Tuning Hand Planes - Setting The Cap Iron / Chip Breaker

[@nickhewett8815]

Thank you. This series has been very informative - so much more to a hand plane than I realised. I've been using them for years for chrissakes!

[@locohombre79]

Love your no BS approach to the craft. Can't wait for your book, I think you and Lost Art Press are a match made in heaven!

[@TheEnglishWoodworker]

locohombre79 Ha, I'm not clever enough for bs! We're working hard on the book, really pleased to be doing it.

[@tyvole2387]

Just subbed. As a new, oldish woodworker, I have learned most so far from folks like Paul Sellers, Stumpy Nubs etc. However, your three videos on the importance of the cap iron have been great for my ego! When I got my first planes (Stanley Ebay specials) I naturally had to flatten the soles, sharpen the irons, blah blah. At the same time, I instinctively did pretty much what you recommend with the cap irons, even though little attention seemed to be paid to them in the videos I saw. It was all about the iron! However, it made sense to my engineering mind set to grind/lap that too. I have been setting them around 1mm back from the edge, and with 'reasonable' results, but you have inspired me to refine the caps and try it even a a bit closer. Thanks.

[@brianmiller9365]

Love this series. More please. I'm a newbie and you've knocked a chunk of time off my learning curve. Thanks for keeping it simple and understandable for us new guys. GREAT channel.

[@tomdenny8507]

I absolutely love your approach to your craft and the info you impart to us here is priceless. I look forward to your book and to many more videos here. Thank you for taking the time to share with us.

[@WilliamMoneyhun]

Thank you so much, Richard. Your videos are outstanding. You are what the Japanese call meishō. Come to Florida, and let me buy you a pint.

[@mikes6844]

Useful set of vids Richard - thank you! I'm moving more and more away from machines to hand tools because I'm gaining skills in sharpening and set-up thanks to people like yourself. KZbin weren't around 40 years ago. I'm a keen DIY'er but more importantly a Dad who gets looked upon as the bloke who can fix and make anything (I wish). Yesterday afternoon I spent the whole time sharpening and setting my plane up. I've still got a way to go. I really don't think I have the sharpness of the blade where it should be, but I am getting that lovely 'swush' sound from planing. Look forward to the bevel on the blade vid. I'm envious of the wood you have at your disposal, I must be the only woodworker who can't source decent wood. No local wood yards, only the big sheds to choose from... Keep it up :-)

[@OrtoInScatola]

This is more or less how Japanese planes' chip breakers are prepared and set. I watched your 3 videos on this topic a year ago, when I was just starting in woodworking, but now, after over a year, they make so much more sense especially after having read and tried so much about Japanese planes

[@arnold7156]

I'm a beginner I have a 3,4,and #5 plane. now this man taught me something he explains things that a beginner can understand. .love this guy thanks for all your vids,. I have watched them all . love your sense of houmer too.

[@MrOlaboss]

Thanks!! I am new to woodworking and have struggled with tear outs. Building my first bench, this comes in handy. You and Paul Sellers are my new gurus.

[@buzzandjim4265]

Late comer here.. thanks for the info. Been struggling with tearout. Followed your advice and now my plane is 100 times better. Cheers mate

[@shonuffisthemaster]

thanks for the nice practical explination! i have a cheap plane that ive wanted to use just occasionally forever but it never cuts right. your simple.explination "set the iron back the thickness of the shaving you want to take" was all it took!

[@darrylportelli]

thanks mate !!!! these were some of the best videos Ive seen in a while ... just tried your method and used a piece of cherry that has a knot, wild figure and a lot of reversing grain - basically a nightmare to plane - didnt get a speck of tearout !!!! and the blade wasnt even my sharpest !! cheers !!

[@jamestyrrell1819]

Smoothing plane works like magic thanks to your video - many thanks, really appreciate your words of wisdom. Cheers!

[@gpdoyon]

It would be handy for you to either get a close-up camera so that we could try and see your plane settings, or, hold still for your camera person to focus. Good video!

[@BladeforgerKLX]

Thanks so much! I watched all three videos and got something out of them. That is success.

[@vanopnt]

I have an expensive plane, but don't know how to use it and it's infuriating. Your videos are tremendously enlightening. Thank you.

[@PaulvanOsss]

Thanks. Finally my cheap plane is working as it should! It was the cap iron. It was not flat enough.

[@Terry8238]

Great set of videos . Thank you

[@justinsane332]

Richard, come back to youtube! you were one of the best instructors on here. I hope to see more content from ya!

[@mynameisHOPKIRK]

Nice one Richard... I always found it frustrating that the cap iron would move when tightened into position and thought that I was doing something wrong (as I am new to woodworking) no bloody more that's for sure, once again thanks for the invaluable and practical advice... love your uploads man.

[@TheEnglishWoodworker]

HOPKIRK Many thanks, I'm pleased to hear you've found this helpful.

[@EvanDunville]

Great video, i look forward to the next one!

[@TheMyeloman]

"Different monkeys on the tools." That says a lot right there... Well done video, extremely helpful. I'm off to the shop now to check my caps!

[@ikust007]

Superbe videos, humour! Great intelligence, thank you

[@willemkossen]

This is really helpful. Thanks

[@milehighslacker4196]

"If it's less than an eighth, it's unmeasurable" Classic! :-)

[@tompfarrell]

Thanks for the video. Just some amateur advice - your close ups could do with a bit of a polish. I find that you moving a little too much and you are sometimes just out of camera shot. Nonetheless, I'm glad I have found another good woodworking channel.

[@adamthewoodworker2571]

Great video. Did you make one on how to sharpen the blade for the plane?

[@738polarbear]

Are you using s a chisel as a screwdriver.?

[@paul6000000]

Wow! It never would have crossed my mind to tap It into place. on my Stanley cutters, I've always found it challenging to get it close but not flop over the edge when I tighten it. I see a lot less cursing and swearing in my future.

[@cindyharrison4191]

Great 👍 info

[@frro28]

Love your screwdriver.

[@varholl]

Very nice video, How I didnt find these before...

[@thecordlesscarpenter7956]

Richard, love you're videos. Did you ever make the video on developing/sharpening cambered irons? I don't see it. Thanks!

[@johnwealthy6044]

Nice videos thanks!! I recently was 'forced' to buy a hand plane as my electric plane belt snapped after only one side of a hardwood door. So I am new to planing and what led me to your videos was a search for the problems I am having on taking anything from 0.5mm to 5mm of the side of the hardwood doors I have due to the door frames not being plumb. I bought a Rider No5 jack from Axminster and although it feels a lovely engineered piece of kit, I am having an awful lot of problems in getting it to plane those crisp ribbons that I see you all do on the videos!! What is frustrating is that I have a 10 year old block plane in my loft thatI got from B&Q 10 years ago and never used a lot and it is taking better shavings off the door than a £115 plane. Surely this cannot be right and I am searching for answers as to what might be going wrong. I think that your series of 3 videos have helped a lot. Particularly I think the comment you made about tightening the screw and lifting the cutting blade up and leading to clogging. That is exactly what is happening in the mouth. I am constantly having to stop, clear the mouth. But I am also only getting small shavings and not a lovely long ribbon. Something just isn't right. Any advice from expert planers would be very much appreciated. Keep up the good videos and I have subscribed to your channel to learn more about woodwork.

[@JesusvonNazaret]

does your screwdriver happen to be an old chisel?

[@Swarm509]

Time honored use of a chisel. I keep a supper dull one around just for that. I also keep it on the bench and my good ones hidden if a ham fisted friend comes over to use tools to keep the good chisels safe.

[@jamesmhall]

Nearly lost it when he whipped up an old rusty chisel. Best screw drivers in the world.

[@MrPaulSpawn]

Nope, not a chisel. A flathead screwdriver. How they looked in old brittain times. Like www.oldtools.co.uk/products/set-of-clay-screwdrivers?variant=23743760859194

[@soonersciencenerd383]

im a beginning wood worker/wood carver. i have a small hand plane, and what angle should the blade be set? 45 degrees? my blade is slightly curved downward. i also bought a #1000/#6000 whetstone. any ideas for sharpening the blade? good video!

[@linerforce]

Excellent overview of the business end of the hand plane, well described obviously brought up by good old fashioned tradesmen good skill and common sense listen and learn and cut out the crap *****

[@graymouser1]

I appreciate the videos, but not one shot actually focused long enough to actually show how close the end of the blade you think the cap iron should be.

[@theeddorian]

He says place the corners of the cap iron at the corners of the iron where the camber meets the edge. Works fine, and lots of old finish carpenters will tell you the same.

[@thecordlesscarpenter7956]

at the very end, he shows two of them up close whilst sitting on the bench that shows them well

[@tristosrestos7909]

Patience is a virtue

[@nunyabisnass1141]

I have a plane ive been trying to tune for a while. The problem is everytime i took it apart to reset it, it worked fine for about two passes, then gouge and sputter. Turns ot finally that the whole thing wasn't anchored down properly to the sole, which probaly happened when it fell two feet from its shelf.

[@adamthewoodworker2571]

Also between a no.4 and no.5, are you keeping the cap iron at the same distance away from the blade or would the no.5 be back slightly more?

[@brucewelty7684]

catching you later in your journey

[@Exiledk]

I'm confused now.. I always though the cap iron was the piece that locked the blade and chip breaker in place. You seem to call the chip breaker for a cap iron? What do you call the plate, that goes into the plane last, to lock it all together?

[@gregmacewen6330]

Hi The English Woodworker! I am new to hand planes and recently purchased a used Stanley #4., I have noticed after watching this video and looking at my chip breaker and trying to get the end of the chip break close to the edge of the iron, say 1/16 or closer, I can't adjust the blade past the sole of the plane because I am hitting the outer most adjustment capabilities of the plane. Is this just a cheap plane or am I missing something crucial.

[@tyvole2387]

Your plane is probably fine, so relax. If you haven't found this out during the previous 11 months (!) try moving the frog forwards a little. Note that this will also close up the mouth of the plane, so there is a limit. I am also pretty new to all this and have similar seconhand planes, but I can get continuous, see-though shavings if I need to. It seems you just need to take some care with the sharpening and setup. Half of the fun these days is learning again what our grandfathers knew! Happy woodworking.

[@nmssis]

do you also camber the cap iron?

[@msieweke]

It's just not done. The way a Stanley cap iron is shaped, you would never get it to mate properly with the blade if the cap iron had a camber.

[@caseyjwatson]

I suspect nmssis was asking about a camber on the top of the cap iron. Based on my understanding from the previous videos this could lead to tear out along the outside of the plane as it would not break the fibers.

[@davidunderwood3605]

I'm no pro, its been along time from shop class to now, but I'm relatively sure the blades should be alot straighter on the bevel from side to side than what i could see on yours. If not new ones wouldn't be straight across and even, they would be sold curved.? But thats just my opinion.

[@coburnlowman]

You sure put some information out in a condensed format. I wish I had sum ¢ $ £ to send your way for better studio and camera. Your accent is hard for me to pickup everything you're saying but what I do understand is full of teaching. Personally I love these kinds of info videos that get to the point and explains the content. I also love Jimmy Diresta but some of his vids leave out fine details. Others are trying to copy his style but are just a fast forward headache with zero details. But please keep up your fine work and I'll try harder to learn the accent. Thank You for your hard work I'm learning a good many things from them😀

[@ayrplanes]

Is yours a Bolton accent?

[@crokocat]

I set up my #4 Baileys just as shown. I really have no tearouts now but all my shavings are jamming in the mouth so have to clean it after each 5-7 strokes, can't figure out what I did wrong.

[@wich1]

Mikhail Ivashenko Is there perhaps a small gap between your iron and cap iron? Remember that your cap iron is pushed down by the screw, you need to flatten it in the right way. Like Richard showed in the previous video.

[@josephjanutka2732]

Richard, do you flatten the back of a plane iron or put a slight back bevel on it using a thin steel ruler, which is known as the Charlesworth ruler trick. I have mixed feelings about the ruler "trick."

[@solidsnake9332]

Camera work is bit shoddy, but good, helpful video

[@SuperBoive]

"im not inte this fine stuff ive been clear about that" uses a chisel as a screwdriver. Wonderful

[@CreativeCarpentry]

Omg get to the point ! Good info to have but for someone who is unfamiliar with setups in general it would be good to show clear pictures of the set up you are describing. 👍

[@Cypher791]

haha.. oh god.. my blade was upside down ~,~.. thanks i suppose

[@bobhudson3286]

Not a dislike, but the you ramble quite a bit. Fine content when you get to the point. Thanks.

[@udoje]

Like other comments say: no focused pictures of the correct place of the cup iron. better : less talking and showing the difference in shavings with a bad and good set iron. that would be great

[@brewsterly2927]

Like other answers have said; it is all shown clearly at the end!

[@goldeneggduck]

It started with misconceptions not knowledge.

[@wadepatton2433]

Camera-angle man sucks. I'm a visual learner and never could see a clear shot of your setting. Was that intentional? Whoohoo--a sixteenth to naught--that I understand. Oh boy, at 8:06 finally a stable shot. This is a video man, let's optimize the visual aspects eh? Finally 9:16 ! Totally unexpected by then.

[@SvenSapelson]

Oh, come on, please learn to make close-ups! Maybe use a desklamp or something and put the object on a table. So you can actually show (in focus) what you are talking about.

[@alland1241]

Oh, come on, this is 7 years old, grow up