I finally saw what a fresh plane blade does to figured maple

I finally saw what a fresh plane blade does to figured maple after fighting tearout for months on a curly maple table top I was building for a client in Denver. Turns out my sharpening angle was off by about 5 degrees, which I only discovered after my buddy brought his Tormek over and showed me the difference in 20 minutes. Anyone else had that moment where a simple setup change blew their mind?

3 comments

3 Comments

julia_burns91mo ago

I read somewhere that many woodworkers swear by a 30 degree bevel for figured woods, and that's been sitting in my head ever since. Seeing how a fresh edge at the right angle can actually shear those reversing grain patterns instead of fighting them makes me wonder how many other projects I've made harder than they needed to be. Sounds like your buddy with the Tormek saved you a real headache on that table top. I've heard those machines are pricey but people say they make a huge difference in consistency.

park.iris1mo ago

My buddy spent a whole weekend chasing tearout before realizing his bevel was dull.

danielh811mo ago

Man sharpen that edge before you start, it saves so much headache it's not even funny. Your buddy probably learned that lesson the hard way, but hey, at least he knows now. Some people think sharp is just about cutting but really it's about not fighting the wood every second. A dull edge makes everything take twice as long and look twice as bad. Figured wood shows every mistake too, so that 30 degree thing makes a ton of sense. I keep my chisels at 25 most of the time but I might try that on my next curly maple project.