As Good as it Gets?

[brian c miller]

I wanted your thoughts on if this is as good as can be expected for a old Stanley #4 or if I should keep fiddeling around.

I need to learn a better method of sharpening but I think I am close... I am using sandpaper on glass freehand and I am just not consistant enough. I also think I am using too much spray glue and it seems there are a few wavy spot in the paper.

I've taken a quick pass at lapping all of the mating surfaces & the sole... mouth is set at about .006" or so (2 sheets of paper). What if any are the next steps?

I am getting nearly full width shaving and a pretty smooth surface on the cherry... so so on the QSWO. Shavings seem to be a scared cow so on that front I'm .0015".

[Sean Hughto]

I'm probably in the minority, but I don't strive for nice shavings, I strive for a nice surface on the workpiece. How's the 4 performing on that score?

That said, I think an inexpensive jig (eclipse clone) might help with your consistency. I also recommend water stones (Norton's are easy to use and give good results) if you want to turbo charge your sharpening.

[John Schreiber]

I use sandpaper on glass and am satisfied with that method. I do use a guide though. (Veritas Mark I, but I'd love a Mark II. I didn't like my budget Eclipse clone.) As soon as I put the sand paper down over the sprayed on rubber cement, I roll over it hard with the roller on the guide and I never have any trouble with it being flat.

[Robert Rozaieski]

I'm with Sean. The shavings are grill & fireplace tinder. The board/furniture is the important part. As long as the board looks good, who cares how thin the shavings are (I prefer them thicker myself, it makes the job go faster ). From what I can see, your plane is performing fine. Now, you asked about next steps...the next step is to use it to make something nice .

[David Weaver]

It appears to me that you're on the mark, too.

The only thing that'll make thinner shavings is a sharper iron, but I wouldn't worry about that unless you're dealing with something that's still tearing out as you have the plane set.

[Chris Griggs]

I'm also curious about the surface your getting. Any plane tracks? Did you hone some camber in the iron?

Also, I think the quickest way to improve your results is to get an inexpensive eclipse guide. Then make an angle setting jig by gluing/nailing some stops on to a scrap board. This should give you good, very repeatable results. If you plan to continue to use planes I would also recommend some water stones. I used sand paper for a while and know that a lot of people love that method but I'm personally not a fan of it. I also think stones are more cost effective in the long run. You can get by with a 1000/8000 Norton for most of your honing and then continue to rely on sandpaper for courser grinding. Just my two cents.

[jerry nazard]

I'm also curious about the surface your getting. Any plane tracks? Did you hone some camber in the iron?

Also, I think the quickest way to improve your results is to get an inexpensive eclipse guide. Then make an angle setting jig by gluing/nailing some stops on to a scrap board. This should give you good, very repeatable results. If you plan to continue to use planes I would also recommend some water stones. I used sand paper for a while and know that a lot of people love that method but I'm personally not a fan of it. I also think stones are more cost effective in the long run. You can get by with a 1000/8000 Norton for most of your honing and then continue to rely on sandpaper for courser grinding. Just my two cents.

+1 what Chris said. Very good advice. You can also move to green compound on MDF after an 8000 stone. I use a lot of white oak, and the extra honing steps to get a super sharp blade pay off in glass smooth surfaces that look beautiful. Good luck!!

-Jerry

[george wilson]

Took me a few seconds to figure out what a SCARED cow was. Then,I realized it meant a SACRED cow.

[brian c miller]

Thanks guys,

The surface on Cherry or pine is nice: flat smooth & glossy... but cherry is pretty plane friendly so long as there is any reversing grain. The QSWO seems to wear the iron very fast and I get significant tear out after a short while.

My problem with the sandpaper on glass is that the paper (klingspor ?) doesn't seem to want to stick to the glass so I end up using a "thick" film of spray adhesive and it makes a sort of spongy bottom. This seems to lead to a "wave" effect in front of the iron and some tearing of the paper.

The irons are slightly cambered using the more swipes with the outside finger approach so I am not getting any tracks.

I saw the "sharpening station" article in FWW and think that looks like the ticket. What's the inexpensive eclipse guide?

Most of my planes are Type 9-11, would Newer LV / LN irons help?

[Leigh Betsch]

Looks to me like it's time to stop fiddle'n and start to build something.

[Chris Griggs]

Thanks guys,

The surface on Cherry or pine is nice: flat smooth & glossy... but cherry is pretty plane friendly so long as there is any reversing grain. The QSWO seems to wear the iron very fast and I get significant tear out after a short while.

My problem with the sandpaper on glass is that the paper (klingspor ?) doesn't seem to want to stick to the glass so I end up using a "thick" film of spray adhesive and it makes a sort of spongy bottom. This seems to lead to a "wave" effect in front of the iron and some tearing of the paper.

The irons are slightly cambered using the more swipes with the outside finger approach so I am not getting any tracks.

I saw the "sharpening station" article in FWW and think that looks like the ticket. What's the inexpensive eclipse guide?

Most of my planes are Type 9-11, would Newer LV / LN irons help?

Yes, I think new irons make a huge difference. Just make sure they'll fit your planes.

An eclipse style guide is one that clamps your blade on the sides (its usually silver/gray). It also has a notch lower in the camping mechanism for chisels. You can get one from Woodcraft, LN, LV, or even Sears for about $15.

[Rick Markham]

Thanks guys,

The surface on Cherry or pine is nice: flat smooth & glossy... but cherry is pretty plane friendly so long as there is any reversing grain. The QSWO seems to wear the iron very fast and I get significant tear out after a short while.

My problem with the sandpaper on glass is that the paper (klingspor ?) doesn't seem to want to stick to the glass so I end up using a "thick" film of spray adhesive and it makes a sort of spongy bottom. This seems to lead to a "wave" effect in front of the iron and some tearing of the paper.

The irons are slightly cambered using the more swipes with the outside finger approach so I am not getting any tracks.

I saw the "sharpening station" article in FWW and think that looks like the ticket. What's the inexpensive eclipse guide?

Most of my planes are Type 9-11, would Newer LV / LN irons help?

Brian I have an old Stanley Bailey no.3 I spent a good deal of time fettling, it has been one of my favorites (most of my others are LN) I had mine working just like yours is with the original iron, and was quite pleased with the surface I was getting. A couple days ago, while at woodcraft, I picked up a Hock chipbreaker and Iron for it, flattened the back of the iron, honed it and did some minor adjustment on the chip breaker for a perfect fit to the iron. tossed it in the no.3 and was pretty astounded at the improvement. It works as good as my LN's. Ron Hock's irons are a worthy investment, a little work on getting the back absolutely flat, and your good to go!

[James Scheffler]

I haven't had a lot luck using my Stanley No. 4 on QSWO. It's fine when the grain is consistent, but I get more tear out on grain reversals than some other kinds of lumber I have used. Getting it sharper will help, but there may be a limit to how well it will work on certain types of wood. (Then again, maybe my plane could be tuned better as well....).

I will third the recommendation to get an eclipse-type jig. Mine works really well. Also, take the time to make an angle-setting jig to set the blade projection. Sharpening is way faster and more consistent if the blade is set exactly the same into the jig each time.

I use a combination of sharpening stones and sandpaper stuck to glass. Keep experimenting to get a consistent coating on the spray adhesive. You'll get the hang of it. After you have used a given piece of sandpaper for a while it will creep and develop wrinkles even if it started off perfectly flat. That's when you need to scrape it off and start over.

Good luck with it!
Jim S.