Block Plane

[papaw]

Just received a small Block Plane (2" wide) from e bay today sharped it up and tried it on some scrap leather tonight. It did a very good job compared to the super skiver tool I have been trying to use. I didn't get it sharp enough the first go around, second time was a charm. It did the edges as well now I won't be afraid to do extra skiving if I need to get it thinner. Hopefully no more torn leather on thin cuts.

[WyomingSlick]

Is it a low angle plane or a regular one? Did you change the angle on the blade's cutting edge?

[Troy Burch]

picture please

[papaw]

Yes it's low angle doesn't have name on it just made USA it's old. I sharped it the first time and like you would and plane blade not so good changed it to about 11 deg. wow did that take soon time and now it works very well. I'll try to post picture later. I did enough last night and this morning with scrap I think I'll be able to skive wider areas where I was having so many issues. I am like a lot of others don't skive much but want to be able to when needed.

[Chef niloc]

I use planes like this ( link below) all the time. The Japanese style smoothing & polishing plains work on the pull rather then the push so there's more control, the small "mini" ones work great for skiving. I also use them to polish the edges before burnishing. I clamp the leather item in a stitching pony edge to be smoothed facing up and work on it this way, a lot less noise and dust then a belt sander. The irons are pretty easy sharpen (at least I think so) & they also get crazy sharp. To the best of my knowledge (but I'm no expert) the difference between a smoothing & polishing planes is how thick the plane iron is polishing iron being thiner.

http://www.japanwoodworker.com/Product/155966/1-12-(36mm)-40-Degree-Polishing-Plane---Hiroetsu.aspx

http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product/156209/12mm-Uchimaru-Plane-13.aspx

http://www.japanwoodworker.com/product/156450/2-50mm-Smoothing-Plane--Kanehide.aspx

[St8LineGunsmith]

I used to use a couple of thumb planes until i learned how to use my safety beveler

a little spray of water on the leather makes the safety beveler skive leather ten times easier

I also like using the french edger and my little osborne skiving knife.

[WScott]

Not sure why I have not tried this yet.....time to sharpen some plane blades and give it a shot

[karlpv]

11 deg might not hold up straight. Some of the high end kitchen knives are said to be sharpened into the twenties, and known to roll an edge with heavy use. 30 deg is commonly used for plane blades and wood chisels. A nice upgrade for planes is a replacement bade by Hock. They're a bit thicker, harder, and excellent high-carbon steel. Sort of like Barry King verses Tandy from reviews I read. The effective blade angle of a plane can be lowered by holding it askew to the direction of the stroke. Well sharpened and tuned, a good block pane can make sub thousandth thick shavings, at least in wood.

[Hillbilly tim]

I use this little plane. Its Krazy sharp if you put the time in properly sharpening it. really cuts finely when adjusted correctly. I have used it in some situtations in stacked welts.

Bro Timothy

Edited July 11, 2014 by Hillbilly tim

[karlpv]

 A new belt project provided an opportunity to experiment with block planes versus a dedicated skiver on the buckle area of the blank.  I used a 09 ½ and a 060 model, both equipped with Hock replacement irons.  Both have the bevel sharpened to 30 degrees.  The 09 ½ frog is made at 20 degrees, and the low-angle 060 is at 12 1/2, for blade cutting angles of 50 and 45 ½ degrees respectively.  I started with the blades moderately dull (likely sharp by some casual standards).  Neither would pick up a cut much beyond severing some loose fibers.  After sharpening both blades to a 6000 Jap grit edge, they would slice a decent shaving the width of the blade.  The low angle 060 cut noticeably better than the 20 degree 9 ½.  The narrower 1 3/8” width of the low angle blade was a trade-off on the 1 ½” wide belt blank though.

Then I broke out a regular skiver.  This a cast aluminum or pot metal, pull-type that takes replaceable blades.  It functions a lot like a cheese plane.  The blade has been in there for some years, and isn’t particularly sharp.  It cut better, even in comparison to the sharpened low-angle.  Mostly due to the blade angle I would guess.

So, IMO, the planes will work OK if you don’t have a better methodology.  But skiving tools would be my choice, being designed for the purpose.  As some described above, the planes give very precise control of the cut.  More care was necessary in controlling the skiver.