Blade storage solutions?

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Wendell @ Murphy, TX

>In a plane of course :) Sorry I couldn't resist. I put mine in drawer with packages of dessicant to hopefully prevent rust.

Wendell

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)

>Hi Frank

I store spare blades on edge in a box that has vertical dividers for this purpose. Think of it as being the same as my card scraper storage - slots cut into a block of wood, but in this case the block is not enclosed. I will post a pic if you want (but I'm sure the decription is enough).

REgards from Perth

Derek

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Ed Mulligan, Cape Cod

>I use an old machinists' tool chest which has several very shallow drawers.

Ed

What I use

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>I use one of those plastic drawer units you can pick up at the box store. My favorite has about 24 drawers in various sizes. It is very handy for plane blades and cutters. Sits on a table or hangs on a wall and has clear plastic drawers so you can see inside.

Re: Blade storage solutions?

ThomD

>Did you hurt yourself? I shot my foot out once to catch a heavy Japanese plane blade. Caught it no problem. I was a Birkenstocks and hiking sock kind of guy at the time, s$rew the doubters. Shortly thereafter, I got this feeling like I'd steeped in a puddle...

I'm pretty lucky. I'm radically messy, but very sure footed, at least so far, I hate it when people come into my shop blundering into things. I hardly ever dammage anything.

Overall, I recomend a really stout grinder.

Re: Blade storage solutions? *LINK*

mikew

>Hi Frank and All,

Check out a similar thread over at the UK Workshop...


Plane blade storage and other news

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Frank D. in Montreal

>Your shop sounds a lot like mine! I once caught a really sharp scrub blade with my shin. It took 2 bath towels to clean up the mess, they were both heavy and wet. I have quick reflexes but sometimes it can be dangerous (I've cut myself quite badly numerous times when I should have let things fall).

Thanks everyone

Frank D. in Montreal

>I don't have much room for drawers in my small shop (everything is up high) even though it sounds like a good solution. I might wait an dsee what LV has to offer, otherwise I'll throw together a box with dividers that I can keep on a shelf.

Thanks again,

Frank

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Greg Sloop, Portland Oregon

>I think Rob/LV has something coming.

Perhaps he'll chime in here...

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Frank D. in Montreal

>Hi Greg,

He mentioned something in the link Mike W. gave above.

Re: Blade storage solutions?

ThomD

>Sounds familliar! I'd have to say I'm pretty safe, had the odd minor thing happen. But it isn't safe for others in here. At the time I caught the blade, I was taking nicks out with a 600 grit green carbide stone, and it wasn't a fast process. I'm glad I caught the blade. It could have cut a toe off, and had that happened, I would be about 20 years into a life sentence of feeling stupid about it.

How's about...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Making a box like Stanley used to hold combo planes blades. Ya know like a No. 45's...

In my basement

Bob Hackett(Mainely,Bob)

>Enclosing a blade in wood is an invitation to rust,even with an oil finish.

I use the old standby of a slotted block(the blades rest on thier sides) to allow airflow and quick visual evaluation.

Those in long term storage(awaiting bodies to be made)sleep in my old machinist`s chest.The oil soaked felt helps keep the rustites at bay.

MB

Re: Blade storage solutions - plastic sleeves?

Norman (Ottawa, Ont.)

>What about plastic sleeves similar to the type used

on high-end chisels. This at least protects the edge of the plane blade, no matter where it's stored...and comes in handy if the blade is accidentally dropped. They could come in 3 standard sizes or so..

Rob Lee?

Norman (woodworker in progress)

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Dave Chatham

>Frank, Can I recommend you try using a rosin bag before handling the blades, may help cure the dropsies.

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Michael Recchione

>I use an old Medaglia D'Oro Espresso Coffee can on a shelf. Not the best coffee in the world, but what I grew up on (there was no yuppie espresso back then, only Medaglia D'Oro). And the can works really well :-)

Re: How's about...

Frank D. in Montreal

>That's kind of what I had in mind (after all the feedback I've gotten), except instead of one row of blades, I'd make one with with several dividers. I can always ahellac them to keep out moisture (although rust isn't really a problem in my veranda shop). Sould be fairly eaasy to do, a bottom plate and ends with grooves for the dividers; I could leave the top open (no lid).

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Frank D. in Montreal

>Actually dave I don't drop them when their in my hands, they fall out of my pouch as I grab them off the shelf (or out of the mouth of the plane when I was careless, but not anymore...). If I get a rosin bag I might start chucking them around like a baseball (I've done a little pitching in my time...).

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Frank,

At risk of leading you in the wrong direction..... :) I made a short leather sheath that holds my couple of three extra blades and a couple of cap irons. I hang the whole group from a screw in a shelf edge in a corner that is out of the way. I sewed the sheath up the sides so that there would be no seam at the bottom that the blades could cut through.

Disclaimer: I didn't buy the Stanley block plane - it was here when I got here. :)

Skip

Bulk silica gel &/or kitty litter (bentonite clay) *LINK*

David Barnett

>You can get bulk silica gel for anywhere from 200 to 300USD for a 150 kilogram barrel, blue indicating, and otherwise. And bentonite's even cheaper by a long shot (kitty litter). The best by far (and most traditional) is warmed boxwood sawdust (watchmaker's and goldsmith's suppliers). Talas in NYC carries archival conservationist's silica gel for around 7USD per pound. 50/50 silica gel and kitty litter (and a little Renaissance Wax, now and then) works nicely for me, even with the ocean less than 1,000 ft away.


Talas silica gel

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Frank D. in Montreal

>Thanks Skip,

I'll have to brush up on my sewing...it's been a while since my Home Economics class! Seriously though, it looks like a good solution. Smalser posts some nice leather stuff too. It's a skill I'll have to look into.

Re: Blade storage solutions?

Skip in Falls Church

>Hi Frank,

Well, just like woodworking having the right tools makes everything easier. :) Am overstitch tool makes getting the stitches even easy. I didn't have one when I did this so I used a piece of thin cardboard with the number of stitches per inch I wanted marked on it. (Sort of like a story stick in woodworking.) I used a scratch awl to mark the seams then used the cardboard and scratch awl to mark the stitch locations. I used waxed linen thread to sew it up. The leather is a piece of (I think it's chrome tanned) scrap. The seams were trimmed with a really sharp knife after sewing. I heavily oiled the finished sheath with neetsfoot oil compound. I haven't had any problem with rusting so far (rusting of the irons that is, not the sheath!) and I've been using it 3 or 4 years.

I find that leatherworking is complimentary to woodworking - it's really nice to be able to whip up something useful fairly quickly. If you found you found your foray into leatherworking frustrating I'd encouage you to continue trying. A book or two - picking up a tool here and there makes it much easier. And there's nothing like encouraging someone to embark on a multiple slope slide! :)

Skip