Check your angles and your dimensions constantly. It's easy to just keep planing away, but you need to stop and check all the time. (James Piotrowski)

The last couple of rods I've made have nearly driven me crazy trying to keep my triangles equilateral during final planing. I'd start the final planing process with perfect triangles, and after I made half a dozen plane passes, the strip was out by .010" - .020". The more I planed, the worse it got. I was spending far more time correcting bad angles than planing. I'd correct the angles, make a few more passes with the plane, and be off the mark again. An average strip was taking me about an hour, even though the roughed strips were only .025" oversized at the big end. And that's way, way too long. The problem was bad enough that I didn't want to go out in the shop and deal with the frustration. I actually lay awake one night thinking about ways to solve this puzzling dilemma.

I diagnosed potential problems over and over again. I spent a few hours completely resurfacing my forms. I straightened and restraightened the strips. I checked and double checked the angle of the plane iron to the adjustable foot of the plane. I put a mirror at the end of my forms so I could watch the travel of the plane. I raised the forms higher. I moved them lower. The problem was still there.

One of the huge advantages of using carbide tipped blades is I only sharpen about every third or fourth rod. (Yes rod, not strip) Tonight I noticed a little dragging, so decided to spend a minute touching up the edge on my main plane, the one that does about 95% of my work. While I had the blade out, I noticed a bunch of shavings and dust under the foot of the plane. Blew it out with compressed air, but still saw some dust. So I removed the foot to clean thoroughly underneath. Lo and behold, there was a bunch of crud in the little slot in the casting that holds the foot of the plane.

You guessed it. That crud caused the foot to ride higher on the left side than the right. Finished that strip in minutes, and the angle problems are gone. Hallelujah, I do have something to be thankful for this year at Thanksgiving! Man, am I glad to have that problem behind me. Maybe making rods can be enjoyable again.

If there's a moral to this story, it's to check the simple things first. (Harry Boyd)

The most simple solution to things like this is easy and takes very little time. Every time you finish a rod, take an hour or so of time, disassemble and clean all your planes, s scrapers, sanding blocks, spread your forms and blow the dust from the gap... Generally, just clean everything very well. I think when you take your planes apart, you'll be surprised how many places there are that little slivers of bamboo and bamboo dust can find their way into. Most of that is going to stay hidden only to cause problems like Harry had... some of it will find it's way out and into the groove on your forms, into the strips when you're ready to glue up (glue line city) and everyplace else you don't want it to be. Every time I get a blank finished, clean all my tools and put them in my little red box, I blow off the bench, clean up everything as best I can and sweep the floor. Keep everything as neat and clean as is feasible and you'll find making these little sticks a lot more pleasurable and trouble free. (Bob Nunley)

I've got one that has me stumped, and could use a little input. Over the last few rods I have found it extremely difficult to get correct angles on my strips. No matter what I do, my measurements are not equal, and it winds up taking me an hour or more per strip to plane to final dimensions. After every three or four passes or the plane, I stop to measure and my dimensions are off of equilateral by as much as .010". So I correct the angles, up and down the strip, and start again. Same problem, over and over on every strip.

Some of you may remember that I thought I had this problem solved when I discovered some crud under the front foot of my plane. Correcting that has not proved to be the answer.

I have three theories. Tell me if any of these make sense. First, my plane(s) could be all messed up. I don't think so, cause I've checked and triple-checked them -- all of them. I've had a my wife's make-up mirror out in the shop, making sure I'm holding the plane level, and I'm doing okay there. Second, my forms could be screwed up. Perhaps the last time I tuned them something went haywire. Come to think of it, that's about when the problem started.  Other than checking to see that they are flat (they are), how would one go about checking the angles in the groove? Third, the strips I just finished have a small twist at one of the nodes. Is it possible that twist causes the strips to cant in the groove of the form, so much so that the angles get messed up in a hurry. I doubt it, because when I straighten the twist and resume planing, the problem rears its ugly head again.

Thanks for the input. This one has me pulling out my hair, so frustrated that rodmaking hasn't been much fun lately. I hate to ask, but I'm at my wit's end. (Harry Boyd)

When I first made my forms I was over zealous about the finish on the tops and tried to keep them “ tuned” all the time. Over time this problem showed up and I was also at a loss. After a lot of headaches over this I came to the conclusion that I was a little heavy on the right hand while working the tops. Solution was to file the groove a few thousands with the 60 file on a block that I had built them with. This may or may not be the problem you have but for me it saved a lot of problems. (Ron Rees)

I’m not sure what could be causing the angle problem, but I have a suggestion on how to check the V- groove. If you have a fish tail - a small machinist scale with 60° angles on it- you can stick the pointed end down into the groove, and then use a good machinist square to see if the fish tail -small scale - is perpendicular to the flats of the form. This could tell you if your groove is leaning.

If you have a friend that works in a machine shop; you could have him take your forms ( or sample strip) in and put them on an optical comparator. This would be a very accurate way to see if the groove is perpendicular to the flats.

I'm guessing the groove is correct, and you will find no problem in the forms. Instead, I would be looking at how you a checking the angles of the strip.

Give this a try. Take a scrap strip and rough plane it down. Then, put it in the final forms and plane it down: flipping as you go. Do NOT check it as you go. When it is finished check it. See if the angles are off.

One note here. I believe that you should scrape until you hit the metal of the form. Many makers, I have seen, baby their forms. In machining, jigs and forms are expendable. They use them; they refurbish them; they make new ones. The odds are, that if you do not go all the way down, your angles will be slightly off. Now I'm sure many will disagree here. Most crafters like to think they have calibrated eye balls. LOL :)) I prefer to use calibrated measuring instruments. A perfect example of this is: I play guitar (since I was 12), and I come across many musicians that tune by ear. I have proven to many of them that the human ear is not perfect. I ask them to tune by ear, then I throw it on the tuner. Guess what? Most are off. Maybe not by a lot, but never the less, they are off.

What I'm trying to say is: the tendency to lean the plane is inevitable. So if your checking as you go, the angles should be slightly off. However, if you go all the way it should work itself out in the end. Remember, this is only if the sole of your plane is flat; your V-groove is perpendicular to the flats; and your flats are equal. If all this is on, you can't be off unless you have a material flaw, or a foreign material in stuck in the groove; causing the strip to not sit in all the way. (Tony Miller)

I can't be certain, but I'd bet a fair sum that if your description of the problem is accurate, the cause would be unequal surfaces across the two bars of your planing forms. Lay a metal straightedge across the two bars (when the forms are set to build strips) at various points and look for light between the surfaces and the straightedge. Obviously, there should be none. (Bill Harms)

You may want to use machinist dye on the top/bottom surfaces and use 700 wet/day attached to 1/4" plate glass as a backing and see if the forms are flat. If so use the procedure I wrote for Power Fibers to tune. If your push/pull/dowels are sloppy, go to next size up. When you are done you will have better than new forms. (Don Schneider)

Thanks for all the help!!

Looks like my forms are the problem. Though they are flat as a pancake when closed, adjusting them to the desired taper creates a crowning, or convex, affect at the center of the butt side. One would think that the tip side would thus be concave, but it is not. The tip side, too, is concave. Using a Sharpie pen, I marked the groove so I could see what was going on, and pulled a one of the 60* lathe tools in a block down the groove. It cuts in the centers of the groove in places, and the outer edges of the groove in other places.

Next question is "Why?" One list member called to suggest that perhaps I have repeatedly over-torqued the adjusting screws, causing some wear and tear on the dowel pins and shoulder bolts. Without question, the bolts and pins slide easily in and out. Therefore some "slop" is present. As the adjustment screws are tightened, the slop allows the forms to bow slightly. Makes some sense to me... other opinions?

Possible solutions? First possibility, drill and ream the dowel holes for the next larger size, eliminating any slop. Then flatten the surfaces again, and re-cut the groove. Sounds like a lot of work to me! Second possibility, buy new forms. Third possibly, buy a Morgan hand Mill -- naah, can't afford one on a preacher's salary. Some for a powered finish mill.

Final question... anyone have a good set of forms lying around that they want to make me a great deal on. Any forms not perfectly accurate, or needing lots of work, need not reply.

Moral of this story.... do not over-tighten your forms. Using the pull bolts only, first tighten to .0005" smaller than desired. Then using the push bolts, force the bars open by that final .0005". (Harry Boyd)

And the last "why" option is repeated filing of the top of the forms to clean up gouges, you might have rounded off both sides of the forms unevenly by filing them clean many times. Moral of that story, learn to live with a few marks, or send them back to the maker to have them resurfaced. Just a thought. (John Channer)

A week or two before Grayrock some of you asked me about my method or correcting non-equilateral angles. I meant to show it to several folks at Grayling, but simply forgot. So let me try to explain how I mic' strips.  First, I remove the enamel, then place the strip in the forms at its finished location, enamel side up. I then mark each station on the enamel side with a pencil. As I plane to closer to final dimensions, I measure all three sides to check the angles. I hold the caliper in my right hand, and the strip in the left. I keep the calipers parallel to the floor, and the skinny end of the strip toward the ceiling. Each time I measure, I close the jaws just barely tight enough keep the weight of the strip from pulling it through the jaws and falling out.

The strip is first measured with the pencil mark toward me. That's measurement #1.

I turn the strip one-third turn so the enamel and the pencil mark is away from me, and measure again. That's measurement #2.

Finally, I turn the strip again and place the enamel and pencil mark against the lower jaw of the caliper and measure a third time. Measurement #3.

Here's the only tricky part. If Measurement #1 is bigger, the plane has to be leaned away from me. Looking from the back, the right side of the plane is lower (or closer to the forms) than the left side. If measurement #2 is bigger, lean the plane where the left side of the plane is closer to the forms. If measurement #3 is the largest (it usually isn't) then the pith apex needs to be removed from both sides.

How do you know which direction to place the strips in the forms so that the strip is brought back to equilateral? You have to do a little thinking, but it soon becomes second nature. You can't add to any measurement by planing, so you have to work towards the smallest of the three measurements. Let's use this
example....

measurement #1  .105
measurement #2  .100
measurement #3  .102

Now since measurement #1 is largest, you know that you need to lean the plane AWAY from you. Since #3 is larger than #2, you have to place the strip in the forms where the pith apex is cut away. So place the strip in the forms with the enamel on the side of the groove nearest you. Angle your plane away from you, and make a cut. I usually work on the angles one station at a time, sliding the strip up if necessary to get the plane to take a bite. After a pass or two over the cane from 2.5" below the out-of-whack station to 2.5" above the out-of-whack station, measure from all three sides again. Chances are good your numbers will look something like this:

measurement #1  .104
measurement #2  .099
measurement #3  .099

If so, you're almost home.... you turn the strip in the forms so the enamel side is against the groove opposite you. Lean the plane the same direction, and make a pass or two. If you did it right, your numbers should be something like:

measurement #1  .098
measurement #2  .098
measurement #3  .098

Now move to the next station, measure and cut accordingly. You may well find that three stations in a row are off in one direction, and the fourth off in the other direction. I sometimes cheat and work on all the adjoining stations that are off in the same direction. Once all stations are equilateral, make one light pass down each side taking great pains to make sure the sole of the plane is parallel to the forms. Voila! You're back to working with perfectly equilateral strips.

There may be better ways, but this works for me. (Harry Boyd)

I forgot to add that this only works when you have .010" or more to go over and above final dimensions. (Harry Boyd)

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong or if I need to fix it, but I think I do.

I put the final taper on the butt section of my first rod. I planed everything down to the forms, wrapped the rod without glue and took some measurements at the stations - WAY OFF.

So I got out some advice that Alex Wulff gave me on correcting angles (it come from Harry Boyd) and took another shot at it. Great advice by the way. I was able to bring my angles pretty close to perfect and I had each of my stations on every strip also close to perfect (within .002). I rewrapped the rod and it looked great, no lines that I could find, etc. I rechecked the station measurements and I was still way off. 

For example:

Station 40 is supposed to be .180 flat to flat. I set my forms for 0.090. I used Harry's method to correct the angle and scraped down to the forms with a razor blade - I even shifted it forward a 1/2 station to get a little more off. When I checked the strips with my digital calipers they read anywhere from .089-.091. 

But after the rod was wrapped without glue the flat to flat measurement was .189. That happened at every station - my flat to flat measure was off by .008-.009.

It doesn't seem like both my depth gauge and digital calipers would be off by the same amount. (In fact I check my calipers with a set of feeler gages and they're dead on) I didn't take the apex off the strips, would that make a difference. Also I didn't wrap the rod both ways, but it sure seems tight.

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong? Should I unwrap the section and reset my forms .004 below the 1/2 dimension? (Aaron Gaffney)

Does this happen every time you plane your strips? Sounds like to me that your dial indicator is not zeroed out right! Example, my strips were .005 too big every time. I used the standard that came with the point and base. I thought it was right until I decided to check it on the surface of my forms, it was .005 off! Now I'm dead on! (Bill Tagye)

I thought that also, so I checked the dial indicator against the cast iron top of my table saw. Right on zero.

Plus my strips are very close to the required 1/2 measurement. I could understand being off by .002 or something, but .008 too big at every station seems like a lot. There must be something that I'm missing or not thinking about. (Aaron Gaffney)

Try laying each strip down and taking ONE pass on the apex with a very sharp block plane set to take a thousandth or two.

Then give each strip a good wipe down with a new toothbrush and try them again.

Are you binding these things in a binder, or are you hand binding? I sometimes think that binders add another level of complexity for novice rodmakers. I have a binder, which works very nicely, and I hate the bloody thing and never use it ! I know all the arguments in favor of binders, and I know all the arguments against hand binding; basically, they are levo- and dextro- isomers of the same arguments. But the one unassailable fact about hand binding is that you are massaging and squishing those six strips into a snug fit every millimeter, and while you are doing that you have the opportunity to examine the job in progress. And you cannot do that with a binder!

I have my binding string (glazed cotton upholsterers' thread) in a drum on the floor, and I run it up through a sandwich of two wooden slabs and two pieces of felt held in place on the benchtop with a big C-clamp. With that arrangement I have pretty well infinite adjustment of tension from none to thread breaking , and both hands are free for the job of making sure the strips nestle together the way you want them to.

I agree with what you say - if you are checking the measurements of the forms and of the finished strips and they are what you want, and more importantly, if they agree one with the other, then I doubt the strips are your problem. So pull the apex down a thousandth or two, brush all the microcrap off them, and try again. (Peter McKean)

Peter's approach really gives you a feel for how the strips nestle down with one another. Hand binding will let you watch what happens at the node areas and get an idea of how much tension it takes to get a good fit. The apexes do more than just contact one another they also have a tendency to hang up a bit on the sides of other strips. Knocking them off helps improve the dry fit and then when you get to binding with glue the glue will provide some lubrication which will allow the strips to slide together even better. (Doug Easton)

I don't have much to add to the other's comments except to say that a lot of this gets better with practice. Your angles get better, your strips are straighter, your nodes less troublesome (well sometimes), and your blades are sharper. Stuff that makes you nuts on the first rod will be no problem by the third or fourth.

When the glue has dried and you take off the string and realize you (almost) have a fishing rod, you will smile from ear to ear. Good luck on the ferrules. (Frank Stetzer, Hexrod, Taper Archive, Rodmakers Archive)

Thanks for all the tips. I rechecked my dial indicator with my calipers (.1155) and found it was off by about .002. Then I reset my forms and scraped down to the metal, then I scraped a little more. I took the apex off and bound in both directions. The result was much better. I was within .002 of my desired flat to flat measurement (still a little big).

Close enough for me on the first rod. Thanks for the help. Now on to the tips. Can't wait to see how small they are, because I can't believe how small the butt end strips are. (Aaron Gaffney)

What are you using to measure the strips and rod sections? My guess is a dial caliper. Some of those I've used have stiffer actions than others. If it's too stiff and requires more than the tiniest bit of effort to move the jaws, it is quite easy to accidentally crush the apex of the strips.  You might try lubricating the slide... but do so at your own risk. I know I use a light oil on mine several times a year. Even on the digital calipers.

You also mention scraping down to the metal. I always make sure that my last passes remove metal from the forms along the entire length of the strip, from butt end to tip end. If you're just getting metal shavings in a few places, chances are good there are still parts of the strip that are oversized.

You probably know all this and have worked beyond it, but just thought I would offer a few reminders.  (Harry Boyd)

You also mention scraping down to the metal. I always make sure that my last passes remove metal from the forms along the entire length of the strip, from butt end to tip end. If you're just getting metal shavings in a few places, chances are good there are still parts of the strip that are oversized.

Harry just brought up something that I have thinking about. How much metal can be scraped off before you have to retune your forms. If you take off more shavings in a few places as will this mean you will have to redo the forms and is there an easy way to check your forms to see if you are out of specs in a certain area? (Gary Jones)

I think it's quite likely that over time the depth of the groove is going to be reduced enough to make a difference in the forms. I'm not sure how many rods that takes, though. Doing things the way I describe below, I never really had a problem with my homemade forms in about 70 rods. After every rod or two, I made one pass (only one) down the forms with a triangular file glued to a block or wood, or one of the "file planes" Don Schneider invented and describes in his Tips Site article on making wooden forms. That's more to shave off any "lip" that may have developed on the edge of the groove than an attempt to deepen the groove. And after about 70 rods, those forms are still okay.

I suppose to check you could clean your forms well, close them all the way, and measure the groove. Record the numbers and measure again once in a while. When the dimensions get so small that you're uncomfortable, have at 'em with a file.

But here's a warning... it is NOT hard to screw up perfectly good, workable forms while trying to improve them. You know the old saying, huh? If it ain't broke, don't fix it. (Harry Boyd)

I always oversize any strips .005, then mark at 5 inch intervals and measure, then fine tune the forms from there. Takes care of any undersizing that might happen from a wrong setting or a shaved form. (Jerry Andrews)

I seem to recall that you said you wrapped only one way. That is a no no. You get twists from one way wrapping. go both ways and be safe. (Ralph Moon)

It sounds to me like your angle is off a bit, as in slightly larger than a 60 degree included angle. That would push out your flat to flat measurements a bit.

You don't mention what kind of forms you are using or how you check your angle. (Larry Swearingen)

While the majority of my angles are 60 degrees, there are some that are slightly askew. In some cases, I was able to correct them by planing them some more. However, there are other times where the angle doesn't get any better. I tried trial and error on some practice strips and I seem to be 50-50.  Perhaps I am not paying close enough attention. I am sure my forms are okay and the plane I use is clean. Since, it is my first rod, I assume I just need more practice.

I really can't find much written about how to correct angles in the books that I own. Perhaps it is obvious to everyone but me. Is there a universal solution to this problem that is agreed on. Or are there different strategies to try to rectify the problem. I'd been interested in hearing some of your experiences with this. (Matt Baun)

I have the same problem. There's a PDF file on I think Chris Bogart’s web site that has two pages that address this pretty well. I keep them taped over my bench so I don't have to think when trying to correct my angles. You can find the article here.

Check pages 22 and 23. (Jim Lowe)

The link should be http://www.canerod.com/Articles/

Then go to rod making guide, pages 17-20 from the PDF are what you need.

The whole article is fantastic! The one thing you need to fix angles is the sharpest iron you can get. Any pressure put on the strip to cut just tends to flatten the strip back into the form and keep the angle wrong. It really takes a sharp edge and light touch to get the angles back. (Pete Van Schaack)

For the new rodmakers, draw a picture for yourself of the 4 ways the angles can get off. This will help you see the problem, and understand Harry's advice on how to correct the angles. You will quickly see that you have to correct both sides and which way to lean the plane.

The most undercooked piece of advice Harry gave was to make sure the enamel side is flat or has a flat spot where it sits in the bars. When you are beginning you will probably put too much pressure on the plane, and cause the strips to rock. The other problem is most bamboo is not really round, usually it is a slight oval. this causes the strip to center at a different point on one side of the enamel Vs. the other when it is flipped over. A certain way to cause the angles to be off. This may seem trivial, but remember we are dealing with trivial numbers here. In actuality the bars are producing numbers less than .001 so the differences are smaller than we can accurately measure, but you can see and feel them. (Jerry Foster)

Do you agree with Harry here? Either I'm dense this afternoon or I'm just misreading what you're saying here. I personally think that removing the enamel (so that you have a flat...well...flat) before final planing is an important aspect of final planing. I try to get my angles as close to 60 degrees as possible during rough planing, but I don't get stressed out if they aren't perfect. (Todd Talsma)

I am in 100% agreement with both you and Harry. It probably would have read more clearly if the cooked had been looked as I intended.

Both of my points about plane pressure and oval enamel were a bad attempt I guess to explain why a flat on the enamel side were important.

Sorry about the confusion. (Jerry Foster)

I just read what Jerry had to say in reply, and would add a small comment to what

When you pick up your block plane to use it, you find that there is a concave knob up front, which allows you to control the throat opening. It is very comfortable and very tempting to stick the tip of your index finger in the concavity and push down on the plane whilst using same!

Try  not  to  do  this.  The plane also has a well-designed, rounded hand piece at the rear, and it is from this piece that you should push. If you choose to put your finger in the concave button, try to make sure it is only guiding the plane.

This will help you not to rock the strips, and will improve your accuracy. (Peter McKean)

Recently I've added a step to the above description. Adding this step may solve a lot of problems. I think this step is something similar to what Jerry is describing. But I type faster than Jerry so don't mind sharing a few more details <g>.

As described in the post from last Summer...

1.  Remove enamel and flatten enamel side -- truly flat!

2.  Mark strips at each station with pencil on enamel side

3.  Now, here's the added step.... Change to a a very, very sharp blade in your plane; as sharp as you can possibly get it. On a test piece of bamboo set the plane for a cut of .005", with the normal amount of pressure you use when planing.   Place the strip in the form at its final destination. Make a very, very light pass over the entire strip from one end to the other. Put absolutely zero downward pressure on the plane. One hundred percent of your effort should be focused on keeping the sole of the plane level to the forms and keeping it moving from one end to the other. You'll find that with zero downward pressure on the plane, it will not remove the .005" per pass.... more like .001"

Chances are good the plane will not cut all the way down the strip. It'll skip and jump. That's okay. Where it does cut, chances are good that it will cut a shaving smaller than the width of the strip. That too is okay.

Now, flip the strip to the other side, and repeat... very light, very level pass.

Back to the original side, and repeat. I will cut and flip several times. Perhaps as many as five passes on each strip.

In a few passes, you'll find the very sharp plane beginning to cut all the way down the piece of bamboo, and cutting a shaving the same width as the strip. Now quit.

I'll usually do this in batches... Remove enamel and flatten all the strips. Mark all strips. Make the light passes over all the strips. Measure and correct angles on all strips. Finally plane all strips to metal as described in #5 below.

4.  Now, go back to your calipers and measure each strip. I think you will find that the very light passes with a super sharp blade have, to a large degree, corrected your angles. You may have a few that still need some correction. If so, proceed as described in the previous post that Todd resent.

Insert previous instructions here....

5.  Now, back the strip up in the form, moving it toward the larger end. Sneak it forward a little after every few passes. Having only a little bamboo above the forms helps keep angles closer. I usually start with a cut of .004" when the butt of the strip is about 20" away (to the larger side) of its final destination, and plane till I hit metal all along the strip. Move it up 5" and switch to a cut of .003", and again, plane down to the metal. Move it 5" closer, and switch to .002" cut -- again planing all the way down to the metal. For the final 5" I use a cut of .001" or less, and again plane to the metal.

Eight or ten years ago George Maurer was an active part of this list. He wound up leaving.  Why is not important. I set his book aside and didn't look at it for probably 6-7 years. This Fall, for some reason I picked his book up and reread it. George (and Bernie) emphasize this step of super light passes in their section on final planing. Wish I could say this idea was mine originally, but it came from Maurer/Elser. Many thanks Bernie and George!!! It has saved me probably two hours per rod. (Harry Boyd)

How much oversize are your strips when you flatten the enamel side? I'm asking because I learned (probably from Wayne's book; I don't remember now) to flatten much later in the planing, when I am getting close to final size. I suppose the reason is to preserve those mythical power fibers. But I tend to start out with way-oversized strips, which is probably part of my problem.

I believe Darryl H. actually flattens the enamel side with a plane. I suppose that is the next logical step. (Frank Stetzer, Hexrod, Taper Archive, Rodmakers Archive)

I try to flatten a "center band" on the strip, trying to make it about the width of the final strip.

I also measure the two planed surfaces, if one is  much less than the other indicating a non-equilateral triangle, I place the smaller dimensioned one up and take a couple of passes with the plane. This usually brings it back. (David Van Burgel)

I think Harry's method is flawless.

What I do as a first attempt though is place the strip enamel side up in the forms as I start getting towards approaching final dims - before I scrape the enamel. I then slide the strip down the form so that the edges/corners of the enamel are level with the form. It is then fairly easy to see and/or feel with a finger if the enamel is canted one way or the other - it is remarkable how accurate the feeling in our fingers is. It is then common sense to determine which way to flip the strip over and which way to cant the plane to adjust this. (Take Jerry's advice and draw out the permutations if it is not immediately apparent)

I repeat this process until the enamel is level with the form flipping the strip over onto whichever face needs an incantation - usually it involves a little to'ing and fro'ing.

The trick is to do this early enough so that there is enough material to work with. Finally when the enamel is level I scrape. (Stephen Dugmore)

I'm also just a new rodmaker. But I'll offer you some of the advice that worked well for me. I have a print out from an old listserver post by Harry Boyd that described how to cant (lean) your plane to correct angles that are off. I can snail mail you a copy or I'm sure you can find the post in the archives. I has to do with measuring the dimensions of the strips at each station and leaning the plane right or left based on which dimension is larger.

The second thing that worked well for me is a tip from an old rodmaking book by Kreider(sp?). For small corrections you can use your 60 degree center gauge as a mini-scraper to correct angles. Clamp your gauge in a vice point down and draw the strips through the "v" with a little pressure. You can remove small slivers of bamboo this way to correct an off angle. (Aaron Gaffney)

This happens when at wide strip is planed in the narrow end of the form. When you see the angle getting off the 60 degrees, plane off some of the pith apex, slide the strip to the wider part of the form and correct the angle. As the strip is planed narrower, move the strip up the form. Cocking the blade in the plane body or cocking the plane will help to bring the angle back to 60 degrees. I think this has been covered before. The most important thing as far as I am concerned is having the enamel side flat and flat in the form. I scrape the enamel side flat as soon as I get the 60 degree angle started. (Tony Spezio)

The most important thing as far as I am concerned is having the enamel side flat and flat in the form. I scrape the enamel side flat as soon as I get the 60 degree angle started. Hope this helps.

Got a couple of off list messages about scraping the power fibers on a wide strip. I should of made this a bit more detailed like I did in the reply that did not post. As soon as I get a 60 degree angle started, The strip is turned enamel side up, the strip is scraped just down the center to start a flat area down the middle of the strip. A couple of passes with a single edge razor blade will do it. This will help to keep the strip from "rolling" in the form. The scraped area is kept narrow as not to scrape deep into the power fibers. Most of the enamel that remains on the strip will be planed away as the 60 degree angle is planed. The final scraping of the enamel side is not "Final scraped" till the strip is close to finished size. My tip strips are usually split 3/16" wide and butt strips 1/4" wide. (Tony Spezio)

First of all, I made my own wood forms. The final dimension from top of the enamel is fine. The problem I have is that the "enamel" flat is too wide - about .0010 too wide. Is it my forms?  Did I cut them unequally?  (Louis DeVos)

If you mean the flat is one thousandth of an inch too wide, I'd say that is pretty darn good. If you mean it's one hundredth I'd say you don't have 60 degree angles. (Neil Savage)

First of all, don't worry. Some people with mills actually cut their strips that way to assure tight glue joints. The first thing I would do is visually check the angles with your machinist center gauge. If they appear to be right, consider the following:

1) The power fibers just under the enamel are the toughest stuff in the rod. It may be that you are crushing them less when measuring, and getting a different reading than you get on the other sides, where one edge is composed of softer pith material.

2) If your plane is not dead sharp, it may be that you are getting a slight rollover with the fine fibers.

In any case, glue up the rod and go fishing. I don't think you have a big problem. (Tom Smithwick)