Plane sharpening advive for beginner.

[scubadoo]

Hello,

I've just inherited my Dad's old Stanley No. 5. Very rusted and seized up even though he promised to clean it :wink: I've spent weeks looking for the right one on ebay so i'm really chuffed to have the one that my Dad used instead.

I just spent a lovely couple of hours cleaning it, sanding off the rust and resin and scraping the cracked varnish off the knobs and oiling them. The rosewood has come up lovely with a few coats of Tru-Oil. After a bit of WD40 and some oil the sideways lever and the wheel are moving beautifully.

What i don't know how to do is sharpen the blade. I don't have any grinding system or stones so i'm wondering how i can do it (cheaply!).

Any advice would be gratefully received.
Cheers
Dave

 

[woodbloke]

If you're in the Bristol area, it would be much easier for you if a local forum member were to show you exactly how to go about it. It's not a difficult process, but there are lots of different ways of going about it and each individual sharpens and hones in a slightly different way...so it does get confusing. I'd offer but it's a bit of a long hike from Bristol to Salisbury - Rob

 

[scubadoo]

Thanks Rob

 

[scubadoo]

Well i just had a quick go using 180, 240, 320 and 600 grit laid lat on a piece of flat steel. I flattened the back of the blade and freehanded the bevel. Seemed to work pretty well. Maybe i should just get a guide to hold the blade on the correct bevel when working on the paper?

 

[maltrout512]

Sounds like your there. Can be a benefit to hand sharpen when on site. Guides can be cheap, I use a Stanley 14-050 which has a built in angle guide, plastic wheels which are IMO kinder too the stone. Cost about £10 I think.

 

[SVB]

Hi,

I am in Nailsworth and would be happy to show you the technique I use if it was of interest (well, techniques really, I use both the grades of wet / dry plus a Jet whetstone system).

I will be away until next weekend but drop me a pm if I can help.
Simon

 

[Joints]

Hi there,

I am from Bristol and my workshop is in Long Ashton, your welcome to come around and use (or let me use) my waterstones to get it razor sharp and flat again!

If its really in need of a true 90 degree flattening I will happily take it into college and regrind the edge for you aswell.

Give me a PM if your interested, george

 

[johncs]

What i don't know how to do is sharpen the blade. I don't have any grinding system or stones so i'm wondering how i can do it (cheaply!).

Any advice would be gratefully received.
Cheers
Dave

Google "scary sharp."
The technique uses wet and dry sandpaper (spray contact) glued to glass (I use ceramic tiles). I think youtube has a video on it too.

 

[gidon]

Dave
If you have nothing else try some wet and dry paper as has been suggested. Stick it to glass or some thick flat MDF. Buy a cheap honing guide. Grind a primary bevel on some coarse paper (25 degree'ish) and then hone a secondary bevel at 30 degrees on some finer paper (try 600 grit). Make sure you give the back of the iron the same treatment. Either continue to finer grits of wet and dry or polish the secondary bevel on some polishing compound on some MDF or a leather strop. Autosol on some MDF works quite well.
If you can invest some money a honing guide and a DMT Duosharp - extra coarse / fine is a good start.
Check our my videos for some more tips.
Cheers
Gidon

 

[woodbloke]

Dave
If you have nothing else try some wet and dry paper as has been suggested. Stick it to glass or some thick flat MDF. Buy a cheap honing guide. Grind a primary bevel on some coarse paper (25 degree'ish) and then hone a secondary bevel at 30 degrees on some finer paper (try 600 grit). Make sure you give the back of the iron the same treatment. Either continue to finer grits of wet and dry or polish the secondary bevel on some polishing compound on some MDF or a leather strop. Autosol on some MDF works quite well.
If you can invest some money a honing guide and a DMT Duosharp - extra coarse / fine is a good start.
Check our my videos for some more tips.
Cheers
Gidon

Gidon suggestion is a good one, but I'd recommend that you also make a 'projection board' (like a miniature bench hook) so that if you were to get hold of an Eclipse clone guide (which is just about the cheapest going...and one of the best incidently) the chisel projection distances can be accurately set each time. This makes using this sort of guide much better and also quicker - Rob

 

[johncs]

Google "scary sharp."
The technique uses wet and dry sandpaper (spray contact) glued to glass (I use ceramic tiles). I think youtube has a video on it too.

I should have mentioned, Derek Cohen has some thoughts too.