PATTERN MAKING 17 



cross-grained surface, will be just equal to the lead of the cutting 

 edge. For soft, straight-grained wood, the lead may be -V inch 

 or even more, but this must be reduced in proportion as the wood 

 is curly, cross-grained, or knotty. 



The grinding, or the whetting, must always be done on the 

 bevel side only of the plane-iron, the upper side being kept as flat 

 and as smooth as possible to secure easy working. 



All plane-irons should be ground slightly rounding to the 

 extent of the thickness of a thin shaving. This rounding of the 

 cutting edge should be the true arc of a circle throughout the entire 

 length of the cutting edge, and not simply a rounding-off of the 

 corners as is sometimes directed. Rounding the edge to the extent 

 of the thickness of a shaving will prevent the plane-iron from 

 grooving into, or plowing out a wide groove in, the surface that 

 is being worked, and will also assist greatly in working the edges 

 of the piece to right angles, or square with the face side. To do 

 this it is not necessary, should one corner of the edge be higher 

 than the other, to tilt the plane on the high edge, but, while hold- 

 mg it flat and firm on the surface of the edge being planed, push 

 the plane sidewise towards the highest corner in order to reduce 

 that corner. This will readily be understood when we remember 

 that the cutting edge of the iron is rounding. If the plane is held 

 so that the middle of the plane-iron will do the ciittiiig, the shav- 

 ing planed will be of the same thickness on both edges; but if the 

 plane is pushed over to one side, either to the right or to the left, 

 the shaving will be feather-edged, or thick on one edge and thin 

 on the other, thus reducing the higher corner of the edge of the piece. 



When the plane is to be used, the beginner should first care- 

 fully adjust it to the thickness of shaving required, by holding it 

 up and looking down over the face of the plane, when the projec- 

 tion of the plane-iron can readily be seen, and then by testing on 

 the piece to be planed. 



The operator's position should be one of perfect ease, standing 

 well back of the piece to be planed, and pushing the plane to arm's 

 length from (not alongside of) the operator, taking long and 

 continued shavings from the board. When starting the shaving at 

 the end of the board, care should be taken to hold the forward end 

 of the plane down firmly, or the act of pushing it forward will 



