what to adjust first/last/next?

Not sure of the exact plane you’ve got but if it’s a bench plane it’s probably a bevel down plane. Meaning, you’ve got the blade in upside down. The bevel should be facing the bottom of the plane. Block planes usually have bevel-up. You called it a “block plane #4”. If it’s a #4, it’s bevel down. Try that I think that’s the problem.

-- The older I get the faster I was.

whoops – my bad – it’s a bench plane :) i should be able to take another look at this tonight – took a few days off to come back at it with fresh eyes…Thanks Ingjr!

-- aspiring jill of all trades

looks like turn the blade over to me .

-- david - only thru kindness can this world be whole . If we don't succeed we run the risk of failure. Dan Quayle

Also the chip breaker is what determines the range of the depth of the blade because it is what the depth tang on the frog locks into. So if you have maxed out the depth adjuster screw and it is still not withdrawn far enough, you need to move the chip breaker farther down the iron.

-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com

make sure the blade protrudes from the chip breaker only about 1/32” or so. and maybe more relevant to this case: when you install the blade/chipbreaker into the plane, there are usually ~3 slots in the chipbreaker that the moving mechanism fits, you can use any of those slots which determines the range of advancement the blade can slide in- sounds like in your case it may be on the top most slot – try using the middle or lower one to get the blade to retract all the way in/up

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

thanks guys – that was really a duh moment. I got it where it needed to be – it takes nice shavings :) just that I’m working with red oak and red oak ply I think I’ve got plenty of practicing ahead of me before I attempt my actual work pieces. Starting the piece is tough since I’m working on a workmate. Can any lefties out there give me any advice on how they brace the table? I’m feeling a bit awkward even when I try to step stroke.

-- aspiring jill of all trades

hmm, a workmate isn’t really the best option for hand planing – sorry.

I actually built a heavy workbench when I started working with hand planes – otherwise the planing gets jagged as the pieces move WITH the table. you could try to bolt it down, or add some heavy weights (sand bags/etc) on a lower shelf if the workmate has any, but not sure if the workmate can acocmodate any of those, and even it it will, since it’s supposed to be mobile and foldable (if I’m not mistaken) there would be too many moving parts within the table itself to keep it from being super rigid and solid.

I could be wrong though :)

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

agreed that it sucks for planing or doing anything short of maybe a small glue up…but my options are slim. Even the wobbly 2×4 garage table in the garage moves badly – it’s probably as old as my house. It’s too short for me as well – i’m only 5’8 but wow…that’s a drop. Unfortunately I don’t have the time or money right now to build a new bench ( I already want to build one of those new fangled benches :)), So I’m trying to think of something that’s better than the wobbly table or workmate, isn’t going to cost me an arm/leg/eyeball or take a ton of time (yes, I’d also like a genie in a bottle thank you). I’ll get my 6ft tables back on Sunday which would at least be a step up kinda… but I was hoping to have this step done by then. Oh well if it’s not. Rock, meet hard place :) Really understanding why people say you need a workbench to build a workbench. Thanks for the feedback, PurpLev!

-- aspiring jill of all trades

if all you have is a workmate then I’d suggest reinforcing IT and/or clamping it to something more sturdy – like the frame of the building you’re in.

my “bench” is an old student’s desk ($5 at local ReStore) reinforced with 2×4s and raised to a convenient height. not the best, definitely not big enough, but it’s weighty and sturdy enough for hand tool work. It really doesn’t take much to get you 90% of the way there! if all you have is a wobbly table, then just make it not wobbly. 2x stock can be had dirt cheap at the big box, just look for usable culls.

Maybe wedge a length of 2×4 between the corners of the shop wall/floor and Workmate top/side, and then plane toward the wall. Something like that would keep the Workmate from moving forward when you push. I expect you’d also want the Workmate firmly on the floor with no wobble, and you wouldn’t want your work piece to extend beyond the base of the Workmate so you have good vertical support.

-- Greg D. -- the price of freedom is tolerance

good thoughts, guys. I just realized I have a piece of 2×6 x10ish here and some other dimensional lumber just sitting around from when I tore a wall down in the basement. If it wasn’t hovering around 90 in the shade here I’d be more apt to work out in the garage. Not sure I have enough lumber to build a short version of this, but I was going to take stock and see what I might be able to put together. I’ve got some 1×3 and 1×4 pine that was supposed to be used for a chair…might just have to abandon the chair for now :D

-- aspiring jill of all trades

My bench is built largely of 2×4. It is not perfect by any means, but it holds well for planing. The legs are 4×4 and I put in some diagonal bracing to prevent racking. Too keep the thing from moving aorund the basement floor as I plane, I put my beds or nails in the bottom (left over from a when I was a physics teacher). They add about 150 pounds to the weight of the bench. It doesn’t move. My point is that it doesn’t have to be fancy, just stable … which I don’t think you will get from the workmate unless it is one of the older metal ones that actually have a work platform that you stand on to add your weight to it. Those can work pretty good for planing short items. (they are getting hard to find though.

-- Galootish log blog, http://www.timberframe-tools.com