Plane Iron Sharpening new L&N Low Angle Block Plane

[segovia]

Hi

Some months ago I purchased a Low angle Leigh Neilson plane and used it straight out of the box.

As I seem to have developed a habit of making perfectly good blades unusable after sharpening I am looking for some advice on putting a new edge on the blade.

Assume the back is flat and there are no dings in the cutting edge , what approach would you use to bring the blade back to its optimum performance level.

I can't see a secondary bevel, would that be an option on a new blade ?

Regards

John

 

[matthewwh]

No problem using a secondary but try to keep it as shallow as you can (otherwise you start losing the benefit of the low angle).

The ruler trick is particularly beneficial on low angle bevel up blades, as the wear bevel on the underside is more pronounced.

 

[Bluekingfisher]

John - there a dozens of good reference guides on You tube and else where. Just a case of finding a way to sharpen that you like and sticking to it.

Rob Cosman, Paul Sellers and Derek Cohen ( In the woodshop.com ) are reference points I have used and find interesting.

Interestingly they all use wet and dry paper to sharpen blades with successful results.

Just my thoughts

Good luck

David

 

[Racers]

Hi John

If its the A2 steel blade then it will tale some sharpening, its tough stuff, I use water-stones and some times a guide
Wet and dry scary sharp system will work as well, in fact any system will work, some will take longer than others.
I do a primary bevel and small secondary bevel, it helps as I said its tough stuff but lasts well.

Pete

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Hi

Some months ago I purchased a Low angle Leigh Neilson plane and used it straight out of the box.

As I seem to have developed a habit of making perfectly good blades unusable after sharpening I am looking for some advice on putting a new edge on the blade.

Assume the back is flat and there are no dings in the cutting edge , what approach would you use to bring the blade back to its optimum performance level.

I can't see a secondary bevel, would that be an option on a new blade ?

Regards

John

Gee John, just buy another plane with a new blade! :lol:

The absolutely simplest method to sharpening is to use a honing guide. Two stand out - a very cheap Eclipse-type, which requires a set up block for the desired angle (Google for LN video), and the Veritas Mk II, which is more expensive and may appear more complicated at first, but is actually the easier to use as it has a built in angle guide.

Wet-and-dry is one way to start, although waterstones will be a lot cheaper in the long run. By the way David, I have not used W&D in 10 years, or more. My preference is hollow grind on Tormek, then freehand on Shapton Pro 1000, Sigma 6000 and 13000.

The absolutely cheapest sharpening system is my "10 cent Sharpening System": http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTe ... ystem.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Honing guides? Hollow grinds? Heresy!!!

 

[Jacob]

Just wang it up and down an oil stone in the normal way. No problemo.

 

[vally bar]

Just wang it up and down an oil stone in the normal way. No problemo.

Have to agree that's what I've done for the last 40 or so years but then again I only cut wood with them.

 

[Corneel]

The best and most complete sharpening guideline online, that I know of is here:
http://www.antiquetools.com/sharp/

Save your money on the LV jig. If you want to use a guide get the very cheap Eclipse copy. It does everything the LV does, at a fraction of the cost and with far less oportunities to do anything wrong.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

The best and most complete sharpening guideline online, that I know of is here:
http://www.antiquetools.com/sharp/

Save your money on the LV jig. If you want to use a guide get the very cheap Eclipse copy. It does everything the LV does, at a fraction of the cost and with far less oportunities to do anything wrong.

The OP does not know how to sharpen and stuffs up what he has attempted.

Start simple (= honing guide). Gain confidence (do it until you know what sharp is). Then move up the scale of complexity (freehand is good but later ..).

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Racers]

Just wang it up and down an oil stone in the normal way. No problemo.

Have to agree that's what I've done for the last 40 or so years but then again I only cut wood with them.

Yes that will work, but the A2 steel will laugh at the oil stones feeble abrasive, A2 is tough stuff, I recommend water stones or abrasive papers to speed up the process.

Pete

 

[David C]

It would help if we knew what kit John has, but an Eclipse type guide would be a good start. (Now called Axminster guide in APTC catalogue. Approx £7).

It's a shame he can't come on my next weeks course, where we will be dealing with these things!

David Charlesworth

 

[Graham Orm]

Honing guide, go slowly and follow instructions.....when it doesn't work, go and have a brew and try again. Sooner or later you will master it. I've tried all manner of 'wanging' (to quote Jacob), but still can't get it as sharp on a consistent basis as with a guide. Have a look at this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F7q5WG ... 22F61CEE64

 

[Jacob]

Just wang it up and down an oil stone in the normal way. No problemo.

Have to agree that's what I've done for the last 40 or so years but then again I only cut wood with them.

Yes that will work, but the A2 steel will laugh at the oil stones feeble abrasive, A2 is tough stuff, I recommend water stones or abrasive papers to speed up the process.

Pete

Really? Have you tried?
What surprised me about A2 steel is that it is perfectly docile on oil stones. Not a problem at all. I've done this enough times, with different blades, to be able to say this with some confidence.

PS Just to be sure - I just sharpened an A2 blade on an oil stone. A few seconds. Yes very easy. I'm not sure what the point of A2 is but maybe it's the ease of sharpening?

 

[segovia]

Thanks for the advice, I do have a Veritas honing guide which is just one tool in my armoury of sharpening devices and I have looked on YouTube

The problem is that there are too many contradictory methods and too many tools all claiming the perfect edge.

I think I'll flatten the back a touch with the ruler method as shown here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F7q5WGb4ZA and add a micro bevel.

Thanks

John

 

[David C]

John,

You have picked a very good method, I would advise staying with it.

It is necessary to stay with a method for some time to get the best out of it.

All the various methods can work, but ignore the others to begin with and stick to that one!

David Charlesworth

 

[mtr1]

I think if you have many different components in your armoury of sharpening devices, and you are still getting rubbish results, Stop buying stuff for a start. Then if you must spend, why not offer a local cabinetmaker or joiner some money to show you?

Don't know how close you are to me, but if you can give me a weeks notice, I don't mind showing you what a sharpe edge looks like. It would need to be on a Saturday morning.

Edit.

I see you are many miles from me, but there must be someone close to you?

 

[segovia]

Good idea, I think my problem is that due to my inexperience I don't know what "Good" looks like so i will be forever chasing the holy grail and not knowing if and when I arrive there.

I think if you have many different components in your armoury of sharpening devices, and you are still getting rubbish results, Stop buying stuff for a start. Then if you must spend, why not offer a local cabinetmaker or joiner some money to show you?

Don't know how close you are to me, but if you can give me a weeks notice, I don't mind showing you what a sharpe edge looks like. It would need to be on a Saturday morning.

Edit.

I see you are many miles from me, but there must be someone close to you?

 

[Jacob]

.....
The problem is that there are too many contradictory methods and too many tools all claiming the perfect edge.....

A good reason for sticking with the basic method as used by virtually everybody from the year dot until the new sharpeners kicked in, i.e. no gadgets at all and freehand on a stone.
The "ruler trick" is a new version of a technique which has been practiced from the year dot but without a ruler, because it's easier without a ruler.
Just being able to do it the trad way - simply and cheaply, is essential IMHO, and you should get to grips with it even if you then go in for modern gadgets and systems.

 

[David C]

Maybe "easier", but not consistently repeatable.

David