Finally Got a Paper Thin Curl

[Johnathon Reed]

I am new to woodworking and I picked up a few old stanley planes at the flea market. I thought I had sharpened them but I could not get them to plane without chattering and causing me problems. After about a month of reading and trying to get the planes to work I was getting frustrated. I finally used a secondary bevel and must have gotten lucky on adjusting the blade because I was able to get paper thin shavings, first on some pine then I was able to get the same result on a piece of oak. Now I can't wait to use my planes.

[Brian Kent]

Oh yeah! Congratulations, way to go, and welcome!

Brian Kent

And if you have a camera we love pictures of planes and wood shavings!

[Johnny Kleso]

Thats a step in the right direction..

Best to spend 99% your time on your first bevel and make sure you have an edge with a burr on the back to make sure honing an edge..

Dont just go threw the paces of sharpening take a good look at what you are doing and make sure your where you want to be before moving to your next OP (operation)

I am sure you might have learned that getting your first thin curly..

[John Keeton]

New to woodworking - and new to SMC! Welcome Johnathon!

Even with several decades of wood butchering behind me, I have only in the past couple of years began to refine my skills. And, you are right - hearing that swish of an extremely sharp plane is music! It is the crack cocaine of woodworking:D

[Bill Stoffels]

John,
Pick up a dvd from Chatsworth on sharpening, you will never be frustrated again
Bill

Congratulations
Bill

[Eric Hartunian]

Using hand tools will lead to several "ah ha!" moments. Your definition of sharp will change over time as your skill improves. It is amazing how much your work progresses as your sharpening skills improve.
Eric

[Prashun Patel]

Congrats. I REALLY appreciate your experience because I'm trying to do the same thing. Just bought an old Stanley Bailey#4 used. I'm wrestling it to get gossamer shavings for about a week. Almost there!

[Johnathon Reed]

Thanks for the encouraging words, here is a picture of some of the planes I got a No. 4 and a No. 5 1/2, and the shavings I got.

[Jim Koepke]

A few months from now, just like many of us, you will likely make some shavings even thinner than these and a year from now, you will have yet another feeling about what sharp really means.

Keep on it, wood likes and does great things for sharp tools.

jim

[scott spencer]

Aren't those little curls a thing of beauty?! It's an awesome feeling to finally get it dialed in and working like it should. It seemed I was always trying to hog off too much early on.