Different manufacturers have different opinions
#Why do block planes rarely have a high bedding angle?
astral mist
lean python
This post makes me feel very grateful that I can simply use the very neat tools instead of having to invent each one first.
normal pelican
Take this as you will but my understanding of a block plane is "a plane meant to be used with one hand" and that's the end of the story.
astral mist
have you used a high angle smoother before?
there are bevel down small planes, they're just for very specific purposes
specifically for instances where you need the clearance of not having the blade "behind" the mouth
its talking about the vertical size
having the low angle allows you to easily hold the block plane over the top of it
rather than have your hand and arm behind the plane like a bailey style bench plane
thats my interpretation at least
lean python
Don’t forget that most woodworking articles don’t give a shit about any of this. 😅
It’s about usage usually, not taxonomy and definitions.
Furniture has all kinds of technical part names. In a working shop most of them are “rails” and no one is confused.
astral mist
I call everything an apron or a rail, inappropriately most times
its my attempt to be more specific than "you know, that cross piece where your feet go"
FWIW in actual use, its all probably a bit over stated
Especially if you sharpen by hand without a honing guide.
I have two stops for mine, 25 and 30, and literally everything is one of those two, from low angle planes to smoothers, to chisels, to pairing chisels
I sharpen the one mortise chisel by hand anyway because it's basically a vaguely pointy brick of steel that i'm going to beat the shit out of
lean python
I think trying to learn all the nitty gritty as a beginner is doing yourself a massive disservice, which is why I bring it up. There's just way too much, lots of it is contradicting, much is personal preference and you have no way to know which is which. I say this as a fellow beginner. You have to start getting your hands dirty and making shavings and sawdust to start understanding what matters.
astral mist
^^ a lot of the time the answer really is just something like "EC Emmerich's teacher said 50 degrees and he never thought about it again"
lean python
More or less why I do pins first. 🤣
astral mist
lean python
"This teacher makes really nice stuff, I should probably do what they say."
There's always time to form your own opinion when you have some experience.
normal pelican
Just wait until you try to figure out the difference between a fore plane and a jack plane (this is intended to be a joke)
astral mist
Australian timber encourages masochism