacing that section of a wooden plane. There are a few other issues that I'm sure will arise once I make that fix, but it seems to be the biggest holdup with this particular plane. Once again, thank you for sharing. I have been searching for a good in-depth explanation of how to correct these issues, and finding your tutorial gave me the best guidance I've found so far. The 1st person perspective you use really helps! Subscribed.

[bagman]

Thank you so much for this video. I just bought an Ohio Tools #15 this last weekend and have been trying to tune it up. This is great information to have for a first timer on one of these old planes.

[johnpacino]

Amazing stuff! Recently got my first plane that happens to be an old Stanley made in England and needed some restoration. Watched like 20 tutorials of how to set up the plane properly and fix issues. Your video is in my top 3! Thank you! 🍻

[soofihasan]

Thank you for sharing. Very nice and to the point. I have recently started using a wooden plane and man is it fun. It glides and frankly much easier to handle than my #5 Jack

[alphaandomegaministry]

If mouth is too big but not by much there is another way. Experiment with thin dense card under blade between blade and the angled cut out it rests on. This advances the blade forward some towards the leading edge of the mouth. I had no chatter issues and it solved the oversize mouth issue without complexity of making a sole insert. My smoother has 5 shillings and 6 pence written on the front. I flattened the sole. Now works very well.

[professor]

VERY helpful video! Thank you so much. Hope you’ll continue to produce more videos!

[johnfoulkes]

Brilliant video excellent description thank you this will help me loads to understand these wooden planes 👍

[derjman]

Thanks a lot for the video - very helpful! I wonder if you have a suggestion for the chipbreaker creeping away from the edge of the blade. I am not sure if it is the wedge pushing the chipbreaker back, or if it only occurs when I plane - but no matter how close I set the chipbreaker, after a few minutes the plane starts to misbehave and when I take out the iron/chipbreaker assembly, the chipbreaker has slid away from the edge considerably, approximately 3 to 4 millimetres. Any recommendation would be very much appreciated!

[willyscj]

Hello Abraham, I just bought an Ensenore Works (Auburn tools) #50 22 inch fore plane and searched for ways to make it work again and ran across your videos which I found as being very informative and well edited. The plane is in reasonably good shape with no cracks, tight handle, and blade doesn’t have any slop. After cleaning, flattening the sole, regluing an overlay over the angled frog??, and attempted to take out a slight bend in the blade while sharpening it nicely. Your video hit home for chatter and having the blade so extended to cut that it either took a very large shaving or nothing at all. Nothing worked to correct this. I then took my spare 2-3/8 Stanley blade and installed it. The plane works like a charm now on edges but still not there on planing the width. Takeaway here is to make sure the blade is dead flat. Do you have any hints on making a new wedge. One ear is about 1/2 inch shorter than the other and neither reach to the curvature on the chip breaker. This also should help out as the wedge and blade need a lot of persuasion to remove them. I think this would complete the plane to make it a daily user. Thanks

[justinsane]

There is a third reason for jamming and it has to do with the corners of the chip breaker. If they protrude past the iron, on the sides that is, like mine did when I picked it up from a thrift shop, the chips catch and accordian. I'm currently working on getting this issue solved.

[larsfrandsen]

Great videos, Adam! A couple of comments: I’d like to see how you use the file (and know what kind of file you use) for taking off the corners on the smoothing plane. If I hadn’t seen others taking the corners off with the honing stone (which is what I do), I’d be confused. Second (this is just a personal opinion): I have a harder time focusing on your voice with the music in the background. Your videos carry great instructions (almost like having a teacher next to you), and I want to make sure I catch all of it. Thanks again! I will search for a video in your series dealing with the cracks in the wooden plane body. I have a great number of older planes from my dad and grand father (both cabinet makers) that I have to decide how much or how little to restore.

[parveshussain]

Love your video lots of great useful information...

[johnschillo]

great tutorial. I only use wooden hand planes. Thanks

[pcfred]

One plane I have was jambing a lot and I made a new wedge for it and that helped a lot. I still have to close the mouth up on a couple wooden planes I have. Honestly I don't expect much from a wooden plane though. I use them mainly for roughing. I'll finish smoothing with iron body planes.

[quimblyjones]

Lots of awesome info here, but I'm wasted because I took a shot at every "um" 😁

[redwolf]

My jack plane was chattering and I discovered that the iron bed is slightly hollow down the middle.Tried file down sides not working, very slow to take off material.What would you recommend?

[yasarmevlutoglu]

После 4 ой минуты Как он стружет рука дрожит Фуганок будто с рельса слетит Это лично моё мнение, ,

[robohippy]

Well, I am getting back into flat work after 30 years on the wood lathes. Not sure if you can help me, but I picked up a 22 inch long jointer plane in St. Joe, MO. Only identification on it is AC Bartlett which is stamped onto the plane iron. I googled it and couldn't find anything. It does have the #19 stamped into the nose of the plane, and it has a saw handle type tote.

I will be making some wood planes in the next few years. One thing I am curious about, especially with the bigger hand planes, which are all cracked. Why don't they drill a hole lengthwise in it, maybe 1 inch diameter? The cracks come from tension from unequal moisture levels. It is there even if the wood is at 'equilibrium. There may be enough stress just from this to cause eventual cracking. If there are any external changes, then for sure the wood will stress relief by cracking. I will be doing this to the larger planes I make.