Best way to store planes?

[novocaine]

Peter Sellers has a lot to answer for

The pink panther for a start.

 

[Stan]

Some good ideas here, and some laughs. Thanks all.

 

[TominDales]

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

I felt a bit sick cleaning rust of my own tools, not so much the plane, but my beloved dovetail saw. They cost me all my savings at that time and were much loved. However they polished up up fine, just leave a stain. Like most people I've spent a few hours restoring ebay buys, provided the fundamentals are ok, the rust is easy to deal with. I was most relived to read a Peter (sic) Sellers blog on the virtues of restoring old tools, made me feel much better about abusing mine.

 

[pe2dave]

Doh! ;-)
Is that 'is brovver, Paul then?

 

[Valhalla]

All good advice about keeping planes on their sides; it is what I was taught at school. But, and it is a big but: they need turning every week. Why? Well the sharpening process induces minute molecular level electrical / magnetic charges in the blade which concentrate around the cutting edge. This leads, due to the magnetic forces involved and the gravitational pull on the micromolecular structure of the cutting edge to a slow movement of molecules down the edge such that the bottom of the edge becomes duller due to a build up of micromolecules while the upper part of the edge suffers from molecular migration, again leading to a loss of sharpness. Overall this leads to a dulling of the cutting edge. The only remedy is to regularly turn your planes such that what was the bottom face becomes the top face; preferably weekly. In this way the micromolecules simply move up and down the cutting edge and effectively cancel each other out. The result is a perfectly sharp blade whenever you need it.
Happy to help.
PS: I keep a small magnet on top of the plane to counteract these effects so only need to turn the plane once a month ... bit like fine champagne.
Cheers, Phil

So, am I right in thinking that if you don't turn your plane regularly enough then there will be so much molecular movement that there will be a metal sludge on your bench?

 

[Inspector]

Nah! When it gets to that point it dries into a powder and can be vacuumed up. Keep the dust though as the scrap metal guys will give you a few pennies a pound for it.

Pete

 

[Jacob]

Is there a best way to store screwdrivers?

 

[owen]

Is there a best way to store screwdrivers?

Pointy end down

 

[novocaine]

So, am I right in thinking that if you don't turn your plane regularly enough then there will be so much molecular movement that there will be a metal sludge on your bench?

You only get that if you leave it on a surface ground bench.

 

[Valhalla]

You only get that if you leave it on a surface ground bench.

Yeah.....I'd heard about that.......

 

[Valhalla]

Pointy end down

Well - that depends on whether they are left or right-handed.......and you should put some sort of tray under them in case you get any of that molecular movement thingy going on!!

 

[cowtown_eric]

In the truck I have a box of handplanes, 78'71'79'70 3,4,4.5 and others.

Over the years the vibration of the truck can losen nuts and thumbscrews, so I used to have to dig down to the bottom to find the missing parts. Then I put them in little cloth bags. Not only did that reduce the effects of vibration loosening parts, but any part that did come loose is in the bag, and the edge is protected. Win win!

workbench, they are just stored on shelves.

Eric

Nobody has mentioned plane socks?

 

[skeetstar]

Phil, re the magnet trick, I've been doing that for years and it seems to work. That said I always wear welingtons when planing, to ensure that I am not earthed, that may also be having a beneficial effect.

 

[francovendee]

I don't like putting planes in a sock. Shaves my calves and a shaven lower leg looks odd.

Pete

I'm a cyclist and that's the very reason I put planes in a sock.

 

[Phil Russell]

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

Hi Tom. You are a little ahead of me because the full data set has not yet been published. You must realise that to get accurate information the experimental time period must be very long and include all types and sizes of plane irons. There was also time taken to develop the measuring equipment as you cannot simply buy the necessary jigs and microscopes and electron induction oscilloscopes calibrated for such use. I started to build my own measuring equipment using various components taken from the old 405 line TVs at the time coupled with my first Meccano set but it took a while to link this to the necessary microscopes in order to examine blade edges at the molecular level. Development of the 625 line TV helped as they had better resolution. In the end I used immunofluorescence interference microscopy after treating plane edges with various magnetic fluorescent dyes and watching the migration of steel particles along the plane edge with a x100 oil immersion lens microscope (Zeiss) I managed to find at a pre-lockdown car boot sale. In order to observe effects the microscope (and myself) had to be set on its side, just as a plane iron would be in order to observe migration in real life. This took some time as I often fell asleep while watching plane iron edges; especially as the fluorescence microscopy had to be done in a darkened room. But my white coated technical advisors were very good to me as I did this. As an aside, the same effect can be found with chisels but as chisels are not so wide then the effect is not so important.
But after much effort I have finally put a paper together (The effect of plane iron orientation with respect to sharpness over time and the influence of different cutting lubricants used on the oil/water stone) and am promised publication in the new to be released (first edition 01/04/21) Journal of Random Observations in Electromolecular Metallurgy for the Home Workshop, pp 3-118. The Senior Editor is myself.
I hope this satisfies your appetite for information.
You can find the publication if you search for 'Miscellaneous information from the Home for the Bewildered', my current address.
Cheers, Phil

 

[TominDales]

Hi Tom. You are a little ahead of me because the full data set has not yet been published. You must realise that to get accurate information the experimental time period must be very long and include all types and sizes of plane irons. There was also time taken to develop the measuring equipment as you cannot simply buy the necessary jigs and microscopes and electron induction oscilloscopes calibrated for such use. I started to build my own measuring equipment using various components taken from the old 405 line TVs at the time coupled with my first Meccano set but it took a while to link this to the necessary microscopes in order to examine blade edges at the molecular level. Development of the 625 line TV helped as they had better resolution. In the end I used immunofluorescence interference microscopy after treating plane edges with various magnetic fluorescent dyes and watching the migration of steel particles along the plane edge with a x100 oil immersion lens microscope (Zeiss) I managed to find at a pre-lockdown car boot sale. In order to observe effects the microscope (and myself) had to be set on its side, just as a plane iron would be in order to observe migration in real life. This took some time as I often fell asleep while watching plane iron edges; especially as the fluorescence microscopy had to be done in a darkened room. But my white coated technical advisors were very good to me as I did this. As an aside, the same effect can be found with chisels but as chisels are not so wide then the effect is not so important.
But after much effort I have finally put a paper together (The effect of plane iron orientation with respect to sharpness over time and the influence of different cutting lubricants used on the oil/water stone) and am promised publication in the new to be released (first edition 01/04/21) Journal of Random Observations in Electromolecular Metallurgy for the Home Workshop, pp 3-118. The Senior Editor is myself.
I hope this satisfies your appetite for information.
You can find the publication if you search for 'Miscellaneous information from the Home for the Bewildered', my current address.
Cheers, Phil

Got it.

 

[novocaine]

You are a bad man Phil.

Do you have a subscription service?

 

[Stan]

Phil. I've got this bridge over the Thames I need to sell. Would you act as my sales rep for 20% commission?

 

[smugdruggler]

And there was me thinking that planes were always stored in a hangar. Well you live and learn

 

[Valhalla]

All good advice about keeping planes on their sides; it is what I was taught at school. But, and it is a big but: they need turning every week. Why? Well the sharpening process induces minute molecular level electrical / magnetic charges in the blade which concentrate around the cutting edge. This leads, due to the magnetic forces involved and the gravitational pull on the micromolecular structure of the cutting edge to a slow movement of molecules down the edge such that the bottom of the edge becomes duller due to a build up of micromolecules while the upper part of the edge suffers from molecular migration, again leading to a loss of sharpness. Overall this leads to a dulling of the cutting edge. The only remedy is to regularly turn your planes such that what was the bottom face becomes the top face; preferably weekly. In this way the micromolecules simply move up and down the cutting edge and effectively cancel each other out. The result is a perfectly sharp blade whenever you need it.
Happy to help.
PS: I keep a small magnet on top of the plane to counteract these effects so only need to turn the plane once a month ... bit like fine champagne.
Cheers, Phil

Surely then, if those naughty molecules keep sliding up and down the blade depending on which way the plane is oriented then it makes more sense to keep the plane flat and keep those critters evenly distributed across the blade. Also, what about if you store the plane in a near vertical position (a la Studley) - will those bad boys worm their way up the blade towards the end of the lateral adjuster and thereby leaving the plane nice and sharp?

As far as laying the plane down - my preferred option is flat on some 3mm ply or some shavings

And as far as plane socks go - I only have lairy spotted pairs.....