Sole flat enough?

[ali27]

I tried flattening my no4 stanley by using blue pigment
on floatglass, supported by a not entirely flat granite plate.

Here is a picture of the latest situation:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Is this flat enough for doing really thin shavings? I know
the proof is in the pudding, but I only have hard piece
of maple around. Also the Stanley blade and chipbreaker
suck.

Ali

 

[Wiley Horne]

Hi Ali,

You want the leading edge of the mouth to be showing the same scratches (be in the same plane) as the outer edges of the sole. Then it's done. Hollow places in the interior of the sole are no problem--but the leading edge of the mouth needs to be sitting right on the work.

Wiley

 

[bugbear]

I tried flattening my no4 stanley by using blue pigment
on floatglass, supported by a not entirely flat granite plate.

Here is a picture of the latest situation:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Is this flat enough for doing really thin shavings? I know
the proof is in the pudding, but I only have hard piece
of maple around. Also the Stanley blade and chipbreaker
suck.

Ali

That looks fairly good; you'd get more information if your blue was a little thinner. At the moment I suspect your blue layer is generous enough that it's contacting some areas it probably shouldn't.

BugBear

 

[Jacob]

.... Also the Stanley blade and chipbreaker
suck.

Ali

How do you know this?
It's fashionable to dismiss Stanley blades and cap irons but in fact they are nearly all perfectly OK if they haven't been spoiled by overheating or over-enthusiastic fettling.

 

[ali27]

.... Also the Stanley blade and chipbreaker
suck.

Ali

How do you know this?
It's fashionable to dismiss Stanley blades and cap irons but in fact they are nearly all perfectly OK if they haven't been spoiled by overheating or over-enthusiastic fettling.

Well, I did check the sole with a good straightedge and it
is very flat. I had tuned the other stuff before.

Problem is that I keep getting chatter with the plane even
with very thing shaving.

I will try today with a thicker HSS steel blade from mujingfang.
If the difference is big then I would say the Stanley blade sucks.

Ali

 

[ali27]

I tried flattening my no4 stanley by using blue pigment
on floatglass, supported by a not entirely flat granite plate.

Here is a picture of the latest situation:



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Is this flat enough for doing really thin shavings? I know
the proof is in the pudding, but I only have hard piece
of maple around. Also the Stanley blade and chipbreaker
suck.

Ali

That looks fairly good; you'd get more information if your blue was a little thinner. At the moment I suspect your blue layer is generous enough that it's contacting some areas it probably shouldn't.

BugBear

Hi Bugbear,

This filing of the sole to get it flat is nice when the plane
isn´t long and is corrugated, but man my no6 with a flat
sole is really a bear!

I will experiment flattening the sole with sandpaper on
floatglass. I think there is a method to do it correctly
without creating a convex plane.

Maybe filing/scraping away the high spots in the beginning
and then finishing on a very fine abrasive might do the trick
as well.

What do you think?

Ali

 

[Racers]

Hi, Ali

A big turnip file to remove the high spots and then tightly stretched sandpaper, here is my set up

Note the clamps holding down the paper and pulling it tight.


Pete

 

[yetloh]

It's fashionable to dismiss Stanley blades and cap irons but in fact they are nearly all perfectly OK if they haven't been spoiled by overheating or over-enthusiastic fettling.

It's fahionable because they are in the main markedly inferior to the high quality replacement blades now available. I've tried quite a number and they will not hold an edge for anything like as long as a good blade from LN, Clifton, Hock or, my favourite, the laminated Japanese blades. I agree about the back irons - all these need if fettling.

Jim

 

[Harbo]

If it needs a lot of work, I use silicon carbide grit on a sheet of acrylic.
Valve grinding paste will work as well. The plastic "holds" the grit better.
Then I work up to finer w/d papers stuck to glass with spray mount adhesive.

Rod

 

[Jacob]

If it needs a lot of work, I use silicon carbide grit on a sheet of acrylic.
Valve grinding paste will work as well. The plastic "holds" the grit better.
Then I work up to finer w/d papers stuck to glass with spray mount adhesive.

Rod

The odd time I've done it I use a coarse w/d on my planer table. Wet it with white spirit and it gives enough suction to hold it down on the table.
You don't need fine finish on fine grits at all - after a bit of use and a few applications of candle wax it will slide smoothly, as long as you have worked it length ways so that the abrasive scratches don't go across. Or perhaps a five second polish with a fine paper would help, just to take the sharpness off.

they will not hold an edge for anything like as long as a good blade from LN, Clifton, Hock or, my favourite, the laminated Japanese blades

but these take proportionately longer to sharpen so the advantage is lost, and they cost a lot more.
Though I might have a go with a "smoothcut" some day!

 

[Jacob]

....
Problem is that I keep getting chatter with the plane even
with very thing shaving....

IMHO chatter is more to do with the blade set, sharpening and workpiece holding, rather than the blade itself, i.e. technique. Main cause being loose blade or loose workpiece.
I've never bothered with that blue stuff. If you work the sole on w/d paper the high spots soon show as bright areas. Not sure where the blue helps.

 

[bugbear]

but these take proportionately longer to sharpen so the advantage is lost

Tosh. Woodworkers through time have always wanted blades that stay sharp longer. I suppose that's why we went to the iron age, and didn't stick with bronze ;-)

A few seconds extra time on sharpening (not even needed if you use decent modern abrasives) is a small price to pay for extra tens of minutes of sharpness.

BugBear

 

[yetloh]

but these take proportionately longer to sharpen so the advantage is lost

Tosh. Woodworkers through time have always wanted blades that stay sharp longer. I suppose that's why we went to the iron age, and didn't stick with bronze ;-)

A few seconds extra time on sharpening (not even needed if you use decent modern abrasives) is a small price to pay for extra tens of minutes of sharpness.

BugBear

Well said, Bugbear. Couldn't have put it better myself.

Jim

 

[Jeff Gorman]

Folk who are interested in this much-debated topic might like to look at:http://tinyurl.com/3xjpbm2 and possibly also http://tinyurl.com/2w2n4jw

Jeff

 

[custard]

Hi, Ali

A big turnip file to remove the high spots and then tightly stretched sandpaper, here is my set up

Note the clamps holding down the paper and pulling it tight.


Pete

Just looking at that photo makes me want to put my pinny on and tidy it all up!

 

[Racers]

Hi, Custard

Feel free :wink:

Pete


Its not all ways that bad :wink:

 

[Oryxdesign]

Doesn't clamping the glass down flex it and stop it from being flat? :?:

 

[Racers]

Hi, Oryxdesign

My bench top is flatish so its o/k, if you don't the ripple made by pushing the plane will round over the front and back edges.

Pete

 

[bugbear]

Doesn't clamping the glass down flex it and stop it from being flat? :?:

The downward force of lapping will distort the glass anyway.

BugBear

 

[hunggaur]

Hi, Ali

A big turnip file to remove the high spots and then tightly stretched sandpaper, here is my set up

Note the clamps holding down the paper and pulling it tight.


Pete

HI pete could you advise me what grades of paper you use to get the best results and where is the best place to buy long lenghts from,

kind regards jon