Sharpening a hand plane

[fumbles22]

Hello (1st post!),

I'm completely new to woodworking and i'm trying to learn the basics. I found my Dad's old hand plane in our garage, and i'm trying to get it up and running again.

I'd like to know if i'm sharpening the blade for this no 4 plane correctly. I'm trying to use a honing guide which I originally got for sharpening chisels. Also, since this is my first post, i'm unable to post links so all my picture-taking has been ruined!

I started by putting the blade in the honing guide. The honing guide is set to 30 degrees (for this I did some googling, and a youtube video told me to sharpen it to 30 degrees).

I then put it on my sharpening block (this came with the honing guide). The sharpening block is slightly too small for my blade. I think this kit was designed with small chisels in mind.
I should probably also mention that I put some of the oil that came with the set on the block. Oddly though, the block seemed to just absorb it so I started putting on a washing up liquid and water mix.

What i'd like to know is:

1). Am I doing this properly?
2). How long is this supposed to take?

Although i've been at this for half an hour, the blade still won't slice through a sheet of paper. It certainly won't shave the hair from my arm. Is the blade as sharp as it's going to get and I need to do something else? Do I need to keep rubbing it for another half hour?

I'm really sorry that I can't post any pictures, and i'd appreciate any help.

 

[bugbear]

Sounds tricky. I don't know of any good quality sharpening stones that come with a jig,
so you might be on a hiding to nothing. Happy to be proved wrong.

Don't worry about the stone being narrower than the blade - a paint brush is smaller
than a door! Just move the blade a bit (left/right) for each stroke.

BugBear

 

[Jim o1]

Hey i use 3 stages to sharpen my planes and chisels
Firstly I would set the grinding angle at 30 degrees this isn't every time you sharpen only when the blade edge is damaged
Secondly set the sharpening angle to 35 degrees now sharpen the edge of the blade only 1.5 to 2 mm into the grinding edge you will see the new edge forming u can also see at this stage if your grinding square.generally i allways apply too Mutch pressure with my right arm causing a un square edge great for leading edges in doors hehe
The last stage is removing the burr
after a good sharpen a slither if metal forms right on the blade edge this is the burr it needs to be removed
I was taught the hand slap method but been new please dont try this as you could end up with a couple less fingers or worse ! Try an old leather belt bending the bur back and forth

Honing guides can be great for sharpening but do reduce the stroke length on your stone
Good oil stones can be expensive max amazing its life is a habit to learn early ie dont rub a 1/2 inch chisel up and down the middle of the stone fifty times
It will wear a grove in it then when you sharpen something wider your not going to get a 90 degree blade
A new stone will drink oil literally eventually they will hold enough to only require a few drops of lubrication
I would suggest soaking it in oil overnight and making a box or keeping it in an oily rag
Nowerdays i use a diamond sharpening block there prtty neat cheap mines faithfull i think 4 sided oil or water to lubricate or dry i think
Hope something here helps if i got anything wrong im sure some other members can correct me
I would suggest learning to sharpen without the honing guide wrists and hands locked all movement from your elbows
Keep oiling before you know it your plane will be whistling through timber

 

[Jacob]

You could try cleaning the stone - white spirit and emery paper on a cork block perhaps. They get gunged up especially if left to dry out. Always wipe it off and put the lid back on after use. Magnet is good for removing swarf - cleaner and saves oil.

 

[JustBen]

http://youtu.be/vvTcReENk9g

Have a look at this.
Slightly different to yours but the principal is the same.
It will guide you in the right direction.

 

[fluffflinger]

I would imagine the stone you have is cheap and unlikely to yeild a satisfying result.

Inherently the principles of sharpening are inherently the same what ever medium you use to sharpen.

One quick and easy method (low cost in short term) I'd suggest would be get some wet and dry glued to a flat surface, piece of glass or at a push a bit of MDF (although with repeated use it will not remain flat). When I started I used an old granite tile and sandpaper, did me fine for a good long while. You need strips in a selection of grits going down to as fine as you can source (1500 grit is easily available, start at maybe 180 grit). Water, or baby oil as a lubricant. Just make sure to only draw the blade across the abrasive as pushing will destroy the paper.

The method is called "scary sharp" and if googled you'll find many articles and youtube videos that will assist you.

Not really good for major grinding but excellent for honing.

Matthew from Workshop Heaven has an excellent video on youtube, he uses lapping film not sandpaper but the principles remain the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBZ8446KqkM

Don't forget that flattening the back of the blade is as important as honing the edge.

 

[Jacob]

I'd avoid complicated expensive modern methods especially if you are a beginner. If a simple oil stone worked for your dad it'll work for you too. It's not rocket science. It's useful to be able to do it simply and cheaply, even if you then go on to indulge in modern fashionable paraphernalia

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Jim o1 - If you grind at 30 degrees and sharpen at 25, you'll have one whole load of honing to do!

 

[woodbrains]

Sounds tricky. I don't know of any good quality sharpening stones that come with a jig,
so you might be on a hiding to nothing. Happy to be proved wrong.

Don't worry about the stone being narrower than the blade - a paint brush is smaller
than a door! Just move the blade a bit (left/right) for each stroke.

BugBear

Hello,

+1 on both counts. Any stones that come with oil and a guide in a kit, that I've seen, tend to be too coarse for a good edge. If it is a grey thing that absorbs tons of oil, it sounds like one of those cheap aluminium oxide things you see in diy stores. Not good.

Where in England are you situated. If you are more specific with your location, you might find someone who contributes here will be happy to give you a demo, first hand experience is a real time saver/eye opener.

Mike.

 

[matthewwh]

Oilstones and honing guides are not a brilliant combination.

I would either use freehand rounded bevel with the oilstone OR scary sharp with sheet abrasives and the guide. Mixing up materials and techniques usually ends in frustration.

Get a feel for which gives you the happiest outcome and then pursue that technique.

It is not uncommon for oilstones to need filling with oil when they are new - Nortons are pre-filled but even they are still quite thirsty on the first outing. Does it have a fine and a coarse side?

 

[Jim o1]

Found. Nice tip sheet from stanley
http://www.tooltrip.com/tooltrip9/stanl ... sheets.pdf

 

[woodbrains]

Oilstones and honing guides are not a brilliant combination.

Hello,

Not wanting to start a freehand versus jig debate, but why ever not? If you choose/prefer to use a jig, they work extremely well on oilstones. Of course jigs might not be a preference, but that is not the same as them being a poor combo with an oilstone. They hold the angle just the same and you can rub the blade back and forwards without problem; what else is there to do that isn't good?

Mike.

 

[matthewwh]

Hi Mike,

Oilstones (and diamond stones for that matter) work best with little pressure and lots of movement - hence freehanders tend to prefer them over more delicate but aggressive films or waterstones - evidence Jacob, Paul Sellers, Richard Maguire...... No set up time, 40 or 50 quick strokes, don't even try to to keep it flat, no more thought than writing your signature, but you do have to have the stones at the same height every time to get consistent results. You could use them with a guide of course, in which case the sharper, softer, crystolon (carborundum / SiC) would be preferable to India (AO) to begin with and a range of grits would be even better.

If you are going to use a guide, you could be getting markedly better results with fast cutting waterstones or a range of grits using films. 20 seconds setting the projection, one or two carefully intentioned strokes on each grade, job done in about the same time. Personally I prefer the precision and control of guided honing, although I do use freehand as well from time to time.

 

[woodbrains]

Hi Mike,

Oilstones (and diamond stones for that matter) work best with little pressure and lots of movement - hence freehanders tend to prefer them over more delicate but aggressive films or waterstones - evidence Jacob, Paul Sellers, Richard Maguire......

Hello,

Despite my previous advice to the contrary, I think you'll find that Jacob whales on his oilstones with much might, so might not be the best example of why freehanders prefer oilstones!

I guess it is all down to personal preference, but you can go lightly with a guide, too.

Mike.

 

[Benchwayze]

Fumbles...

welcome aboard.
You are in England it seems.
So am I.
It would be good to know whereabouts! Your problem might be solved with some one on one tuition.

 

[Jacob]

Hi Mike,

Oilstones (and diamond stones for that matter) work best with little pressure and lots of movement - .....

Half right.
Lots of movement yes but oilstones freehand (and diamond?) work best with as much pressure as you can muster - that's almost the whole point of why they are so handy. No effin about - thrust away furiously, fast and efficient.
Scary sharp etc on the other hand - you have to poke very gently so as to not rip the paper etc. (expensive stuff - an oil stone lasts for life, which is probably why tool sellers aren't too keen on them)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I seem to have a sense of deja vu. :-"

 

[matthewwh]

The important thing is to get fumbles onto any one of the many methods that will give him a proper edge in a reasonable time so he can get on with something useful, like learning how to square a board with it.

Those 'stone, guide and oil for £3.99' sets are usually about as much use as mudflaps on a tortoise, but if he's going to get anywhere with a non-abrasive stone freehanding will be more likely to succeed than guided honing.

Benchwayze is on the right track, if someone local can spare him half an hour in the workshop, he'll be sorted.

 

[fumbles22]

Have a look at this.
Slightly different to yours but the principal is the same.
It will guide you in the right direction.

Funny you should post this one! That's the one I saw. Right at the start he says he sharpens them to 30 degrees which is why I set my honing guide to 30 degrees.

I did, however, watch another video where someone else says something along the lines of "this blade has been sharpened without a guide, so the blade is uneven". Since I haven't done anything like this before, and I had a honing guide designed for chisels, I thought i'd give it a try.

Fumbles...

welcome aboard.
You are in England it seems.
So am I.
It would be good to know whereabouts! Your problem might be solved with some one on one tuition.

I live in Southend-on-Sea, but find myself on Canvey quite a lot of the time. If anyone has ever watched The Salvager on Discovery/Quest, he came from here too!

Is anyone nearby?

Those 'stone, guide and oil for £3.99' sets are usually about as much use as mudflaps on a tortoise, but if he's going to get anywhere with a non-abrasive stone freehanding will be more likely to succeed than guided honing.

I spent £12.99 on my set. It came with a honing guide, sharpening stone and lubricating oil. Type in "Stanley sharpening kit" into ebay and it's the first one that pops up.

One quick and easy method (low cost in short term) I'd suggest would be get some wet and dry glued to a flat surface, piece of glass or at a push a bit of MDF (although with repeated use it will not remain flat). When I started I used an old granite tile and sandpaper, did me fine for a good long while. You need strips in a selection of grits going down to as fine as you can source (1500 grit is easily available, start at maybe 180 grit). Water, or baby oil as a lubricant. Just make sure to only draw the blade across the abrasive as pushing will destroy the paper.

The method is called "scary sharp" and if googled you'll find many articles and youtube videos that will assist you.

I'll try this. I currently have two projects on the go; attempting to make a table and spray painting my bike. I have some wet and dry sandpaper left over from rubbing my bike down so I can use that. I bought a selection of wet and dry sandpaper, so i'll go through it later to see if I have the right grits.

I also think i'll abandon the honing guide and do it the Paul Sellers "freestyle" way.

If a simple oil stone worked for your dad it'll work for you too.

My Dad isn't that handy! He bought the plane, used it until it became blunt, and then stashed it away in the garage along with a blunt saw and a variety of blunt chisels. I'm planning on sharpening all of these so I at least have some basic tools.

Does it have a fine and a coarse side?

I think so. It has a "dark" and "light" side, and the light side feels less coarse. I assumed this side was just "the bottom" and didn't actually have any practical use. I might try rubbing it a few times at 30 degrees over the light side and see if it gets sharper.

I'd like to know though; what's the difference between a honing angle and sharpening angle? I've been approaching this whole thing with the idea of sharpening it to 30 degrees.

I'll post a progress report later on this afternoon.

 

[Benchwayze]

Okay Fumbles. You're a bit far away from me. I have my preferences for sharpening, (little and often!) but my advice is choose the system that's best for you, and stick with it.

Best of luck.


John