Figure 13: Cutting reeds.
Sliding
Section
Fence
Body
Depth Stop
Figure 14: Cutting dadoes.
Sliding Section
Depth Stop
Batten
Body
7
Veritas
®
Combination Plane
Cutting Reeds
For cutting reeds, the sliding section is required to limit
the depth of cut and prevent the outer edge of the blade
from diving into the workpiece.
Note:
A
1
/
16
"
quirk is cut on either side of each reed.
1. Install the reeding blade in the plane as you would a
standard blade and set the depth of cut (determined
by the blade projection past the bottom edge of
the skate).
2. Bring the sliding section in under the blade and
position it such that the bottom edge of the skate is
aligned behind the blade inside the outer reed, as
shown in
Figure 13
.
3. Position the fence to locate the reeds where desired
on the workpiece. For reeds that start on the edge
(where you do not want the
1
/
16
"
quirk), position the
fence tangent to the outer reed.
4. Set the depth stop on the body such that the tops
of the resulting reeds are just below the surface of
the workpiece.
Cutting Dadoes
For cutting dadoes, the fence is not required; however,
a shop-made batten secured to the workpiece with
double-sided tape or a tool guide will be required to
guide the plane.
1. Install the desired grooving blade in the plane and set
the depth of cut (determined by the blade projection
past the bottom edge of the skate).
2. Set the depth stop on the sliding section (opposite
the batten) to establish the resulting depth of the
dado below the surface of the workpiece, as shown
in
Figure 14
.
3. Deploy both scoring spurs.
Blade Sharpening
The blades used with the combination plane come
with the face lapped and are ground with a 35° bevel.
Since the blade is installed bevel down, the cutting
angle is determined by the bed angle; in this case, 45°.
Additional sharpening need only involve honing a small
micro-bevel.
The standard grooving blades and the tongue-cutting
blades are made of A2 tool steel. The rabbeting, beading,
reeding and fl uting blades are made from PM-V11
®
tool
steel. The spear-point scoring spurs are made of spring
steel and can be honed many times before replacement.
When sharpening, a light touch is required to avoid
altering the blade profi le. The straight cutting edges
of the blades can be honed as you would any straight
blade. The bead, reed and fl ute profi les may be honed
with small slip stones or with slips made with micro-
abrasive sheet wrapped around dowels.
Care and Maintenance
The combination plane body, sliding section and
skates are ductile cast iron and come treated with rust
preventative. Remove this using a rag dampened with
mineral spirits. Clean all machined surfaces.
We recommend that you initially, then periodically,
apply a light coat of silicone-free paste wax to seal out
moisture and prevent rusting. (Also lubricate the fence
rods to keep the components sliding freely.) Wipe
off any wood dust from the surfaces that you will be
waxing, apply a light wax coating, let dry, then buff
with a clean soft cloth. At the same time, the solvents
in the wax will remove any harmful oils left from your
fi ngers that can lead to corrosion.
If storage conditions are damp or humid, the plane
should, in addition to the treatment outlined above,
be wrapped in a cloth or stored in a plane sack. This
precaution will also guard against dings and scratches.
