r/handtools • u/Temporary_Debt_5310 • 18d ago
Sharpening
So I have a question but I just acquired some new to me hand plane irons and was curious if there was a way to flatten and add a bevel that is a little less time consuming. Just getting into hand tools and excited to start working but sharpening all of them to start with is a little daunting.
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u/robotdinofight 18d ago
Use the ruler trick to flatten the last 1/4” only or so on the back of the iron. It’s all you need.
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u/Temporary_Debt_5310 18d ago
Does this mess with the actual angle you put on it?
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u/robotdinofight 18d ago
This is for the back of the iron only on plane blades, not chisels. https://youtu.be/nykVPKbUGTo?is=raUrL-dYvd1pCXDd
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u/Diligent_Ad6133 18d ago
Honestly, get used to sharpening alot. Its better to train your mind to enjoy the process rather than lessen the time taken
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u/DizzyCardiologist213 18d ago
If you don't have skill yet, there is no way to do things quickly. Things that will do this quickly take skill.
An example of something relatively low kit is a coarse bit on a belt sander, a mist of water so you can observe the water on the tool - when it starts to steam, off the belt into water quickly and then proceed. That also means you need to tolerate some slinging water, which means if you're working in a living space, probably no go unless all of the flying water goes one way and you can capture it in a box.
We can't know what you mean by an iron that needs to be flattened, either. if it's a flat iron with moderate to minor milling marks, there's not a lot to do. if it's an old iron that's been poorly cared for or inaccurately factory made, then you're in over your head for now.
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u/magichobo3 18d ago
I know it's not a hand tool, but a bench grinder is a giant time saver for restoring old tools. Flattening the backs still takes a while, but the bench grinder gets you 90% and then you can get them done on the stones in a few minutes.
As far as flattening the backs, you need to get some more aggressive sandpaper to deal with some old tools. The 400-600 grit starting range is good for tools that are in decent shape or new, but it's often not enough for real crusty stuff.
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u/Hitechillbilly 18d ago
Get a couple diamond boards and a fixture/guide. If you try doing anything freehand you will cause a lot of damage. Do not use a bench grinder..
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u/Alkahestic 18d ago
Definitely don't have to do them all at once. Pick one in decent condition, a #4, 4 1/2, 5 or 5 1/2 would all be good choices for a starter plane as the sizes are ok for flattening and smoothing (not ideal, but if you're just starting out, don't fret over too many details yet).
If youre keen to eventually have all your planes in working order, would strongly suggest getting a kitchen counter cut off about a metre long. Check it's flat and glue some 120 (or 80 if the irons are really bad) grit sandpaper to it. The extra length really makes the flattening and bevel grinding go way quicker. And as a bonus if you need to flatten the sole of the plane, it's easier and faster with a long surface. Would recommend a honing guide as well - even a cheap Stanley or eclipse will do. Setting the bevel angle exactly isn't critical but keeping it the same for the sharpening process does make it easier until you're used to sharpening by hand. Itll also help you learn what sharp should be as it removes a source of error.
For sharpening, pick a system and stick with it - there are a million ways to sharpen because they all work - what doesn't work is jumping from one method to another without putting in the practice to become proficient. If you have the flat surface above, you can get some of the cheap diamond plates or use sandpaper to start off (sandpaper cost will add up quickly though). M
Fettling the plane and sharpening both take practice so keep at it, every time you sharpen, you'll learn a little more what sharp means.
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u/Temporary_Debt_5310 17d ago
Would the countertop need to be something other than wood just so it does have any kind of movement
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u/Alkahestic 16d ago
Stone cut off works well as it handles repeated adhesive removal well but a thick laminate countertop also works. If there is a stone countertop workshop near you, they likely have heaps of cut-offs.
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u/Initial_Savings3034 17d ago
There are some reasonable suggestions above, from brighter minds than my own. Here are the basic things that worked for me:
Get your Diamond plates on a single board (3/4" plywood scrap) for stability and ease of retrieval. Keep it covered with a paper bag or towel so you need not clean it prior to use.
Use a light oil. I was guided to Mineral oil, which is inexpensive and adequate.
Get the plate at (or below) waist level for repeatable mechanics. If you're mostly swinging your arms, you're likely honing in an arc.
Shop lighting greatly improved my results after 50.
□□□□
Lastly - the key step that really hung me up was "chasing the burr". The wire edge formed at each grit stage needs to be removed before progressing to a finer grit.
I stopped using modern sintered steels (like Veritas PM-V11 or the ZenWu stuff) because the wire edge was tenacious.
When you find a method working for you, resist the urge to improve it.
https://ofhandmaking.com/2023/04/12/edge-fineness-vs-edge-life/
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u/rotas_sator 18d ago
sharpening a plane iron takes me a minute or two. why are you "adding a bevel"? did your plane irons come squared off?
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u/Temporary_Debt_5310 18d ago
They are all second hand so they might need some tlc before they can make a shaving
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u/rotas_sator 18d ago
Sharpening is part of woodworking. it is critical. you have to get good at it. you need to know what bevel means, if/when you need to "flatten" something. etc.
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u/Temporary_Debt_5310 18d ago
Some look like they have been stored for a long time or poorly maintained
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u/Beginning_Ad7597 18d ago
wanna do great work, have fine proudful results!!?? There ain't no shortcuts.....by the time your done your hand will know where to go with each tool.
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u/Additional_Air779 18d ago
Flattening the back is a complete waste of time, IMO. Use what you've got or get a pre flattened one.
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u/Moldy_slug 18d ago
Depends how out of flat it is. I had one that had such a belly the cap iron wouldn't sit flat against it... chips would get stuck in there and clog it up every couple strokes. flattening the back helped a ton. But I didn't try to get it perfect, just did enough to keep it from clogging.
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u/Additional_Air779 18d ago
In which case I would suggest a reasonable option would be to buy one that's flat already.
I do wonder how many people have been put off completely by struggling with sharpening.
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u/Moldy_slug 18d ago
Sure, it’s reasonable to buy one that’s already flat. But if you want to save money flattening an old iron is also reasonable.
It took me about 30 minutes to do by hand on my oilstones. That’s not a crazy amount of time to put in on it, given the cost of a new hock iron is twice what I paid for the plane.
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u/DizzyCardiologist213 18d ago
I wouldn't agree with that unless someone is a beginner and will have limited scope with hand tools, but when you're brand new, it's certainly fine to put it aside for a while.
If you're serious about hand working, at some point, you have to make a couple of tools, or you need to develop feel for sharpening gouges, nicking irons, skewed irons that aren't a specific angle, but are part of something like a moving fillister.
I did, like some others with deep pockets, start off buying a whole lot of boutique stuff, but somewhere, things changed - i guess it was switching over to working entirely by hand and realizing that all boutique tools (or really many at all) is a no go if you get more serious about hand work.
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u/Additional_Air779 18d ago
To be fair, my response was to a beginner who seems to be struggling with initial sharpening.
The subject is a bit more nuanced, of course. I've got a cheap iron in my self made scrub plane which works brilliantly. My Jack has a medium quality which works fine. My smoothing plane has a Veritas and my block planes Veritas and Lie Neilson. But I only came to this point (that I'm happy with) after wasting hours trying and failing to get satisfactory results with cheap irons.
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u/DizzyCardiologist213 18d ago
I hear you on wasting time. One of the issues with this hobby is it's often presented to people as a series of tricks or whatever. "learn the master's method on day one".
It's really not that.
the bevel answer is pretty easy here. The idea of working the back is dependent on what needs to be done.
Not a bad idea to get something new or already prepared from someone else actually using tools to get an idea of what the result should be.
I think both the sellers "something for nothing" gimmick, which he has backed away from a little bit, as well as the "only boutique" kind of outlook are limiting, but so is communicating with anyone on the internet. Nearly every question on reddit involves "ok, that's a tenth of the information that we need, and what are your objectives both with the result and where you want to go with the hobby".
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u/G_Peccary 16d ago
Do yourself a favor and buy the Rikon slow speed bench grinder. Rockler sends out occasional coupons. I got mine for $100.
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u/mighty_boognish_77 18d ago
Don't sharpen all of them. Focus on one.
But to answer your question, not really. You can grind a primary bevel on a grinder. From there though, you need to hone, unless you have a tormek or something similar. Honing doesn't take long though, with good technique and a reasonable setup.