Well I am certainly not going to improve on Richard's advice over blade 
mechanics.
Good one Brother!

   I'll just add that I have never measured a bevel angle on a bench 
plane blade in my life.
Eyeball it and if it doesn't work, oh well. Only takes a minute to grind 
to more or less bevel, and hone it out again, anyways.

    The only reason I am writing is just to remind us,
the fantasy of plowing straight down the face of a plank, with any 
plane, in any wood,
with no problems?......... is really rare.
Yup it does happen but never count on it haahaha

   Wood does not care how you want to work it. Wood can only be worked 
in the way it can be worked.
(kind of like a girl I knew)
   Heavily skewed, and attacking from --every-- angle until the right 
one shows itself??
Is how I plane pretty much all wood.

   There is also a little bit of how hard or lightly I press the plane 
down as I work. You really do have some control in this aspect, and it 
matters.
   yours scott

-- 
*******************************
    Scott Grandstaff
    Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca  96039
    scottg@s...
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/
    http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html