Todd O. Cronkhite Maine Native, Presently Away
>Rob,
What makes you feel that the sole needs to be flattened?

If this thing is twisted to the point that you can actually see the "out of flatness with the naked eye, then I'd say strip it for parts and toss the sole as you'd never get it flat again to the point that you'd want and still have metal left on the sole.

If you can't see with the naked eye then it's flat enough.

Have you used it yet?

Are you new to hand planes? I ask because alot of newbies to them get all obsessive over NASA type tolerances of the soles, and that is absolutely foolish. Sharpen and use it. Use it to do some edge jointing, then make your determination. If you use for surface flattening your more then likely going to follow behind it with a smoothing plane so even if it .001 out it isn't going to matter.

Don't make Todd H. call you a Machine Man. I sure wish that thread could be found as I feel that it is very enlightening and will set you free of obsessive foolishness.

T.O.