Page 40 - Australian Wood Review №103 2019
P. 40
TOOLS & EQUIPMENT
Another major advantage is that If you intend to do a lot of dovetailing
PMV steel is not any more difficult or other fine work, look for chisel
to sharpen than A2 steel and it sets starting at 1/8” or 3mm and
can be honed to any angle (20, 25, increasing in size by the same
30, 35, 40, 45 degrees) with no amount, up to about 1/2”–3/4” or 12–
problems with shattering of the 15mm. I rarely use chisels above that
cutting edge. This makes PMV the size but I use the smaller chisels all
9 steel of choice especially for blades the time. There are a limited number
used in bevel up planes. of companies who provide sets of
chisels covering the smaller sizes so
Veritas have been the leaders in using this will limit your choices.
PMV in woodworking tools with great
success. The only downside is the Choosing a plane blade
cost; expect to pay $120 – $150 per If you are buying a new plane you
chisel. may have the choice of O1, A2 or
PMV. If you have an old Stanley or
Choosing a set of chisels Record plane you can buy thicker
10
So, with that background on steel replacement blades in each of these
types, what should you look for when metals. Replacing the old thin blades
choosing a set of chisels? This really is highly recommended as is buying
is going to be a matter of individual a more efficient chipbreaker.
preference and intended use. Cost is
largely related to steel type which in Each of these steels will perform well.
9. Rentetsu chisel (upper) is used for
paring and flush trimming. Used turn is related to edge retention. You As noted above the main difference
correctly the yari kanna or spear plane can save yourself a lot of money by is the frequency of sharpening and
produces long spiralling shavings.
Photo: Japanese Tools Australia. becoming proficient at sharpening. the honing angle. With A2 steel
All cutting tools need to be the recommendation is to hone at
10. Australian toolmakers HNT Gordon use
O1 for their handplane range, except sharpened and it only takes a couple 35° and for bevel down planes the
for their palm smoother blades which of minutes to sharpen a chisel and blades will perform well at that angle.
are made from T1 HSS. M2 HSS is also
offered for bench planes when a more maybe a minute longer to sharpen However for bevel up planes either
abrasive resistant edge is required. a plane blade. O1 or PMV are better choices as you
Photo: HNT Gordon
can choose whatever honing angle
11. Good quality O1 chisels made by Ashley Preferred honing angle is an you want to give more of a slicing cut
Isles (UK) in a size range suitable for
dovetailing. Not all makers offer sets in important consideration. I prefer to (for endgrain) or a scraping cut (for
this range starting at 1/8” or 3 mm and hone chisels at 25 ° which provides difficult grain). Indeed one of the
increasing by the same amount. Making
a chisel tray is a good way to safely store a lovely slicing action but that rules advantages of a bevel up plane like
your chisels. Photo: Peter Young out A2 steel. the Lie Nielsen 62 is that you can
have two or three interchangeable
blades each sharpened at different
11 angles to have the plane perform
different functions. Veritas are now
offering a wide range of bevel up
planes in many different sizes, well
worth considering.
The photos shown here illustrate
some of many high quality options
available for woodworkers.
Peter Young is a studio furniture
designer and maker who lives in
Brisbane. Last issue he showed
how to vary a basic design for a
side table in several ways. Email
Peter at pydesign@tpg.com.au
40 Australian Wood Review
