The plane or me?

[Xaromir]

I got a new plane today, my first one.

I intended to true up and plane a board with this.

First i tried it on the edge of my desk, it's pressed wood - i don't know the expression,

but rough particles pressed into a board with a plastic thingy on the edge.

Worked ok-ish then i turned the blade so that the flat side is up, and i actually got shavings from the plastic.

Next i tried it on a piece of mahogany which is basically scrap but i wanted to try and plane it,

to make it into something.

Well... i don't get anything like shavings, more like dust. I tried to put my weight into it,

but still nothing.

On the edge of the block i get shavings though. Am i doing something wrong or is the plane just unable to handle it?

Normally i would now ask "how do i use a plane?"

but i sort of question the plane after some tries.

Why? This plane doesn't seem to be that great - it was the only metal plane they had, and it was cheap (11€).

Sadly it makes a very bad impression - the handles are made from plastic.

It isn't a block of metal, it's more of a bend sheet of thick metal, the bottom feels quite rough.

And the screws to adjust it with where over sprayed with paint and needed some cleaning.

It just leaves a bad first impression.

Any thoughts are very welcome.

[muddlermike]

It sounds like you got a crappy plane, but it also sounds like you need to do a little reading about how a plane works, how to sharpen it, and how to use it. then, you'll know what to look for when it comes to buying a plane in the future. I would suggest getting a copy of "Hand Tool Essentials" from popular woodworking.

[PurpLev]

I got a new plane today, my first one.

I intended to true up and plane a board with this.

First i tried it on...

First you should sharpen and hone the blade, and in most cases - also tune up the plane

...Worked ok-ish then i turned the blade so that the flat side is up, and i actually got shavings from the plastic.

which plane did you get? some planes need to have the blade facing down, while others need the blade facing up (bevel up planes) knowing which plane you have could help us help you

Well... i don't get anything like shavings, more like dust. I tried to put my weight into it,

but still nothing.

On the edge of the block i get shavings though. Am i doing something wrong or is the plane just unable to handle it?

see above - tune plane, and sharpen blade will get you a long way. Also, depending on which plane it is (the size) it may not be up for the task you are trying to use it for, another thing could be plane setup - the blade may not extend enough, or extending too much, or the mouth is open/closed too much - again , going back to which plane you have, I'm kinda just guessing and throwing out ideas.

Normally i would now ask "how do i use a plane?"

but i sort of question the plane after some tries.

Why? This plane doesn't seem to be that great - it was the only metal plane they had, and it was cheap (11€).

Sadly it makes a very bad impression - the handles are made from plastic.

It isn't a block of metal, it's more of a bend sheet of thick metal, the bottom feels quite rough.

And the screws to adjust it with where over sprayed with paint and needed some cleaning.

It just leaves a bad first impression.

not knowing how to use a plane, and not tuning it properly WILL ALWAYS leave a bad impression. I suggest reading more about planes, tuning, sharpening, and usage. one they are properly setup they are a PLEASURE to use and in most cases - my go to tool of choice.

[Xaromir]

There ya go.

Commonsense made me believe that a new blade should be sharp and a new plane should be plane.

If nobody tells you or you don't stumble upon this information, then good luck figuring that one out on your own.

But yes it is a bit clearer, now that i was informed about this.

I watched a video and will try it.

But to be honest:

What a bummer.

[jwatson]

looks like its the plane that is causing you issue. majority of the time those are poorly cast have thin irons and not a solid frog to hold the plane to the sole. the bottom wont be flat. i bought something similar when i first started then started buying antique planes and boy what a difference. and you can get some new planes that are of good quality but expect to pay for them. another option are wooden made hand planes they tend to have very un-user friendly iron adjustments but after you figure out how they are wonderful and cheaper. there is a hand tool link in this forum that has links to planes and other such links.

[Guest Trace]

One of the things I have found about tuning a plane is that most people do not hone the back side of the plane iron. This is also true of chisels. With the back honed (polished) the edge, when sharpened is much eaiser for me get the resultant shaving I like to see. I use my block planes a great deal more than the Jack or smoother, but all are set up the same way. A really good plane need not be expensive, but mostlt you get what you pay for. Some of my best planes were bought in an antique store. Granted they took some work to be put into top shape, but that was half the fun. Since I am somewhat frugal (cheap), I look for tools at yard sales, sometimes finding nice ones for not too much. That said, Planes are like a lot of mass produced tools, one will fit your hand better than the next. Try this at Loew's, pick up a hammer from the rack, then try another, and another. I'll bet they will each feel differently to you. Most hand tools are like that.

[Xaromir]

but mostlt you get what you pay for.

Sadly this is true.

We have what you would call a big yard sale, spanning the whole town center tomorrow.

I hope i can find a well maintained one there tomorrow for little money.

To be honest, i'm not really willing anymore to spend much on tools, not money nor time

since i'm desperate for doing anything by now.

I need some accomplishment of some sort.

I hope i find something nice and usable tomorrow and hope the person selling it doesn't know what it's worth.

JWatson:

That much is true, the frog a thin metal sheet pressed into shape.

It's not the greatest plane - i guess we are both rubbish - the plane and i.

me for knowing so little and the plane for being made poorly.

I think i keep it for experimenting and getting into tuning those things up,

can't hurt i guess, but i will look for some better tools tomorrow i guess.

Thanks for all the replies, i'm much richer now that i looked a bit into this.

So it's not all wasted i guess.

[Lawrence Brown]

i guess we are both rubbish - the plane and i.

me for knowing so little and the plane for being made poorly.

You're not rubbish for not knowing something. You only become rubbish if you don't try to learn from what you do, and it certainly seems like you are learning.

You bought a cheap plane and it didn't work for you, but by asking questions I think you now have a better idea of what to look for, so I think you'll know it when you see it. The price you paid for that plane wasn't wasted; it was the price to get the knowledge you have now.

I wouldn't throw that one away yet. I'd put it away somewhere, and once you have used a good plane, know how to sharpen it, know how to tune it up, and have had some experience with what a good plane is supposed to feel like, take that cheap one out and have another look at it. I'm not saying it will ever be as good as a "real" plane, but with what you learn you may be able to turn it into something that you can at least use for things that you don't want to use your good one for, like scraping off glue or something. You'll probably take one look at it and think, "aha! That's what I should have done."

When I was growing up, there were lots of planes and chisels and stuff on the grandparents' farm. I tried them a few times and gave up. They would just get stuck in the wood and I wanted nothing to do with them. I thought, "This is way too much work. Why would anyone ever want to do this?" It took twenty years before I finally figured out that planes weren't supposed to work that way. The first time I tried a really good one at a demo I was amazed. If I had that knowledge then, I could have probably turned those into great tools, but of course now they're gone. (To be fair to my grandpa, I don't think he ever used them either. He just liked collecting things, but that's another story)

Anyway, I'm just saying don't be afraid of what you don't know and don't be afraid of making mistakes. Otherwise you won't learn. In fact, sometimes you should intentionally try to make mistakes just to figure something out. The only thing you have to be sure of is that what you are doing is safe. Once you know that, try different things just to see what happens and don't be afraid of the result. Just call it experimenting. And as far as "accomplishing" something, you already have done a lot, but what you've gained is knowledge, which is not necessarily something you can show someone else, but it's just as important. If you are getting discouraged, try to come up with the simplest project you possibly can. You will probably find it boring, but just go through all of the steps anyway to be sure you can do them. Even if you throw it away when it's done, you will still have learned and you can say "I made this!" Once you're sure you know all those steps and that you've made that the best you can, try something slightly harder. Don't get too fancy too quick. That's when people get discouraged. Just think of it as training.

One day you will suddenly realize how far you've gone, but for now try not to think about that too much. Just think about where you are and what you are currently trying to accomplish and you'll get there, one goal at a time.

[samhell]

I'm no master of using a hand plane but I do have a little experience... Apart from the blade not being sharp or your chip breaker in the right place, were you actually trying to cut with the blade out that far?

[PurpLev]

yes, the fact that most planes don't come ready for work out of the box is a surprise I believe most of us experienced at one point or another - I had a plane for ~4-5 years before I discovered that so you're ahead of me in that respect.

As for the plane - it looks like it actually has a decent blade (thickness). it does not have a chip breaker, which makes me think the bevel should be facing UP.

just do a thorough tune up to the plane, and blade, and I think you'll be good to go

[Xaromir]

Bryan: I did that by now actually.

It's sharp enough to cut wood - but not sharp enough that it glides through a piece of paper.

I guess it could be quite a bit sharper eh?

Mechanologist:

I must say i'm flattered by your post it's really nice of you.

There sure is a lot that i've learned, but i'm sure you know the feeling,

and the urge to show something, and maybe even the need to justify all the purchases.

I'm currently dreaming up this game table i would like to make one so much, but i just can't do it for now.

I guess i see to it that i get a cheap bandsaw these days and just make my little box.

A bandsaw should be a good constructive start and a step into the right direction.

Sorry got a bit lost in my own thought just now.

But thank you again - your post was most motivating actually.

Lev:

It's a bit misguiding i guess.

I guess you also didn't had the forum back then eh?

Sadly i did not find a old plane - only wooden ones and i really feel not comfortable with those,

guess i will actually go tits up and tune this one up.

[Xaromir]

Huston - we have shavings.

Not great ones but some really nice rolls.

I sanded down the bottom of the plane - it's not flat but i ran out of paper,

i also sharpened the blade a bit, not much just with sanding paper actually,

but it worked.

Sometimes i really have to apply force especially in the beginning,

but then sometimes it just is like butter, no force required.

I think for a utter noob i did well for now.

My shavings measure about 0.005" to 0.015" is that good or do i have to get those thinner?

Another problem: I'm now working with rough stock and i've sawn it off not quite square.

If i look at it from the side it looks like /|||/ not enough to get out the saw,

but it's on the endgrain.

I've tried, but i can't get any material off of there.

How do i best get that square - what tool?

Thought about a rasp but i don't really want any chips cracking off the edge.