How do I love planes, let me count the ways

[Acer Saccharum]

I watched the plane video. It's quite a good demo, but I will never ever ever sharpen my planes that sharp. I will also not be jointing my gunstocks. I am roughing it, man. Ruff-ruff! Chew that wood off.

[WadePatton]

I watched the plane video. It's quite a good demo, but I will never ever ever sharpen my planes that sharp. I will also not be jointing my gunstocks. I am roughing it, man. Ruff-ruff! Chew that wood off.

Well are lots of videos pasted in this thread.  If you're speaking of Mr. Sellers and the Plane Cam video, I don't recall the specifics on how he sharpened that lot, but he does have a video showing how a 250-grit stone (yes only the one zero) cuts great curls and leaves a good finish.  My "coarse" DMT diamond plate (for flattening of waterstones) is 325 and plenty good for hogging off a bevel that produces feathery wisps o' wood.  

So it don't take much to make a plane sing, heck i do it free hand (no rolley jig).  If i want to get fancy i'll use my razor "bevel setter" and kitchen knife stone of 1000.  Above that is reserved for razors proper.

[Kermit]

Beware the antique wooden plane, Wade. Many have a mouth big enough to swallow pickled eggs whole. Soles can be scratched and gouged so much that by the time you get it flat it can swallow the chicken that laid the egg. You get into putting on a sole or setting in a piece ahead of the mouth to close it up. A moderately knackered Stanley/Bailey is usually a better candidate. When I want a wood bodied plane, I make one.

And I agree completely about the Stanley 55. There's a reason they are often found in excellent condition. They didn't get used because they're such a pain in the posterior.

[WadePatton]

Certainly.  I don't expect to adopt any-anytime soon.

Funny how i learn of the predecessor to the common match from the study of planes.  I shall make one of these-maybe more.  Could be handy after the tinder is aflame as well.

The spill plane:

[Kermit]

Or Roy Underhill, spill plane, episode 2205.

[WadePatton]

Whoot!  Just bought another daggummed plane!

That's three since last this thread was posted.

So I "picked up" a Stanley 71 1/2 with guide and three cutters, because I cannot stand the sound of powered routers.  And adjusting my poor-boy router (2x4 with chisel jammed through) was a bit tedious. 

[PPatch]

I used one of those to aid in bedding a barrel, worked well. I need though to make a hand plane that will do the job.

dave

[WadePatton]

I used one of those to aid in bedding a barrel, worked well. I need though to make a hand plane that will do the job.

dave

Making planes is the best bet for custom werks. I've not tried it yet. But of course Paul Sellers teaches it.  That's the idea, hog it out close and scrap it in a bit closer-for guns.  No telling what else I may make that requires a nice flat-bottomed excavation.

[jerrywh]

 Skilman.
  What the heck are you doing on here?? Get back in your cage. For anybody who doesn't know Steve Skilman, He is one of those guys everybody likes.  Great guy and not as dumb as he looks.  Ha. HA.

[Mark Elliott]

Tom,

Doing that to my plane blades gives me the willies.   However I do have trouble with highly figured wood.   Do you do that with all your planes or just certain ones for certain uses?  Do you just knock off the sharp edge or  take more than that for a really visible flat?

Thanks,

Mark

Sorry if you're tired of seeing this one.

But this sharpening trick has saved me countless hours of sharpening. Grinding a perpendicular face on your iron turns your plane into a wood eater that doesn't tear out curly, cuts with or against the grain with impunity. Really great for roughing down ramrods, and finishing them up with a scraper.

With this modification, you can use the cheapest little old crappy plane with a wide throat.