thetyreman
Established Member
I've heard you can put it in just a regular sock, must admit I keep one of mine in one because it's rare I use it and it seems to stop all the rust.
Best way to store planes?
- Thread starter Stan
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I've heard you can put it in just a regular sock, must admit I keep one of mine in one because it's rare I use it and it seems to stop all the rust.
Doug B
Shy Tot
in use I always rest my plane sole down in shavings I thought it was just me, when it’s finished with its back on the shelf behind the bench as I described above
Woody2Shoes
Impressive Member
They might also have fluffy babies....
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
Or verrucas if it's unwashed socks
Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
I don't like putting planes in a sock. Shaves my calves and a shaven lower leg looks odd. 
Pete
Pete
Thank God Doug. For a moment there I thought I was a maniac.
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pidgeonpost
Established Member
I made one of those a few years ago and I must admit it's very useful.
As to how you lay a plane down, I've seen Paul Sellars expounding on this and some of the responses. Jesus.
I was taught at school in the 60's to always lay a plane on its side with the sole away from you. Mostly I still do that. Except when I don't. Then I prop one end up on any scrap of timber, pencil or whatever. The only cut I can recall from a plane iron was from a little block plane when I was putting it back in its box a couple of months ago. I'm a hobbyist though, so not using planes 8 hours a day.
Phil, Do you have any references for this, or where you heard it? I've worked in R&D manufacturing and engineering for a while and not heard of this effect. I'm sure the observations are real, but the explanation seems a bit odd, I'd be very interested to follow this up. Thanks Tom
I find storing planes on a plywood tool wall near to the bench is most convenient. Mine is in a brick garage.
For years I hung them on their sides, as my excellent school instructor always told us to do that, - too many boys (boys in those days) could thoughtlessly put the iron on a nail or something hard.
Reading this forum and others, I store them, iron against the wall, but the lower part is part is held about 1/8 or 3/16 inch off the wall in a cleat, this reduces tendency to rust from moisture on the wall and creates a slight slope.
A regular wipe with oil after use keeps the rust at bay. an oil rag, or rag in a tin or oily carpet keeps this efficient - just have it near the bench.
Occasional outbreaks of rust can be removed with fine sandpaper or wire wool - second hand planes often have minor rust, but it comes off very easily. I've not noticed the metal movement blunt effect, but I tend to give them all a sharpening before a major planning session.
If you go for some very high end tools, then maybe a regular oiling, but for most stanley planes and second hand ones, accepting the odd bit of rust removal seems ok to me.
For years I hung them on their sides, as my excellent school instructor always told us to do that, - too many boys (boys in those days) could thoughtlessly put the iron on a nail or something hard.
Reading this forum and others, I store them, iron against the wall, but the lower part is part is held about 1/8 or 3/16 inch off the wall in a cleat, this reduces tendency to rust from moisture on the wall and creates a slight slope.
A regular wipe with oil after use keeps the rust at bay. an oil rag, or rag in a tin or oily carpet keeps this efficient - just have it near the bench.
Occasional outbreaks of rust can be removed with fine sandpaper or wire wool - second hand planes often have minor rust, but it comes off very easily. I've not noticed the metal movement blunt effect, but I tend to give them all a sharpening before a major planning session.
If you go for some very high end tools, then maybe a regular oiling, but for most stanley planes and second hand ones, accepting the odd bit of rust removal seems ok to me.
Jacob
What goes around comes around.
Most of the old tools I buy seem to have been kept in a pond. Is this normal?
sorry this should be a reply to Jacob
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The affordable ones tend to be. Buying second hand tools has become v expensive recently, lockdown and the excellent blogs of Paul Sellers et al have re-kindled the hobby and value of good tools so people are digging out their attics, draining ponds, excavating gardens and selling off their forebears air-looms .
I left my tools ( bought in my teens) in my parents stable-cum-workshop for years while away with work, etc, my father was good with them, but lost interest/distracted by golf..... Once retrieved they all had some degree of surface rust. I suspect most second hand tools are sold by widows (occasionally widowers) sons and daughters of long departed woodworkers, whose family couldn't bear selling them right away and they were worthless then, now they fetch a pretty penny.
Provided not too pitted, the rust comes off with a bit of rubbing remarkably easily. What is not so good if replacing lost screws etc. I tend to have to re-bore with the nearest metric equivalent (and probably destroy the antique value...)
thetyreman
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shed9
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This has always worked for me. Simple and cheap
A bit of hardboard and a few rare earth magnets is all you need. Then if you have to take them else where thay are still safe.
A bit of hardboard and a few rare earth magnets is all you need. Then if you have to take them else where thay are still safe.
what's weird to you is common sense to me, it makes a lot of sense, less danger, it stops the lateral adjustment leaver from loosing its setting and it protects the blade as well, I'll continue not putting it on its side until the day I die.
It's certainly fine not to. I haven't ever lost lateral adjustment, but I have to admit I've not paid attention to what I actually do (it's a combination of both). When I see the jack plane staring at me near fingers, I'm sure that I turn it up and put the nose on something.
the one benefit that I can think of laying a plane on its side is if there's something on the bench that would nick a blade (dirt or whatever, or perhaps a bit of sanding grit), it won't stick to the wax on a plane sole.
Kind of forgot about this topic as it hasn't had legs on a forum for a while, but when I first started, there were some pretty heated discussions about it and a lot of sharing of fixtures to put onto the bench. I think with experience, the problem sort of solves itself (you'll find what causes problems just by doing several things. If two ways don't cause any problems, it's OK to do both.
But, as mentioned, misjudging what's in the bench in the way and running hanging fingers into non-sharp stationary things has certainly yielded some ouch here.
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Stan, another couple of comments. Keep it simple and slowly add to your collection.
Here is a picture of planes on a wall near the bench. Just make a few cleats to keep them from falling off, the lower piece of wood has a groove roughly chiseled out so that the sole is about 3/16 or so off the wall, the air circulaton seems to slow rust. Its very simple to do and you just add to the wall with a few screws or nails as you get more tools.
Another thought, we tend to aquire too many tools, I got away with just one bench plane for 30 years, a simple 271 router a small block plane and a rebate plane. I then slowly inherited some more and bought more on ebay once it was clear what got used the most, having a couple means you can sharpen in bulk and then if you hit a knot you don't have to stop to sharpen. Most of us collect too many tools, as cant bear to dispose of them, but if you are starting out, best to see what you use a lot before buying. The long planes are because I don't realy have space for a large jointer and thicknesser and cant really justify the expense and space.
Here is a picture of planes on a wall near the bench. Just make a few cleats to keep them from falling off, the lower piece of wood has a groove roughly chiseled out so that the sole is about 3/16 or so off the wall, the air circulaton seems to slow rust. Its very simple to do and you just add to the wall with a few screws or nails as you get more tools.
Another thought, we tend to aquire too many tools, I got away with just one bench plane for 30 years, a simple 271 router a small block plane and a rebate plane. I then slowly inherited some more and bought more on ebay once it was clear what got used the most, having a couple means you can sharpen in bulk and then if you hit a knot you don't have to stop to sharpen. Most of us collect too many tools, as cant bear to dispose of them, but if you are starting out, best to see what you use a lot before buying. The long planes are because I don't realy have space for a large jointer and thicknesser and cant really justify the expense and space.
pidgeonpost
Established Member
Just thinking about this a bit more, resting the plane on the bench between uses is one thing, but storage when not in use perhaps for weeks/months may be a bit different. I always retract the iron so it's out of harms way and store the plane flat on its sole on a shelf in the bench cupboard. This has led me to always automatically check the lateral adjustment of the iron before I next use the plane. I've not heard of lateral adjustment levers self-adjusting in storage, but it sounds like it happens.
pe2dave
Established Member
Good points Tom. Sadly, taking a rusty £10 No 4 from ebay, fettling it to razor sharp and gleaming, I found very satisfying.
More so when adapted to a different use (7" radius on blade).
Peter Sellers has a lot to answer for
More so when adapted to a different use (7" radius on blade).
Peter Sellers has a lot to answer for
