Lie-Nielsen 60 1/2R Rabbet Block Plane

[Claude L.]

Hi everybody,

Recently, I purchased a rabbet block plane. I realize that the depth adjustment is somewhat tricky. When I turn the depht adjustment wheel, the iron go out of axis, so the shavings are thicker on one side than the other. It's like if the friction between the adjustment wheel and the iron would be greater that the friction between the plane's bed and the iron.

I have polished the depth adjustment wheel with the green abrasive compound on a felt wheel and oiled the mechanism but I cannot fine tune the depth of cut without destroying the lateral adjustment of the iron.

Has somebody developed a tip to overcome this annoying behavior?

Thanks.

[Denis Chénard in Ottawa]

I own the 60 1/2 (not the R), and it tends to exhibit the same behaviour once in a while. I just give a little tap at the top of the blade with a Lee Valley plane hammer to set the blade in place...

DC

Trying to survive the mosquito attack in Hearst, Ont.

[Jim in Burlington]

When you sharpened the blade did you make sure it was square? That's one of the hardest blades to sharpen. I like to only adjust the blade outward there's always a certain amount of backlash and never had any luck trying to adjust when I pull it back to get the depth just right. You migh be overtightening the lever cap some it really takes very little pressure to secure the blade. I'd measure the distance from the front of the mouth to the edge of the blade if that's off from side to side you'll have a hard time getting the same depth of cut from each side of the blade.

[Claude L.]

For me, the hardest to sharpen is the 140 (skew block plane). It's very difficult to get the right angle. I sharpen to 5000, then I try it and I fine tune it when I make the secondary bevel.

For the 60 1/2 R, the lever's cap pressure is not the problem, I tried many different pressures. I conclude that this plane is capricious and I will adopt the tip from Denis.

If Veritas ever make this plane, I hope they will adopt their ingenious lateral pressure screws we find on their block plane. It would be a genial innovation.