I haven’t tried to flatten the sole. I did try to flatten the back of the blade and didn’t get very far. I’m going to try the Scary Sharp method.
I tried to move the black to under the sole, but the little screw that does that doesn’t even go that far in! Am I missing something? I wanted to try moving it flush and then advancing it bit by bit as per the suggestion up thread.
I don’t understand your last post,Zsofia.Are you describing the blade adjustment or a movable toe plate,which some planes have?
If it’s the blade depth of cut adjuster,typically there are slots/indents/notches in the blade that are engaged by tines driven by the thumbscrew,which has a short linear translation.Pick one that allows the range you need.If you sharpen a lot,and you should,that compensates for an ever shortening iron.
Okay, looking online it seems like other planes have several different notch things you can put the plane at. Mine doesn’t. All I have is the thumbscrew at the back, which adjusts how much of the blades sticks out the bottom of the sole but can’t take it all the way inside the plane. My plane has a long slot that you attach the cap iron to and then it goes onto this long screw which the, uh, front thingey goes onto, and then you flip a catch on the top of that front thing and it tightens the whole thing together, and it has a little slot for the thing that’s moved by the thumbscrew that changes how much blade sticks out. I don’t see how it could be assembled so as to use anything but that one slot for the thumbscrew thing.
ETA - I think it’s actually the cap iron that has the slot for the thumbscrew thing. At any rate, there’s only one slot.
Zsofia, I just went out to the garage to look at one of my jack planes and it’s like yours in that there is only one slot in the blade for the adjustment lever. When you screw the thumbwheel all the way in, how much of the blade is still sticking out below the sole?
It sounds like your blade is not sharp enough. You need to be able to shave or almost shave hair with the blade. It also sounds like you are trying to cut way too deep. Poplar is not that hard, you should not be feeling like you are not strong enough, that is a big sign you are cutting too deep.
Hand planing is tricky to do and I am not good at getting square and the right thickness yet. But it is a lot of fun to make curlies. 
I don’t know about suck ass, but the Avant planes have a very poor rep amongst the hand tool galoots. I have never used one though. If you want a good, tuned, inexpensive Stanley Talk to Walt he will set you up nicely. I have purchased three planes from him and they arrive tuned up (square, flat, ready to use, except for a final honing on the blade.)
Here is another hand tool resource… Woodnet Forums - Woodworking Hand Tools
Zsofia,it sounds like the tool may be compromised in effectiveness and useful life,lacking such adjustment.Of course,I can’t see what you have there,but you should be able to retract the blade completely.
To give an idea of setting the blade,retract it below the sole,set the plane on a flat surface (a very deceptive statement ) with doubled cigarette paper (.002/3") under each end and single paper under the blade.Lower the blade 'til the paper drags when pulled,then take a pass at your board.If your iron is sharp and the sole reasonably true,you’ll get a healthy curl of poplar but stall on oak.Any advance of the blade is made with partial turns of the thumbscrew.Should you have to retract the blade,bear in mind the backlash of the screw and any slop in the engagement mechanism before returning to the prior but slightly less position.
Zsofia, try flipping the blade over, to what seems “upside down”. The beveled edge should be facing the work, not up facing away (facing up presents too steep of an angle to the work, which makes it chip and skip the wood, not curling out those fine coils). I had similar difficulty in this thread.
Sharp is important, but the blade angle of the plane is also important.
Tripler
I know, ‘upside down’ seems anti-intuitive, but that’s what solved my problem.
I thought you always were supposed to have the maker’s name on top?
I figured the depth thing out - I had to adjust the cap iron. I think I now understand the proper blade depth and just have a sharpening issue. It’s a lot sharper now but won’t shave hair off my arms.
Looking around online it seems a lot of people get these cheaper planes and then buy a new blade and chip breaker which cost the same as the plane but then they end up with a relatively inexpensive decent plane. I may need to look into that.
ETA - I made proto-curls today! My boyfriend thought they were popcorn.
Which makes sense if you know how to fettle the plane properly. I don’t know how to do that so I prefer purchasing pre-fettled planes.
sounds like you are getting there, once you have long gossamer ribbons that you can see light through you will be in planing heaven. I flit between heaven and purgatory myself, maybe I will see you around there somewhere 
The thing about planes is that everything has to work perfectly together. It’s not enough for the blade to be sharp, but it has to be properly adjusted as to depth of cut, as well as laterally (i.e., so it doesn’t dig in at one corner). I don’t know the Anant planes – I think they’re cheap Indian-made planes. It could be that the parts are badly machined and mate badly, such that you get chatter or vibration when the blade encounters the wood. The fact is that lots of new equipment is crap. You’re better off buying a 50-year-old Stanley plane off eBay. The price is basically the same.
Flattening the sole is important if you’re really into it, but unless the sole is seriously unflat (not impossible, by the way), that shouldn’t be your big issue. I would say the most important things are sharpness, good lateral adjustment, and not letting the blade protrude too far. Plus it helps to have a good, solid bench to work on – that makes a big difference.
And yeah, some force will be required, particularly for a jack plane and particularly for poplar. Poplar planes nicely, but it’s a little “catchy.” I’d start on knot-free pine. It’s softer (and a lot cheaper). It also helps to oil or wax the sole of the plane a little. Don’t put just any oil – use something that won’t mess up any eventual finish. I use camellia oil from Japan (more expense!), but you can also crumple up a piece of wax paper and run it over the sole.
I don’t care how many damnfool message board threads you see on the subject, do not put your plane on a conveyor belt. :eek: Trust me on this. 
If you casually let it slip in some circles that you are making thin, curly ribbons of wood, Boy Scouts in search of tinder will volunteer to sweep your shop, just to carry off your shavings. 
That’s one of the most beautiful floors I’ve ever seen. Yes, I wish I could do something like that also. Think of the satisfaction!!
Zsofia, what is it you eventually want to accomplish? What objects do you want to learn how to make? Working with a plane is a good skill to have but it’s not really as important as it might have been 50 or 100 years ago. The lumber we can buy today has already been planed and usually is ready for woodworking right off the shelf. While we wouldn’t use it for a project like that beautiful floor, most of us are not in that class of woodworking either.
What do you want to build?
I want to build furniture, I really want to build fabulous kitchen cabinets, but I’m also just looking to pick up basic fundamentals.
I took a basic woodworking course a few years ago. We spent about 6 hours just setting up our hand planes. This is not a trivial exercise. They do not come ready to use out of the box, at least for fine wood aficionados. I suggest you go to a book store and buy a good hand plane book.
Conveyor belt? Is that like a belt sander? The reason for not doing this I think is the chance of destroying the temper if you let it get too hot.
I’ve got six right here. (I’m a librarian.) Unfortunately, an experienced woodworker did not pop out of any of them when I opened them. In a couple days I should have some free time and I’m going to sharpen the living crap out of the blade; I really think that’s what’s missing.
Zsofia,
Here’s something that might be helpful:
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/SkillsAndTechniques/SkillsAndTechniquesPDF.aspx?id=2091
The general problem with using belt sanders,generally:
Ruining tempered steel,as noted by Askeptic.
Using innappropriate grit/abrasive/bond for material abraded.
Without resort to skill or fixturing,destroying any truth or precision integral to piece.
One could absolutely belt sand a cast iron plane sole and have no effect on temper while ruining whatever plane qualities it had.
I believe that Ask Not was cracking wise about many long running threads about (air)planes being able to take off on conveyor belts. Altough askeptic’s and
Carson O’Genic’s comments are quite valid.