First Shavings!
David Hammond, in Powder Springs GA
>I couldn't resist trying out my dirty, very roughly tuned hand plane the other night, and in short, it was great! But here's the long version of that:
After much reading, and posting questions here on WC, I've begun cleaning and rehabbing two old planes I was given - a Stanley #4 and a #5. Before I get too far, many thanks to Bob Smalser who really is responsible for setting me off on this venture, as well as all the other folks who have answered questions, and written the myriad of articles available on the internet. Since I need to order a few solvents (some phosphoric acid, TCE, and blueing solution) I started with the rusty iron on the #4. I figured that I have a BS table that's flat enough to begin leaning how to lap on, and sandpaper in the shop, so I might as well get to learning how to lap, sharpen and hone, while I wait on the solvents to actually clean the plane. I spent over two solid hours lapping the back of this iron with 80 grit sandpaper, and it still has some light pitting, but the edge is pit free, and will do until I can fork out the dough for a new Hock iron and chip breaker. I don't have any sort of jig, and I don't use a jig for any of my turning tools, so I just went this alone. I honed the back, and then the bevel through 1000 grit, and I'd say the edge is passable - real close to hair raising sharp, and the back is not quite dead flat, but it's real close. So, instead of waiting to clean and tune the entire plane, I couldn't help but try the #4 out. After some time putting it all back together, and some rough guessing as to where the frog out to go, how close the chip breaker is supposed to be, I jury-rigged a couple of clamps to get a 1 by 3 white pine board stable, and away I went! Now folks, I've spent all my life with power tools, and I've never even held a nice hand plane, much less used one - the closet thing I've ever gotten to a shaving is what I can pour of my wood lathe. But this, this was fun, this was really neat stuff! The plane is far from being adjusted just right, that I quickly found out, but, none-the-less, I did produce a rather nice pile of fluffy shavings. And I turned that 1 by 3 into a 3/4 square. :o)
I need to finish cleaning and tuning this plane, and probably get a new iron, but for now, it'll suffice to say that that is very addictive. :o) I can already see that I'm gonna need more of these plane things around - hmm, how about a scrub plane, a #7, a heavier smoother, a spokeshave....
Thanks for listening to my rambles. Here's a picture of my first attempt at planing a little wood, without the electrons.
David
