# York pitch vs. middle pitch



## Loren (May 30, 2008)

In hand planes standard is 45 degrees. Almost all iron
bench planes have this angle.

A little bit higher is York pitch at 50 degrees. This makes
more of a scraping cut and navigates reversing grain
and figured hardwoods a little more like a scraper
than a standard pitch plane.

Higher still is middle pitch at 55 degrees.

The higher you go, the harder the plane is to push
or pull and the more mass in the plane body helps it
stay in contact with the wood to avoid chatter. Hence
the development of the super-heavy infill planes in
the 19th century for working figured hardwoods.

###

With all this said, as a pragmatic matter in the smoothing
of common "straight grain" hardwoods, tearout 
routinely occurs at standard pitch when reversed 
grain is encountered, no matter how sharp the iron.

*What's your preferred approach for mitigating tearout
when smooth planing?*


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## ronniebo (Feb 7, 2011)

Go to a low angle bevel up plane with tight mouth and plenty of weight.-something like a Marcou!!
R in Hobart


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

Toothing plane followed by scraping-either card scrapers or a scraping plane. It'd be nice to avoid this two-step process, though, and I don't have a 55 degree bedded smoother yet.


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

Scraper plane.


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Seems I do have a Yorkie in the stable, and use it









Both of these are a #3 size. Note the angle of the irons..

Funny grain in Barn Wood, when I find it, means i have to go along at an angle, or skewed. Then a round-robin to find which way the grain runs. On one plank I had, it turned into end grain in the middle of the board.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I usually start with my middle pitch infill. If that doesn't work its a scraper, probably my #112. In a rare case they don't work I break out the toothed scraper.


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## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

I have the same issue with qswo. Imo, Low angle planes are even worse. Tear out city. Unless you want to hone a 50 degree bevel…which I think is silly. 
Hate to say, "well ya just gotta buy this"....but I recently got an LN with a 55 degree haf…and it's the best plane I've used on qswo to date. That said, any wood that changes grain direction often, can be a challenge.


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

I have to disagree Red. This one is better.


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## shampeon (Jun 3, 2012)

Don, those are some thick shavings underneath that infill. Maybe close up the mouth a little and retract the blade?


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## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

hehe, I know Don I said best plane "I've used." Go ahead and send that one my way for a test run.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

What's the opinion on the role of the chipbreaker in 
planes bedded at 55 degrees?


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## derekcohen (Jul 15, 2007)

Hi Loren

I've been using high cutting angles for many years, somewhere around 60 - 65 degrees. This is a common practice in Australia, where many of the local hardwoods have a high degree of interlocked grain.

There are a number of ways to achieve this: the easiest is to use woodies, such as those from HNT Gordon. See http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/The%20HNT%20Gordon%20Smoother%20and%20Trying%20Plane.html Alternatively, BU planes (either LV or LN) make this very easy. See http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/TheVeritasSmallBUSmoother.html

More recently attention has been brought to the use of the chip breaker in a double iron plane. This has been around for many, many years. The alternatives appear easier, which is a possible reason why the method has been obscured in recent times. I completed some research in this regard, and my results suggest that the closed up chip breaker is akin to adding about 10 - 15 degrees on cutting angle. In other words, a 45 (common) angle Stanley plane will act like a 55 - 60 degree (half pitch) smoother.

Keep in mind that 55 degrees is not high enough for some Aussie hardwoods. Consequently, I have used the chip breaker method on a 55 degree LN to increase its "apparent cutting angle", and the effect is present with this plane as well. That is, it acted as if it had a higher cutting angle.

Note that BU and BD planes respond differently to high cutting angles. BU planes remain much easier to push than BD planes due to a lower centre of effort. In any event, these high angles are more typical of smoothers, where the cut is quite fine.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Thanks.

I am set up for accurate back beveling and currently
conducting tear-out experiments.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

The issue I have had with setting the chipbreaker (cap iron)
very, very close and closing up the mouth is a tendency
for all but the wispiest of shavings to crumple up and
clog the plane.


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## derekcohen (Jul 15, 2007)

Loren, you need to open the mouth when using this technique.

For reference, the mouth size is of little help once the pitch gets to about 55 degrees. It becomes progressively less as the pitch increases.

You will know if you have got it right when the shavings become straight rather than curly.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## BigRedKnothead (Dec 21, 2012)

Loren- Glad you got some help from a better authority;-)


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