Fastest way to flatten chisesl I've found

[lurker]

Trim,

Screw fix do wet n dry down to 1200

£2.80 for ten sheets

 

[Harbo]

I experimented a while ago lapping a plane sole using 80 grit on a 10mm thick acrylic sheet bedded on a flat piece of spare worktop.
It worked to some extent but not as fast as using an extra coarse DMT stone. Also the grit seemed to get everywhere!
My favourite method for smaller items is my range of DMT Duostones XC to Fine followed by Rutlands Diamond pastes (on supplied MDF boards) or a range of 600 to 1200 W/D papers.
Have not made Rob's jig yet, but last week fettled a friends old Stanley 5 using 100 W/D stuck on a sheet of glass - worked fine.

Rod

 

[TrimTheKing]

Trim,

Screw fix do wet n dry down to 1200

£2.80 for ten sheets

Thanks lurker, I am actually looking for a roll so that I can have a run the full length of the jig, but the rolls only seem to go down to about 240.

Trim

In fairness, after looking around it seems that rolls only appear to go as fine as 240. Is that fine enough for lapping a plane sole? Sounds a bit aggressive to me?

Would end to end sheets of wet'n'dry of a finer grade work if stuck down with spray mount?

 

[woodbloke]

the idea being that you can trap sandpaper (aluminium oxide off a roll) under the two side pieces so that it stays flat and doesn't ruck up.

Hi Rob

What paper do you use on this (and where do you buy)? I am in the process of buiding something very similar myself and can only find 240grit on screwfix and machinemart. I would think I need something a bit finer too once I get close to flat?!?

Cheers

Mark

Mark - I orderd a set of abrasive papers from Axminster like these which worked well - Rob

 

[TrimTheKing]

Mark - I orderd a set of abrasive papers from Axminster like these which worked well - Rob

Fantastic, thanks Rob

Mark

 

[David C]

I find blunt 240 grit quite fine enough for,( NB edited the final polishing of) all larger planes, but follow this with a hard scrub, using Autosol metal polish & 0000 wire wool, then at least two coats of wax.

The first coat of wax seems to buff off the fine metal particles left by the metal polish.

Planes slide with very little friction after this treatment ~;-)#

David

 

[alan wood]

Hi Mark,
I use the same product as Woodbloke. I think the set up he has for flattening the bottom is superb.

Cannot find my notes from the Dave C course but we used a very rough grade of abrasive initially to get the bottoms flat then sequentially finer grades.

I bought Davids dvd on plane fettling, and I must admit I was quite surprised that it did explain how to actually flatten the plane bottom a most critical part of the fettling process.

cheers
Alan

 

[David C]

I have not published a dvd on plane tuning/fettling yet.

"Plane sharpening" is exactly what it says on the box. Entirely plane blade prep and sharpening, with particular reference to a slightly cambered edge, and the ruler trick. It also covers ways of using waterstones which avoid or minimize the dreaded hollowing which takes place so quickly, and has ruined many blades.

For larger planes, say 5 and above, which are badly out of shape, I would start on no less than 60 grit, followed by 100, 150,and finally 240.

best wishes,
David

 

[alan wood]

David,
You say in the dvd words to the effect that flattening of the bottom is essential. Without doubt I was say it was critical.

We dealt with this on your course, and i felt disappointed that it was not covered in the dvd.

Do you not think that it should be in?

In my view if that topic was covered it would have made the dvd excellent.

As you can see from the questions on the forum it needed covering.

All the best

enjoy your writing

cheers

Alan

 

[tnimble]

You could easily fill two DVDs on tuning up bench planes, 1 DVD on block panes with probaly a bit time left for a few words on specialty block planes, 1 DVD on spoke planes including bench scrapers and 1 on combination planes and beading planes.

Trying to get tuning a bench plane and prepping and maintaining the blade on 1 DVD would do little good. It's already very nice and somewhat complementary the most important tuning of the chipbreaker is handled.

 

[David C]

Indeed, I had forgottent that the vital chipbreaker front edge tune up was included as well.

I am working on the editing of the plane tuning dvd and it takes a considerable time to explain and demonstrate all the steps.

Sharpening and C/B prep is fundamental to all planes, and there are some which do not need much, if any other tuning, so it seemed sense to cover this first.

best wishes,
David

 

[Anonymous]

You could easily fill two DVDs on tuning up bench planes,

Really? :lol:

Having tuned a lot of planes over the years, i would strongly disagree. Rocket science it isn't!!

Tuning planes to work well is boring and tedious due to the repetitive metal removal, but that is all that makes it hard, the principles could be demonstrated and covered in more than adequate depth in 1/2 hour.

We are taking absolutely basic engineering principles here

 

[David C]

There is more to tuning a Bailey plane than just flattening the sole, though this is one of the most important jobs, which is likely to yield the greatest improvement.

 

[alan wood]

I agree with Tony on this issue.

I am glad that there is a superb example thanks to 'Woodbloke' in this thread, for any beginner wishing to flatten the bottoms of a plane.

cheers
Alan Wood

 

[pam niedermayer]

You could easily fill two DVDs on tuning up bench planes,

Really? :lol:

Having tuned a lot of planes over the years, i would strongly disagree. Rocket science it isn't!!...

We are taking absolutely basic engineering principles here

Have you actually made a video explaining/showing these processes? If not, you have no idea how long it takes nor how much video time. We all tend to underestimate the time and effort involved in someone else's work.

Pam

 

[alan wood]

Pam,
My point is simply this. To get a plane tuned up ready for fine cabinet making it requires all of the stuff that is covered in the dvd PLUS flattening the bottom of the plane using Woodblokes method shown in this thread.

If you followed the dvd as it stands, you will still have to look for another 'product' to solve that fettling of the plane bottom.

It's the same with the dvd Precision Preparation of chisels for Accurate joinery. If you saw the introduction with the beautifully made dovetails, you would think that the dvd would cover all aspects required to make dovetails. I was disappointed that it did not cover in detail how to remove the excess metal from the edges of the majority of chisels on the market.

I think if you have a product out there on the market, like all 'producers' you should be open to honest feedback and then looking at improving your product.

Just my ideas on how to improve. Hope this is of some use.

cheers

Alan

 

[pam niedermayer]

...
I think if you have a product out there on the market, like all 'producers' you should be open to honest feedback and then looking at improving your product....

OK, I agree, but there's no reason to suggest that what you want to add takes no time. In other words, ask for what you want, but don't make assumptions about someone's ability to do it, or how it should be done, etc.

Pam

 

[Anonymous]

There is more to tuning a Bailey plane than just flattening the sole, though this is one of the most important jobs, which is likely to yield the greatest improvement.

I didn't suggest otherwise as far as I can see!!

However, the sole, frog, mouth, chipbreaker and blade work are all very basic engineering tasks that are easy to do, particulalry if one has soe basic hand tool skills learned during woodworking. They are just a little laborious and most yield very minimal (if detectable at all) advantages unless the plane was particularly poor in one of those areas in the first place.

In my experience, a new chipbreaker (I like the 2-piece) or a little work on the exisitng one, a new blade (Hock, Clifton, LN or whatwver) and a flat sole will turn a turkey into a very nce tool.


This really isn't rocket science

 

[alan wood]

Hi Pam,
I believe the time issue is nothing to do with me as a person who has bought a product and feels disappointed that the dvd did not cover a critical part of the process, one that was covered on the course I and many other attended.

If you are in the business of producing any product cover the critical parts. The cost of the dvd's including posting and packaging cost are not cheap, and not dealing with an issue that is critical, because of 'time' has got nothing to do with the person purchasing the product. As it stands the dvd is not suitable and needs improving.

Honest and necessary feedback

cheers
Alan

 

[Paul Kierstead]

I think Alan, what David C is trying to tell you is that it isn't a plane fettling DVD that you have (it is a sharpening DVD), so pointing out the omission of plane fettling items isn't really pointing out a flaw. It is like complaining that apples don't taste like oranges.

That said, a combo plane fettling/sharpening DVD is a good idea; it is really all part of the whole.