Lazy afternoon, stuck sitting around the house

[steven c newman]

What to do....Hey, I DO have a few irons i could sharpen up! Off to the Back Porch Bench to set up a sharpening center:SDC12835.jpg a flattened piece of old Poplar, a couple clamps, and a bunch of sandpaper. Grits were for 80 up to 1000 grit, even some Emery Cloth. I even found an oil stone in the tool box, might need it for some bevel work, right?SDC12836.jpg I had four irons on hand: A Stanley (with just a Pat. date0 2-1/4" wide iron, a Buck Brothers 2" iron, a Sargent/Craftsman 1-3/4" wide iron, and something that is 2-3/8" wide, with a STANLEY in a box, a heart shaped thingy with a SW inside it, and a MADE IN USA stamp below that ( more on THAT later). No jigs, just free-handing, today. Working more on the backs since the bevels were already done. First up, a Stanley, and a Buck Brothers. SDC12830.jpgThis is down to 320 grit, I went back later with some 1000 grit i found. I also worked on the other Stanley iron. It was in a very rusty, pitted shape.SDC12840.jpgGot most of it cleaned up, though the iron MIGHT be a few microns thinner, right now. I also fitted a couple chipbreakers while i was out there. Some of the "sanding" was done with a sprinkle of WB40 on the sandpaper. Got all four irons sharpened and polished back up, test drive was next. Flipped the poplar up on edge, after the wider irons had a trip down the "flatlands"SDC12841.jpgThen down the edge grain we goSDC12842.jpgsame KK7, and then the Craftsman #3SDC12843.jpghad this one set a wee deep, backed off the iron a bitSDC12845.jpgand this little fellow dropped out after a trip the full length of the board's edge grain. Ah, Moxxon TP! As for the @-38" wide stanley iron? It was on the DE6 wreck that came to my house. When did diamond Edge planes carry Sweetheart irons??? Just a nnice shady back porch, with a nice cool breeze blowing through, no better way to spend a lazy, summer afternoon....

[steven c newman]

Both the KK7 , and the Diamond Edge 6c had stanley irons in them. One iron, a 2-1/4" wide one was stamped STANLEY and a pat. date below that. Pre sweetheart era?? The Sweetheart iron is 2-3/8" wide. Both chip breakers are for the wider width. The one with the APl 19 92 date on it was sold, will be going to a Satnley 5-1/2. I get a 2-3/8" wide iron in return. Since a #6 and a #7 take the same iron size, it works out. That Moxxon TP was something else to see. I started down the edge grain, watching it just roll right up into a TP roll. That's 24" of one piece of "Gossamer Shavings" in a little roll. While using the KK7, noticed the tote wasn't acting right, had a case of the wiggles. Got to looking, seems the boss at the base was holding things ( the tote) up in the air. Looked at the #6c I was rebuilding, it had a "flat base for a tote. Switched the tote over to the #6c, fit perfectly. Stuck a low knob on the 6, and away it went. I waiting on the iron for the 6 to show up. Seems that sweetheart iron is fitted better to the KK7. Tried both chip breakers, still will fit only the KK7's frog. Strange.....

Not sure about all the "hoopla' about polished iron backs. Seems that is where the chip breaker rides, anyway. Most times, there is barely any iron showing beyond the CB anyway, why the polishing? I could see doing that to a chisel, but an area that will be sitting UNDER a chipbreaker? Strange indeed.....

[Jim Koepke]

Not sure about all the "hoopla' about polished iron backs. Seems that is where the chip breaker rides, anyway. Most times, there is barely any iron showing beyond the CB anyway, why the polishing? I could see doing that to a chisel, but an area that will be sitting UNDER a chipbreaker? Strange indeed.....

Mostly it is so there aren't any ridges left on the planed surface due to pits or nicks. Also a flat surface for the chip breaker to mate up to the blade. Beyond the first 1/8" there isn't really a reason to worry.

Every time one of my blades hits the stones it gets a little work on the back side. Mostly to check for wear along the edge where the blade meets the wood.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Slipped that Buck brothers 2" iron i sharpened up into a "Parts Plane" that showed up this morning. SDC12852.jpgThe Parts plane (Sargent???) with the needed partsSDC12850.jpg and now for some "face time" on a piece of Tulip PoplarSDC12856.jpgSDC12857.jpg I think I'm getting close to be sharp.