Paul Sellers makes a dovetail box (part 2 of 4) - lid roundover

[daw162]

(continued prior comment)... a user with a bench grinder who often works wood as hard as hard maple will without a doubt prefer a thicker AND harder iron than a stock stanley iron (which works just fine for most woods that are optimal for hand woodworking).

The temper in old irons was probably matched to the sharpening tools available to a carpenter.

It is up to people now to decide if the gain of an expensive iron is worth the price. But with modern sharpening, there is a gain.

[PaulSellersWoodwork]

To everyone who has so welcomed me to the USA for the Masterclasses with The Woodworking Shows shows here on the east coast. It has been my blessing to meet and greet so many of you following the Real Woodworking Campaign. You all inspire me with your realness. Keep on Working Wood.

[knightlylad]

Thank you very much for the show Paul, thank you for your time, I always enjoy your demonstrations! waiting for the sharpening videos, I love your convex bevel method! it's the best ever way to sharpen.

[sabecon]

A case can be made that a thinner iron will in fact be more stable than a thick iron. The thing that makes the iron stable is the bed the iron rests on. A thick iron has the actual cutting edge cantilevered out further and does not have as much support because of the larger bevel. It seems counter intuitive. The very thick Japanese style irons go the other way as the soft iron body becomes the bed with the cutting blade welded on.

[daw162]

@sabecon There will be no point that a thick iron bedded the same as a thin iron will be less stable. The entire purpose (in my mind) of a thick iron is to add stability where it may not exist (few vintage planes are bedded accurately enough that a thick iron won't be noticably more stable).

A thin iron is easier to sharpen, but in the days of a power bench grinder, that means nothing. It comes down to hardening and tempering quality then.

It is left to user preference otherwise.

[sabecon]

@daw162 If we were only discussing bevel up irons, I wouldn't disagree. The thicker iron would be at the minimum equally rigid. If you look at only the cutting edge on a bevel down iron, it is a bit trickier. There is no support under the bevel. The thicker the iron, the longer the bevel will be and the further from the support of the bed the cutting edge will be. The point is that there are factors beyond just the thickness of the iron.

[vietbond]

"You'd still be looking for your router bits now". Saucy!!

[schenher]

Woodrow Lister, a thicker blade goes dull just as fast as a thin one. The thickness is for stability, not for edge life.

[joesell89]

@schenher I am interested in this comment. Stability? How?

[schenher]

@joesell89 stability, in that it is thicker and resists flexing during use, giving the plane an easier cut than you would get with an old stock Stanley blade. This is one reason why modern plane makers use thicker blades. The other reason is that you can grind the primary 25 degree bevel and then hone a 30 degree secondary bevel about three times before you need to regrind. The blade will last longer and sharpening is quicker with this method.

[PaulSellersWoodwork]

What most watchers don't actually realise is that that is my normal speed and not speeded up. That is exactly how I normally work. It surprises me to see my own video of me because it looks so fast.

[schenher]

love to see the videos Paul. I, unlike Woodrow Lister, really like the way you work. You show how an experienced woodworker works by hand. Speed is a key thing, rushing through something is one thing, but showing your accuracy, teamed with proficiency is awesome. I think sometimes people don't realize it is the end result that matters. If someone develops a consistent and accurate shortcut for an operation, it is always better to use it than to take the long way around.

[woodlist]

Paul, I agree. Properly set-up planes with sharp blades don't chatter. But thick blades hold an edge longer. And slooooooow doooooown! When I started I'd get a thick ear for 'rushing'. Nice box though. Better with more tails at each corner. Better yet with asymmetrically spaced tails. Like your style and thanks for these vids. Wish I knew how record myself, although it wouldn't look the same with me sitting in a rocking chair, as I can't stand at the bench too long! Cheers

Woodrow Lister.

[PaulSellersWoodwork]

@woodlist Sorry to disagree, but thick irons don't keep an edge any longer they just take twice as long to sharpen and for the main part are considerably more difficult to sharpen Neither does a thick iron take a sharper edge, but some steel alloys do take a keener edge. Just not all.