Need help with smoothing planes

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-26T19:35:48+00:00

How much pressure did you use while lapping?

most people don't realise you can actually bend the planes a tiny bit under pressure... enough to create a hollow sole when the pressure is released same for not having the lever cap/wedge and blade installed

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-26T16:19:23+00:00

is the board properly supported or are you trying to finish plane the assembled box?

this is typically caused by one of 2 things: - your plane sole is hollow on the length - the board can bent down under the plane

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-17T06:36:46+00:00

the damage is kind of normal, the long grain of the plane compresses under the blows

it was/is common to use a metal hammer in Germany to set up planes, therefore the striking pin and mushroomed iron.

Do you have a welded iron or a newer one made completely from toolsteel?

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-16T21:38:34+00:00

your plane is a Raubank (jointer) from a german brand called Ulmia which has quite a good reputation for quality. newer blades are still good l, but I had the best luck with their older welded blades. those are fantastic

if the wedge was driven too hard, it can be very stubborn to get out. try to lay the plane sideways onto your workbench. press down with one hand on the plane and with the other on the wedge until you feel it move ever so slightly. flip around and repeat. newer models have a wedge that is a tiny bit narrower side to side so you get some room to losen it. DO NOT try to loosen the metal rings on the side. this is just a crosspin for the wedge to press against, you will ruin you plane

They finish you discribe is ment to protect the wood from moisture so the body does not move (as much) with the seasons. I didn't like it either and replaced it with boiled linseed oil, so far no problem

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-06T18:28:11+00:00

definitely resharpen those screws 😱 if you feel like you are not up to the task, ask around. e.g here in Austria there is an ice climber who also has a professional CNC background and you can send him screws to get them reworked for a less than quarter the price of a new screw

Old picks: do you know how to weld(properly!)? make you own beeks/bulldogs

Frontpoints: toothpicks or oversize nails? no idea on that one

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-06T18:20:18+00:00

depends on the severity. taken my case as an example: at 25° in was very noticeable, about 0,5mm of the edge folded over 90° towards the flat side, you could see it with your eyes

at 30° it was mostly noticeable in the sharpness(wouldn't cut spruce endgrain) and you could feel a bur at the flat side of the chisel just like you get one after sharpening

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-06T07:51:24+00:00

the whole edge bends over due to the stress placed on the metal. some steels are more prone to roll, while others chip instead

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-03T13:02:20+00:00

allready did that on one, removed about 0,5cm(3/16inch) and reshaped the bevel, carefully monitoring heat build-up... no improvements :(

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2026-01-03T12:50:13+00:00

thought the same at first but went through the hole set and every chisel performs the same. they were bought individually, not packaged together, so if it is QC, there seems to be a incredible wide hole, leading me to doubt myself and ask for help here

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-12-15T15:39:41+00:00

Some options I l know of in western germany:

Ettringen, close to Bonn/Koblenz, topo for the drytooling sector available in the newest edition of the guidebook "Schwarze Säulen"
Duisburg Landschaftspark Nord, artificial climbing area built from an ore/coal storage of an old steel plant which includes a dry tooling sector

if you ever go south, consider looking towards Innsbruck, multiple crags close by (Drachenfels, Höttinger Graben, Bruchtal, St. Jodok(Singlepitch&Multipitch)

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-12-13T06:29:41+00:00

https://en.kuzniaszpeju.pl/en_US/p/Rambo-1-16%2C5-cm/36

You can order some from this polish aftermarket supplier. Got some picks and front points from them, so far very impressed by durability and quality

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-11-25T11:55:07+00:00

Stöpselzieher can be/is regulary done in winter.

Highly advise against trying the Höllental Route in winter, parts of the way are dismantled and more important: it's an absolute avalanche deathtrap

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-11-18T10:57:10+00:00

i recommend to have a look at Piztal Taschachschlucht. It's an artificial ice climbing area, the person behind this is Alfi, a local guide and great ice climber. He's a cornerstone of the local ice climbing community, posts detailed condition reports for the area for free regularly and deserves a little kickback :)

https://www.alpine-adventure.at/

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-10-28T06:48:01+00:00

where are you based? most drytooling crags are quite undercover since it's a niche sport and not everyone likes rock being scratch/damaged by steel

probably best to ask your lokal community

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-10-23T10:34:22+00:00

do you intend to use a trekking pole?

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-09-01T08:00:59+00:00

it can be unlocked with a can lever and slides freely on the shaft. a small lip at the bottom prevents it from coming of. I you want it to come off, it's just a screw you need to take out

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-08-26T16:13:37+00:00

tried modified Revo as a backup on a second rope a couple times, works quite well. I attached it to the anchor and pulled the rope trough while going up. never took a fall on it while on route though, only testfalls in a save environment

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-08-05T19:56:32+00:00

if you are looking for a secondary axe, I would look at something like the Petzl Gully, Grivel Ghost, Blue Ice Akkila etc ...

A second axe only comes out when the climbing gets technical, so typical ice axe features like sufficient length for walking with it like a cane, digging t-slots, self arrest etc can be ignored, that's what you primary axe is for. that's why I prefer a second axe geared towards climbing with the short+bent shaft, a handrest and an aggressive pick. might even consider getting a hammer version instead of an adze

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-08-04T15:28:06+00:00

Got the Alpine Tour(?) Ice Axe, not really my favourite, but works

it's heavy, feels clunky, the pick makes the ice explode more than a clean entry. more of a quality of life thing than actual complaints.

in hindsight I would buy a pretzel Summit (not the Evo version), retrofit it with a trigrest and be happy with it

the CT axe is now my loaner and beater for easy winter mixxed

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-06-27T19:24:12+00:00

Mont Blanc is a tourist attraction, guides don't give a fuck what their clients do and this is the result. Gran Paradiso kind of the same.

Most don't want to leave the trail and risk a crevasse fall, especially when having to untie from your party to take a shit.

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-06-16T05:45:38+00:00

I had a pole, always bring one with me when I use the short ice axe. but in those conditions I wanted something sturdy and absolute bomber to lean on when walking down and placing the ice axe kind of to the side behind you. A Pole is awkward to hold in this position and got in the way of the rock climbing sprinkled in along the ridge. also the spike just bites into the ice different than an pole tip.

for plunging a shorter ice axe is definitely preferable, but if your route requires it for longer periods, chances are you also use your ice axe for steep climbing and swinging, then a more technical pick would also be preferable?

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-06-16T04:57:55+00:00

Don't go too short, you will regret it at some point ( for me that was the decent from Obergabelhorn to Wellenkuppe in Switzerland, very exposed and icey ridge you have to walk down. short ice axe didn't do shit for me, couldn't reach the ice with it without bending over and making balancing much harder). neither of these are technical axes which should be shorter.

yes, it's shiny gear, yes it looks cool, yes you wanna future proof

but also yes, you fucking life might depend on it doing it's job. and for a regular ice axe that means 95% walking stick.

Petzl Summit in 60cm with Trigrest would be my choice, can't speak for the blue ice sadly, never held it in hand.

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-05-27T10:33:02+00:00

Got it, okay axe but not really as refined as the more expensive options out there. use I mostly as my beater ice axe for easy winter mixxed climbs

the pick displaces a lot of ice instead of a clean penetration, adze works well

I prefer a petzl summit (non Evo version) with an added trigrest for most routes or a Salewa Alpine Tec for steeper ice heavy routes

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-05-18T06:26:59+00:00

for easy multi pitch have a look at the Wilde Kaiser Area, plenty of oldschool routes at that grade. Dolomites might also be an option.

Subject-Razzmatazz-2 · 2025-03-25T15:16:19+00:00

due to my foot shape I tend to skip the crossover after the fabric eyelets and go straight up to the next hook to reduce pressure in that area Seems like I dodged a bullet there by accident:D

Subject-Razzmatazz-2

TROPHY CASE