Surform Plane

[bigbanana]

I've been given a nearly new Stanley Surform block plane. The blade has been fitted to cut on the pull rather than on the push. Can anyone tell me if this is correct please? The blade can be fitted in either direction on the plane. Never having used a surform before, I'm unsure of the way the blade should be fitted. There's no indication on the blade or plane of the cor
rect way to fit.

[tonyav]

Usually planes cut on the push.

[Old_Geezer]

I'd have expected the push stroke too. But I also think it matters little to most of us who will go back and forth and check the workpiece every so often anyway.

[dannyk13]

Should be fitted to cut on the push.

[douglas9401]

Push is the answer unless you feel the need to pull sharpened steel towards your tackle saying "it'll never happen to me".

[rojash]

If you Google Surform blade you'll find that just about every site says the Surform is designed to cut on the pull.

[tonyav]

LOL @ douglas.

[rowanwitch]

I've always had them work on the pull its just another technique

[rojash]

//pull sharpened steel towards your tackle saying "it'll never happen to me".//

Maybe you're in the habit of laying your tackle horizontally on top of your work. I don't think this is a real danger for normal people.

[rowanwitch]

safe for girls..... although I have put a hammer drill through the skin between my thumb and index finger before now...note to self do not hang mirrors while watching tv

[tonyav]

Jaysus rowan, trip up to the A & E.

[rowanwitch]

No stopped it pulled it out pulled it together with stitch plasters and carried on

[tonyav]

That sounds like some form of witchcraft to me ( feels no pain ).

[rowanwitch]

Hurt like hell but irrelevant It needed dealing with

[heathfield]

It depends on the tool as to whether you use a push or a pull action. The standard flat plane type blade can be turned to use it in either direction, but some of the single handed curved blade tools would be very awkward to use with a push action and have to be pulled.

[The Builder]

Your choice entirely, BananaMan. Same with hacksaws. Japanese saws are always on the pull (as it were), while American saws are pushy (wouldn't you know it?)
Slightly different with surforms, in that you choose to push or pull for different jobs.

[RATTER15]

Surform, I just hate the dreadful things, I used to use them, then I learned to use a plane.

I always see them as a poor mans plane and a bit of a gimmick for those that cant use a plane, I maybe wrong.

[heathfield]

They can be quite a good substitute on curved work where you might otherwise use a spokeshave or draw knife.

[jomifl]

They are just a kind of rasp rather than a plane and are good for removing wood quickly but not exactly a finishing tool (unless you are nudist with a penchant for watching porno movies whilst woodworking).

[bigbanana]

Thank you all for your very interesting comments. I'm very grateful. Right now, I'm using the surform to trim a number of Knauf glass fibre reinforced plasterboard sheets to fit a cavity and using the surform to cut on the push seems to be the right way to go about the job.

Whilst, I appreciate the view that a standard plane would be what a professional would use, I can't see a normal plane being used for the purpose I'm using the Surform for right now. Right now, it is indeed being used as a rasp.

[The Builder]

For that job, Bananas, definitely some kind of surform/rasp. I doubt if any carpenter would risk one of his wood planes on plasterboard. It would be blunt in five minutes anyway :o(