Sharpening a skew blade . . .

Some tips

Jim Reed @ Tallahassee

>First, I am guessing that this is a #289, one of the finest planes in all of Stanley planedom. The blades are pretty easy to deal with. I grind 'em freehand on a very fine pink wheel. If that scares you off, then use a jig. Dunk frequently as the blade is thin and heats up quickly (especially the sharp tip). Getting the angle is not as tricky as it seems. There is room to adjust the blade accordingly once it is in the plane. For quickness, I adjust the blade for one side only. The most comfortable use is the pointed (right) side. Adjust that side of the blade and let the left side adjust back into the mouth. Things are quicker that way. Because of the extreme width, setting the blade to cut a full width shaving is hard. Luckily, that is rarely the task. Good luck.

Re: Sharpening a skew blade . . .

Paul in NJ

>A grinder or stationary belt sander is indispensable for re-shaping or repairing blades or edge tools. A decent tool rest is also required for either, along with the proper wheel or belt. To get the proper angle on the blade, install it into the plane, and adjust it out until the entire edge is just exposed. Using the mouth of the sole as a guide, use a fine felt tip marker to draw a line across the blade parallel to the mouth. You can also use a machinist spray coloring and an awl if you need to be super accurate but the felt tip pen will work fine. Adjust the tool rest so the blade will be perpendicular to the wheel or belt. Grind the blade to the line you have just drawn. Now adjust the tool rest to your sharpening angle. Some like 25 degrees so they can add a micro-bevel and some will hollow grind with a wheel at 30-35 degrees for easy freehand honing. Now grind the bevel on your blade using a light touch. You don't need a jig if you have a proper tool rest. Keep the blade flat on the tool rest and the edge perpendicular to the wheel or belt, moving it back and forth. Grind until you almost have a burr. If you grind much further, it is likely you will blue the edge and draw the hardness from the edge. The closer you get to the finished bevel, the easier it is to blue the blade. Dunk the blade in water and watch the water at the edge while grinding. When the wetness starts to evaporate, it is time to dunk the blade again. It is pretty easy and just takes a little patience and practice. You might want to practice on a blade you don't care too much about to build your confidence. You can grind an entire new bevel in about five minutes or so. A proper ground bevel makes the subsequent honing faster and easier.

Paul Dzioba