Official Luthiers Forum!

I have a small flat sole ibex.

I had not used it in a few months, and last night I dug it out to get into a tight spot on a brace.
For the life of me I am not able to set this thing right. Is there some trick to it or something I am missing. I was given the plane months ago and did not use it much. I took the blade out and got it sharp enough to take hair off my arm. But when I try to set it up it just seems to have too much blade, or when i set it fine the blade disappears into the sole.

Just wondering if there something I am overlooking.

jon

Jon

I insert the blade with the plane sitting on a piece of float glass. Then tighten her down. I tap the back of the blade while using on a piece of scrap to get the right insertion depth of the blade. After that, it seems to stay set really well. Seems simple, but that is all I do. Steve

Do you have the blade bevel-side down? I think it's supposed to be oriented that way.

Eric

John,

You should look here http://www.hamlettinstruments.com/repair_detail.php?ID=9

Cheers

Kim

Kim M8 thanks for that! I checked out my 12 mm Ibex and it indeed needs the treatment so I bookmarked the link that you provided and it's on the to-do list.

Mine adjusts easily but shavings are always getting clogged in the thing.

I have a larger flat sole Ibex. The bevel heel was contacting the work at about the same point as the cutting edge, so it wouldn't cut unless I leaned on the nose of the plane when cutting. A little more acute bevel angle to relieve it was all it took.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

1.Tune up the blade on 2000 - 3000 grit wet/dry with water dragging backwards only. Use marker to see how good you do if you want.
Add slight angle up, add micro-bevel check in light.
- TEST on paper should go through with no tears.

2. Put plane on straight hard surface, mount blade in so it moves freely.

3. Use cardstock or actual slim metal gauge to set depth, mail order cardstock works fine, may be too thick though. Push plane iron to depth of card stock. set screw

4. test on angle scrap wood.

5 Tape up butt end of blade with masking tape, use compfortable vice grips for handle, and leather gloves.

6. File larger opening for shavings if this is too much of a problem but i you have any clearance, it should not be if you set depth to cardstock thickness. go slow dont ruin plane.

7. draw 2 cut lines on brace sides one on top to correspond to average angle of curves.

8. Plane to the lines at consistant angle, sharpen on 2000-3000 again, knock down angles or just use 300 grit small sanding block.

9. Carve out and adjust as needed/.

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Here is what a Parlor Guitar is for!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEa8PkjO6_I

Thanks for that link Kim.

I tricked up my Ibex today as per the instructions.

Made a hell of a difference.

Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Yes Bob, tuning turns the little Ibex planes from a pretty toy into a beautiful tool.

Cheers

Kim

ask and you shall receive, right?

i think i am just an idiot as usual. bevel sound down, will test when i get home.

Jon buddy maybe we are related..... If you look closely at the Ibex planes in my picture you will see that I had to label which side of the blade goes "up."

Kim...I just tweaked both of mine and it made a significant difference! Thanks for the link.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

Thanks erik

it was the bevel thing. i knew it was something stupid that i was missing.

thanks too to kim, i tuned it like the site suggested and the curls roll pretty nicely with the ibex now.

Jon,
I'm so glad you asked this question. I've been dealing with this problem for a couple of years and accepting it as part of life, always trying to set the depth of cut perfect to clear the chips . Thanks for the link Kim, I had no idea. I'm going to start tuning them tonight.

Tim

Hi folks,

Glad the link is helping out. I decided it was easier to make that little "photo essay" and be able to link to it than to try to explain how to improve an Ibex every time the subject came up. Understanding tools and how they work is the first step toward getting them to do the work you want them to do.

Hi John, welcome

Thanks for making the effort of hosting the Ibex tutorial and it is good to have you here with us posting at the OLF.

Cheers

Kim

Hi John H(amlett), welcome to the OLF!

For those of you who don't know him, John Hamlett is a fine mandolin (and guitar?) builder and repair man, and an active participant on forums such as Mandolin Cafe and more recently MIMF, which is where I 'know' him from. His knowledge and experience is vast, and always someone worth to listening to. I also had the pleasure of testing one of his F5's at the 2005 ASIA conference, it was a wonderful instrument.

We probably don't have many mandolin builders of your caliber here, but it is certainly a pleasure having you on board; don't be a stranger!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin