Shopsmith Forums

Garrett Hack just uses a stick of wood on the bench. He lays the plane nose on it and the blade is up off the bench.

Both are much handier than laying it down on its side where another tool might strike the blade.

Forrest

Use a soft wood bench like pine or fir and this is not an issue.

About the only time I lay a plane on its side is to use on a shooting board.

terrydowning wrote:Use a soft wood bench like pine or fir and this is not an issue.

About the only time I lay a plane on its side is to use on a shooting board.

This is going to be an interesting thread as it already reflects our individual opinions and up bringing in the shop.

I lay my hand planes on their side because I was taught to do that in high school wood shop. It is 2nd nature to me. I even have a shelf under my work bench where all of my hand planes are stored "on their sides".

I don't recall having ever damaged a blade while in storage. Next week....maybe:eek:.

terrydowning wrote:Use a soft wood bench like pine or fir

Here we go... Supposedly a good work bench should be hard wood.... Hard maple they usually say.

between that and plane storage this thread should blast off so first thanks for sharing Bob.

Here is some facts if you lay you planes on your bench with the blade against the bench top you will not have a workable bench top for too long. In high school where laying a plane blade down on a bench top would cost you two swats from the board of education we still had to refinish the bench tops every other year.

I can tell a craftsman by the way he handles his bench top, his hand saw and his planes. If he drills or saws into his bench top or sets a plane blade down on the top or allows metal to touch his plane or handsaw in my opinion he is not a craftsman. I would never lend him a tool.

If his bench top is used by not abused and no metal ever touches his handsaws or his plane and he always lays his plane on the side I know he is old school craftsman. He would never ask to borrow a tool.

Ed in Tampa wrote:Here is some facts if you lay you planes on your bench with the blade against the bench top you will not have a workable bench top for too long. In high school where laying a plane blade down on a bench top would cost you two swats from the board of education we still had to refinish the bench tops every other year.

I can tell a craftsman by the way he handles his bench top, his hand saw and his planes. If he drills or saws into his bench top or sets a plane blade down on the top or allows metal to touch his plane or handsaw in my opinion he is not a craftsman. I would never lend him a tool.

If his bench top is used by not abused and no metal ever touches his handsaws or his plane and he always lays his plane on the side I know he is old school craftsman. He would never ask to borrow a tool.

Well, that should provide an excuse for all occasions.

Paul Sellers has a blog post that covers his thoughts on the
"Is it right to stand the plane up or lay it on its side on the workbench?" controversy.

rpd wrote:Paul Sellers has a blog post that covers his thoughts on the
"Is it right to stand the plane up or lay it on its side on the workbench?" controversy.

Good read. I'm with Paul.

I'm not a big hand tool user but It seems obvious to me that you have a sharp tools with delicate edges. Be careful with them.

I second Paul's point of view and that was the way I was trained by my Dad and his dad before him. I will stand by Paul Sellers level of craftsmanship any day and when it comes to wood working advice, any man with his experience and resume has my attention.

If your damaging the edge of a plane from sitting it down on a wood bench top, then you either haven't sharpened it properly or just being careless. It's wood which is always softer than metal.