Thick blades - sharpening (small) ephihany

Re: Thick blades - sharpening (small) ephihany

Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)

>Dave

I learned to freehand on HNT Gordon blades, also 1/4" thick. "So what is the fuss about", I thought. It really helped prepare my muscles for the motion and position. Nice, thick, wide Japanese chisel blades fall into the same category.

Later I transfered a bit of this to thin Stanley blades by honing them sideways, then skewing them, and finally forward-and-back.

Everyone should get a thick blade to use as "training wheels".

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Thick blades - sharpening (small) ephihany

paul womack

>I learned to freehand on HNT Gordon blades, also 1/4" thick.

They're also short (similar to Japanese plane blades).

This make "sitting" the blade on the bevel comparitively easy.

A bailey blade is about as bad as I can conceive for hand honing in this way.

I suppose a fine 1/8" paring chisel is trcky too ;-)

BugBear

Re: Thick blades - sharpening (small) ephihany

Adam Cherubini

>I've found the "old ways" always fit into some context. They don't always apply to us because they are not a "superiority" of method, but rather part of a whole and very different system.

So may I deserve the "purist" name calling, but I think its just being honest. You're simply not going to be able to free hand CPM-3V (which has got to be the next step in woodworking blades- at least turning tools). I think thick A-2 is pretty marginal as well. And forget about Arkansas; These steels cry out for ceramics, diamonds, grinders, and honing jigs.

The bevel on that English woody is probably 90% soft wrought iron and 10% steel by thickness. Laminated irons, in addition to being wonderful performers, are an absolute dream to sharpen.

So don't expect 18th century technology to work with 21st century steels. You're holding yourself to an impossible standard.

Adam

Amazing

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Adam -

Thank you for posting on this. Your knowledge of old handtools is amazing.

Although I had noticed that bottom of the blade was getting all shiny as I was flattening it, and that the bevel on the plane was being shaped amazingly fast, and that when the blade was viewed from the side there appeared to be a slight variation/layers in the way the steel was "aging" - but it never crossed my mind that the blade would be laminated (even thought I have laminated SW Stanley blades). Duh!

When I have more time I'm going to post more info on this plane. I want to get it into top shape, and it is already clear that the sole of the plane is no longer flat (one corner of the blade "peeks" out of the mouth noticeably - and this is confirmed with a straightedge and a combination square). I want to flatten it, but I don't want to screw it up - nor needlessly widen the mouth. It would be wonderful - if you, and others, had the time and any thoughts - if you could let me know what you think about how to flatten the sole...sandpaper and glass (in part),upside down/finely set handplane (the traditional method, I suspect - having seen this being done in the Hay Shop on one visit to Colonial Williamsburg), scraping (only), etc.

I have this tingly feeling this may become my favorite rabbet plane.

I may even try to post pics, but this newfangled digital camera of ours has the best of me so far.

Regards -

Dave

Re: Thick blades - sharpening (small) ephihany

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Thanks, Derek, this is encouraging.

I recently picked up a 1 1/4" bench (cheap, Fulton) chisel because: I didn't have a chisel that size --- and because I thought the relative size of the bevel would make it a good blade to practice on.

I'm into practicing now...because I'm beginning to see the disadvantage of having a big break in your work to stop and sharpen a blade. Unfortunately with shop time so scarce, my practice time doesn't amount to much either. Still, I'm hoping some is better than none.

I'm definately going to start keeping my eyes open for wider bladed planes.

Regards -

Dave

Re: Thick blades - sharpening (small) ephihany

Dave (Arlington, VA)

>Hi Bugbear -

Funny thing is - I find that instictively (though perhaps inappropriately) I close my eyes when I am free-hand sharpening/practicing. It's probably all in my head, but I think it helps me concentrate on the feel of the blade bevel against the sharpening surface (stone or SS)...as well as focus on keeping my wrist "locked."

I can't even imaging sharpening a 1/8" paring chisel -- though I have had some success with a 1/4" that is fairly thick and shaped like a cross between a paring chisel and a firmer...i.e. with high sides

Regards -

Dave

Re: Thick blades - sharpening (small) ephihany

paul womack

>Bugbear 's story of tuning a wooden skewed rebate

BugBear

Re: Amazing

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX

>I agree with you all the way around. I also recommend flattening your western wooden plane with a plane, nice and fast, accurate, flat, all good things.

Pam

Disagree in the details......

bill tindall

>The relatively huge bearing surface afforded by a thick blade makes jig- free sharpening easy on CPM 3V, at least with diamond powder abrasive. Just did one yesterday. Took but a few strokes with 15 micron diamond coming off an 80 grit grinding wheel. But it would have been a slow process with 18th century abrasives.

Indeed the "secret" is minimizing the time spent free handing. The longer one rubs away the more likely an error in position will occur and if the iron tilts forward the bevel angle will be for ever more altered.