Horned Smoother Part V

If you're making one of these planes along with me, here are some errors you can avoid.

When drilling into the mouth to open it up, follow the angle of the bed line.

I forgot to do this and instead drilled between the layout lines that marked the bed and the lower portion of the throat (below the break angle, referred to in my books as the "wear").

After drilling the third hole in a row, I suddenly remembered why I should be following the bed angle.

I had drilled right into the lower part of the abutment that keeps the wedge in place—thus blowing it out—and also into the side wall of the abutment. I also drilled above my break angle.

Nothing a few carved pegs can't fix.

You will see these mistakes when the plane is finished, but I don't mind. It will be a good conversation piece and it fits the rustic, craftsperson-made look.

The other thing I forgot is that it's best to keep the front of the throat flat until all your angles are cut—before you start carving any curves. It's much easier to mark the location of the break angle on a flat surface.