Step
1
To remove the
blade, lightly tap the brass abutment (which is directly in
front of the wedge) several times with a small hammer. The wedge
will loosen, remove the blade from the mouth of the plane.
Warning: To avoid being cut by the blade,
ensure you hold the plane so your hand is clear of the blade
edge. Then tilt the plane at an angle so that the blade will not
inadvertently slide out of the bed before you remove it with
your other hand.
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Step 2
To replace the blade, insert the blade
into the plane body and place the body on the ‘blade setting
block’ of hardwood provided. Let the weight of the blade sit on
the curved shape of this block ensuring the sides of the blade
are flush with the sides of the plane.
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| Step 3
Whilst
the plane is still on the setting block, place the wedge into
position and lightly tap the wedge in with a small hammer until
the blade is held firmly. Here are some
tips:
- Don't move the plane when setting the
wedge
- Check the blade is secure before use
- If blade is loose you need to hit the
wedge harder
- If the blade sets to deep, your setting
block needs to be a harder piece of wood
- A series of small taps is better than one
big tap.
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Step 4 Now
turn the plane over and sight down the sole. It is very
important that you can see the blade clearly so if necessary
wear a pair of magnifying goggles. When you can see the blade
clearly, use a small mallet to tap the blade accurately into
position as described below. It is essential that the blade
protrudes evenly to match the profile of the plane sole,
otherwise poor planing will result.
If the blade profile doesn’t match the sole you will need to tap
either, the appropriate side of the blade down near the cutting
edge or, the top of the blade from the appropriate side. In
some cases you will need to do a combination of tapping both
places on the blade. |
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Step 5 Once you
have the blade matching the profile of the sole, do a test cut
on a scrap piece of wood. If
cutting too fine, lightly tap the top of the blade to advance
the blade. If cutting too deep
tap the heel of the plane firmly to retract the blade.
Note: You will most likely find that it is easier to
advance the blade as opposed to retracting the blade. This is
because you can take a more gentle approach by little taps on
top of the blade whilst you are watching the blade advance. |
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