thanks so much for this, recently i was at an old antique show for planes and all of that and found a Stanley, Bailys 4-1/2, which I needed. It was "new, old stock" . I started a project after squaring the blade and sharpening the blade and this chatter is exactly why I have, So I disassembled the plane took out the frog and Yip, sure enough, there is a major dip in the frogs center, So I guess I have some lapping to do to get it flat, Thats what i thought it was but this video for sure confirmed it. Thanks !!

I learned to rewatch your videos because I pick up on little details that I had previously missed most of which are important such as your teaching on how to avoid chitter and lapping the frog surface. Thanks.

Great explanation and demonstration of how to fix- appreciate it, I'm halfway to end of my project

Best tutorials on the internet I've come across with regards to handtools!

This was perfect. I had loosened my cap lever screws to make blade adjustment easier. Quarter turn fixed my problem. Thanks.

Another excellent demonstration. Another way that skitter occurs is putting longer pieces of wood in vise to plane and results from wood giving or flexing under plane. That is why I generally plane on bench top. These demonstrations have been very helpful, thanks for being so generous with your knowledge.

I had one plane that was giving me fits trying to get it set up so I wouldn't get any chatter. I did fine tune the bottom of the frog, and it still chattered. I eventually discovered that the paint on the plane bed left a hump for it to pivot on. Got rid of that and I am able to get smooth cuts with it. I did see some one that for flattening the bottom of the frog, he cut a slot in the board he had his abrasives on and the pivot pin for the side adjustment went in that slot. thought that was a good idea!

Great video, thanks! Do you have any advice for if the frog doesn't sit well on the plane body? I have a 4 1/2 and a 6 that both have unfortunately had the bodies painted by previous owners and they failed to mask the frog bedding points and sprayed black paint all over the machined flat surfaces that receive the frog. I've scraped off the majority and tried to lap it flat with a small file/ sanding block but when I sit the frog onto the plane, it is rocking side to side. Obviously once the two screws are tight it will no longer rock, but I do wonder if I should continue to try to get the frog to marry perfectly to the body?

Question, when you put the frog back in to the plane, should the face of the frog be flush, under-flush or over-flush with the angled face in the mouth of the sole? Or to say it another way, should the iron sit across the frog and the angle face of the mouth, touching both, not contacting the mouth surface or sit hard on the mouth and slightly off the face of the frog? Apologies if my terminology is off! 🙂 As you installed the frog, you fingers were touching the bottom edge of the frog and the mouth, checking their alignment (presumably), but i don't recall a specific instruction on which way is best, assuming it makes a difference at all. Many thanks in anticipation!

Why do they call it the yolk?