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Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
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Author:  Corky Long [ Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
Thanks again all - I really appreciate the time you're all taking to help make me a better luthier [:Y:]
I've been hand sharpening the blades for my planes, using a waterstone (1200x one side, and 8000 on the other)
They are Hock blades - very hard - and good quality.
The problem is this - I'm using a relatively inexpensive honing guide that you clamp the blade in with a screw - sorry - can't seem to attach the picture of it

As I sharpen these blades I seem to be sharpening a crescent shaped portion of the cutting edge - almost as if the blade is being bent slightly by the clamp - with that in mind I'm used as little pressure to clamp it as I can without it slipping. How does one ensure that the face of the cutting edge is uniformly contacting the stone? Different/better?? honing guide?

Thanks!
Author:  woody b [ Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
Are the stones worn slightly concave? Try it without the guide, just try hard to hold the blade at the same angle the guide holds it and see what happens.
Author:  John Lewis [ Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDocs/ ... How_To.htm

This is one of the best pages of links for woodworkers. It has tons of tutorials on how to do everything with hand tools.

Try this link first - https://home.comcast.net/%7Estanleyplan ... nes101.htm It's my favorite for tuning hand planes - hit the link "Hand Plane Tune Up Guide" and look at the 6 scanned pages from Fine Woodworking. It's an article on plane fettling from David Charlesworth - great stuff.

Here is the section devoted just to sharpening - https://home.comcast.net/%7Estanleyplan ... pening.htm

Good luck.
Author:  vpelleri [ Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
Thanks for those links, John!
Art
Author:  MRS [ Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
The problem with stones is they do wear over time and need to be flattened. This is one of the reasons I'm actually experimenting with the sandpaper method. I'm using automotive wet/ dry Silicon Carbide Sandpaper and a 12"x12" 1/4" inch thick flat steel plate. I'm using steel because i had it on hand even though many use tempered glass for this.
Author:  Randolph [ Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
Hey Crokey, the thing that helped me the most on sharpening was Brian Burns's little book on sharpening. Even if you don't subscribe to his full system (which by the way is awesome) that little book, for 6 bucks (LMI) did worlds for me in understanding about the chisel and hand plane sharpening world. You might want to check it out! idunno
Author:  Frei [ Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
Id look up scary sharp system, its relatively cheap. Your stones seem to start out pretty high. For average sharpening, I start with 800 grit.

Tooling up for sharpening is really important, you need sharp sharp tools to do guitar building right.
Author:  jordan aceto [ Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
Also, a tiny bit of radiusing of the blade can actually be a desirable thing, for certain jobs. It keeps the edges of the blade from digging in and leaving tracks. For anything except jointing i dont mind if my blades get a little bit curved, it just makes them slice through a little better and leaves less plane tracks to clean up. I get that effect by letting my waterstones get worn in the middle and moving the pressure from side to side as i sharpen. I am talking about a miniscule amount of radiusing.

For anything you want truely flat for glue joints or whatever a curved edge wont do of course.
Author:  MRS [ Sun Apr 19, 2009 9:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
Frei wrote:
Id look up scary sharp system, its relatively cheap. Your stones seem to start out pretty high. For average sharpening, I start with 800 grit.

Tooling up for sharpening is really important, you need sharp sharp tools to do guitar building right.

Great video link. Thats was nice.
Author:  Martin Turner [ Mon Apr 20, 2009 7:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
Todd Stock wrote:

As for cost, there's no need to spend much for exceptionally sharp edges. Scary Sharp is the least expensive system in initial outlay: a $10 Eclipse-style side clamping jig, a $20 scrap of 1/2" plate glass (6" x 20" is plenty big enough), five sheets of silicon carbide at $1 per sheet, and a $7 can of 3M 77 spray adhesive is all that is needed. The diamond/waterstone system is significantly more expensive ($120 diamond stone, $80 Norton 1000/8000 combo stone, $10 honing guide; call it $220), but still 1/2 of a Tormek, Jet, or other sharpening 'system'. I appreciate the efforts by Tormek, Jet, and folks like Brian Burns, but there are easier, faster, cheaper ways to get great edges.


IMHO while initial outlay is less for the scarey sharp method long term I reckon it would work out more expensive than a couple of water stones, a honing guide and a strop.
Author:  Corky Long [ Mon Apr 20, 2009 1:28 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Sharpening my hand planes - poor results
Thanks all - great links and resources.

I opted to go for a mix of two of the suggestions - sticking with what I have (waterstones) and trying, carefully, by hand WITHOUT the sharpening jig (counterintuitive for me, but worked much better, with a bit of concentration and care) and got great results. Now I just need to grow back some of the hair on the back of my hand, as I tested three plane blades and a couple of chisels. :)

Also just looked at your videos on youtube Todd - great! Very helpful.
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