Is it a good idea to take an extra Miller Falls #5 Jack Plane and reshape the blade and turn it into a scrub plane?
Please forgive my ignorance. I have never had a scrub plane and would like to have one, but I do not want to spend the money. I actually have several #5's and was wondering if I put a 3" radius on the blade if that would work? Is the #5 too long?
Yes, it is good idea, all you have to do is reshape the blade. If you want to go back just pick up a another blade and chip breaker and you can switch back and forth easily.
Not especially. If you don't have a thickness planer,
you're in for a lot of hard work anyway.
I have an old no-name iron scrub plane. While it's
the right tool for the job, it doesn't make working
with hand tools markedly less strenuous on the whole.
I don't mind the work. I have been switching over to more and more hand tools the older I get, because I like the work and I find it quite therapeutic.
I am with Loren on this; a wide jack plane is going to tire you out if it is used as a scrub plane. I modified an old wood bodied smoother one time to see how it would work out and it kicked my butt (I am a physically fit guy too). I quickly found an Ulmia scrub plane and then upgraded to a Stanley.
I guess if you put an extreme camber on it, like the 3" you mention, you could get away with it. That would leave a lot of that blade unused though. I would also be cautious of how deep you make cuts in relation to the mouth opening. A #5 doesn't open up even close to equaling a scrub plane which means your cuts will have to be shallower and ultimately equalling more strokes to remove the desired stock.
A number 3 has a pretty narrow blade, like 1&3/4 inches, If you put the mouth all the way open, and then filed it a bit wider, I think it would make an excellent scrub. I made a quick and dirty wooden scrub plane and used an old block plane iron. Before that i used my no.5 with about a 7 inch radius on it for general thicknessing.
I have a Harbor Freight #33 that is now a scrub plane in the #3 size, PLUS a Corsair C-5 as a jack plane sized scrub plane, and use them both quite a bit. Then a few passes with a regular Stanley #5 and then a DE6c to try it flat.
I Think you can do what you're asking, you're just using the terminology a bit wrong. You can put a sharp camber on a jack plane, and use it like a scrub, but its still really a jack plane. Some like to use a #5 1/4, because its narrower, but the problem is the #5 1/4 is usually as costly as a #40 (a real scrub)
My recommendation would be to camber the jack, and if you still think you need or want a scrub, either buy one, or make one.
I wouldn't buy a new plane if you have one sitting around. I use a Bailey No 5 as a scrub plane and it works just fine. I have another No 5 that I use as a dedicated jack plane, so I filed the mouth on my scrub plane to open it up more. Won't be able to sell it ever again as a jack plane, but my that'll be for my children to deal with when I die. I use a 4" camber on my scrub and it works just fine. I'd recommend that over a 3". You use more of the blade that way too. Actually, sharpening to a less aggressive camber makes sense with a jack → scrub conversion since the mouth won't be as open in that case. I really wouldn't go chasing good money after a scrub plane when you already have a No 5 lying around.
Corsair jack planes had a wide mouth anyway, mine cost a whopping $8
seen here with my Bailey #5 jack plane.
The H-F Windsor #33 can be ground into a 3" radius on the thick single iron, ala Stumpy Nubs, and works as well as a Stanley #40. Cost is around $9-10 for the plane.
My scrub is a converted jack, and while a true scrub plane might be lighter, I don't find working with it particularly tiring. I heavily cambered the iron (only about 1/2" protrudes) and it eats wood like the Tasmanian Devil.
Even with the weight, it's less tiring than taking even relatively thick shavings on a non-cambered jack.
I own a scrub plane…. It can hog off 1/2 inch on the edge under 1 min 2 feet in length...... Still I use it only when I need to remove a lot of material. Most of the time if it is about 1/8 material to remove, I would skew the iron on my plane. Suprisingly, a scrub plane is not a replacement for a skew blade. Each has it's own merit.
As to modifying the chamber on a #5, it can do the job of a scrub plane pretty well. The amount of work out comparing a scrub plane to #5 is subjective. The depth of the iron is the determining factor.
Klickitat, I agree, but it still had some good information that seemed to discuss some of the questions such as the radius on the blade and use of a jack plane for stock removal. Sorry if it upset you. You can get much the same information on the Woodwright's Shop episode 3105.
not upset at all. Was getting really excited and… reminds me of an old girlfriend.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
LumberJocks Woodworking Forum
2.5M posts
96K members
Since 2006
A forum community dedicated to professional woodworkers and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about shop safety, wood, carpentry, lumber, finishing, tools, machinery, woodworking related topics, styles, scales, reviews, accessories, classifieds, and more!