Hand Planes

shydragon · Post by **shydragon** » Sat May 30, 2009 12:18 am

For my 21st birthday, my wife bought me a Craftsman 9-1/2 in hand plane. I knew nothing about hand planes, and I couldn't wait to try it out. So, I finally had something to try it on, and it didn't work to well. I thought at the time, what a piece of crap. So, I put it back in it's box, and that it where it has been for the last 36 years.

About 15 years or so later, I bought a used Stanley, 18" from a second hand store for $15. Wow, it cut like butter, but I still didn't know the secrect. Then shortly after that, my grandfather gave me his Craftsman 14". And again, it cut like butter, and still not knowing the secret, my thought was, they made them a lot better back then.

Then shortly after that, I somehow ended up with a book on sharpening, that was when I learned that a brand new hand plane is not ready to use. But, still the birthday present sat in its box.

Just recently, I purchased an 18" Sargent hand plane from the woodnet forum. So this week, I have been sharpening the Stanley 18", Craftsman 14", and the Sargent. The Sargent was sent to me well packaged, completely disassembled with two blades. I grabbed one of the blades, flattened to a mirror finish, put a 25degree bevel using a medium diamond stone, then a 800 waterstone, 1200 waterstone, 6000 & 8000 waterstone, then put a 30 degree micro bevel. And to top it off, I followed charlese advice with a leather strop. It looked so good, then I assembled the plane, dropped the blade in, and it wouldn't lay flat. I fooled with that for a 1/2 hour, just no go. So, then I grabbed the other blade, dropped it in and it lay perfectly flat. After comparing the two blades, I noticed the slot was narrower. So now, I am sharpening the correct blade.

And one of these days, I'll pull out my birthday present from 36 years ago, and sharpen it too.

reible · Post by **reible** » Sat May 30, 2009 2:16 am

Hi,

I've been bitten by "the secret", some tools are not sharp enough to use but "we" never mention that in the ad's or in the information that comes with the tool... what is that about??? Seems a simple line that says "sharpen before using" would be a good thing to add.

When I got my mortise chisel set from this shopsmith company I thought they are ready to use... got that wrong! At least the lathe tools were so bad almost anyone would pick up on the fact they needed sharpening.

For you inexperienced people a lot of stuff looks sharp but if it doesn't act sharp it isn't. Sorry no list of what is and what is not. One sure way is if the catalog or internet site or store offers the tool with an option to have it sharpened... real good chance it is not sharpened.

Ed

tdubnik · Post by **tdubnik** » Sat May 30, 2009 4:53 am

reible wrote:Hi,

I've been bitten by "the secret", some tools are not sharp enough to use but "we" never mention that in the ad's or in the information that comes with the tool... what is that about??? Seems a simple line that says "sharpen before using" would be a good thing to add.

Ed

I ran into this recently when I bought a new set of blades for my John Deere Lawn tractor. Previously when I replaced the blades the new ones were relatively sharp right out of the box. The most recent set I bought about a month ago, the blades looked like they had mill marks on the bevel. It appears that they that they milled the bevel but never touched them to a grinder. The cutting edge was rounded over and I had to grind ~1/32" just to get an edge.

robinson46176 · Post by **robinson46176** » Sat May 30, 2009 9:22 am

I look at new tools that are not even basically sharp enough to use as pretty much of a crock...

How many of us would accept a new saw blade that had to be sharpened before using.

Or drill bits?
I think some emailing and whining is in order for the whole world of wood hobbyist. Maybe a few emails to some woodworking magazines. Part of the manufacturing process of making an edge tool should be creating an edge. For shipping it should then be protected like with dip coating.
If we say nothing then we can expect nothing.

A new car should not arrive as bare metal and with a box of spray cans in the trunk...

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Sat May 30, 2009 12:01 pm

robinson46176 wrote:I look at new tools that are not even basically sharp enough to use as pretty much of a crock...
How many of us would accept a new saw blade that had to be sharpened before using. Or drill bits?
I think some emailing and whining is in order for the whole world of wood hobbyist. Maybe a few emails to some woodworking magazines. Part of the manufacturing process of making an edge tool should be creating an edge. For shipping it should then be protected like with dip coating.
If we say nothing then we can expect nothing.
A new car should not arrive as bare metal and with a box of spray cans in the trunk...

Farmer
You bring up an excellent point. For years I have accepted the fact that most woodworking tools when bought aren't properly sharpened. But your right they should be! And we the buying public need to let these manufactures know that it isn't acceptable anymore. We aren't going to accept the ad hype that every craftsman wants to waste even more time putting a proper edge on the tools they are selling.

In short I think we woodworkers have been sold a bill of goods. They didn't want to sharpen them and they convinced us that we should enjoy putting our "own" edge on their product before we can ever use it.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Sat May 30, 2009 12:42 pm

Ed in Tampa wrote:Farmer
You bring up an excellent point. For years I have accepted the fact that most woodworking tools when bought aren't properly sharpened. But your right they should be! And we the buying public need to let these manufactures know that it isn't acceptable anymore. We aren't going to accept the ad hype that every craftsman wants to waste even more time putting a proper edge on the tools they are selling.

In short I think we woodworkers have been sold a bill of goods. They didn't want to sharpen them and they convinced us that we should enjoy putting our "own" edge on their product before we can ever use it.

OKAY - sharp tools are good, especially saw blades, wood working chisels and planes.

Who sells good chisels and planes that come to us ground at the proper angle and adequately honed "out of the box"?

What is the proper angle? Is there a proper answer or is that a personal thing?

Let us NOT discuss turning chisels or carving chisels in this thread as they all deserve attention of their own.

a1gutterman · Post by **a1gutterman** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:24 pm

When I worked in the wholesale tool business (over 29 years ago), among other tools, we sold both Stanley and Millers Falls woodworking tools. IIRC, those companies, at least at that time, always sold their chisels and hand planes already sharpened. Maybe, just maybe, IDRC.

curiousgeorge · Post by **curiousgeorge** » Sat May 30, 2009 1:39 pm

Caveat Emptor!!!!
I recently bought a couple of hand planes from Woodcraft. On the web site check out there was an option to have the irons sharpened. So! Being the lazy type that I am, I opted for this service. For an "extra fee", of course. To make a long story short... DON'T FALL FOR THIS CRAP!!!! Apparently these people think that sharpening a plane iron consists of just running the iron over a coarse grinding wheel and that's it. I called them about this, thinking that there had been a mistake, and they said that WAS the sharpening service. I told them that was the last time they would get me on that scam and I would tell every one I know about it.
Having said all that; I do think that everyone needs to learn to be proficient in sharpening and maintaining their own tools. A dull or un-maintained tool is a dangerous tool.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Sat May 30, 2009 2:54 pm

THANK YOU for the info George. I NEED to learn to sharpen my stuff better, so I don't have to wait for them to do it.

tdubnik · Post by **tdubnik** » Sat May 30, 2009 4:22 pm

beeg wrote:THANK YOU for the info George. I NEED to learn to sharpen my stuff better, so I don't have to wait for them to do it.

While I HAVE learned to sharpen plane irons and chisels by hand, it has always seemed like a major chore. As a result, I tended to delay sharpening until I couldn't stand the performance any longer. My savior was a Work Sharp 3000. This thing takes most of the work out of sharpening.

After a GOOD initial sharpening, I usually have to hone on the Work Sharp for a few seconds when the tool STARTS to dull. This restores the "scary sharp" edge in no time flat. I bought the wide blade attachment so I could sharpen my wider plane irons and I built a wooden jig so that I can sharpen the skew angles on my Stanley 79 side rabbet plane.

I really like woodworking and working with sharp tools. I dislike things that take me away from that. The Work Sharp has given me more working time.