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Thread: Question: How to Sharpen Combination Plane Irons

  1. #1
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    Question: How to Sharpen Combination Plane Irons

    I have had a Stanley 45 for years, but have never used the beading irons. Additionally after wanting a Stanley 55 for a few years one finally came along that looked pretty good for a price that wasn't outrageous, and it has now been in my garage a day or two. It was a happy day!

    Alas, there is almost no room to use it though, so back to the saw horses and planks in the back yard.

    Projects by Steven, Jim, and others have perked my interested in learning to use the beading irons with my 45 and simple molding irons in the 55.

    When I got to thinking about that it suddenly dawned on me that I have never sharpened a plane iron with a profile, as I had never had a need to.

    Thus the question, what advise do you have as to sharpening these profiled irons?

    I do have oil stone slips, one or more that I have had for years from my dad, but have never needed to use one, but at least I have a start.

    Are there good videos out there? Any advise will be much appreciated.

    Thanks and regards,

    Stew
    Last edited by Stew Denton; 12-08-2017 at 10:53 PM.

  2. #2
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    I just hone the backs. I tend to stay away from the profiles, too good a chance of altering one. The "quirks" on either side can be honed a bit, though. mainly I just hone the backs flat.

  3. #3
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    Hi Stew,

    A post of mine on molding planes has a couple of posts with different profiled blades being sharpened:

    http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...hab-Enthusiast

    An excerpt from “The Woodworker: The Charles H. Hayward Years: Volume I” has great information about profiled blades, especially about the shaping of a beading blade.

    https://blog.lostartpress.com/2017/0...plane-cutters/

    An important consideration when sharpening a beading blade for a combination plane is there has to be some part of the blade outside of the path of the skate all around or the skate will bind.

    A difficult part of sharpening a small bead blade is learning to keep rotating the radius of the small edge of a slipstone inside the round edge. It takes a little practice.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  4. #4
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    The most traditional approach is to get some slipstones, like maybe some medium India stones (for sharpening) and some translucent arks (for honing). I do a lot of my combo sharpening this way.

    Another approach is slip waterstones. The only catch is that most of the ones on the market are Matsunaga/King stones, with not the greatest speed/dishing tradeoffs. Dishing is particularly unattractive when working curved irons, because instead of flattening you have to reshape. A lot of people don't use slip waterstones at all as a consequence.

    The new way to do it is with lapping compunds or PSA abrasives on shaped wooden forms. This is probably the fastest way to go, and is mostly what I do when not using oilstone slips.

  5. #5
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    I stay away from the profiles....no need to mess with them...unless you hit a nail, or do something else like that. I just hone the "flats"
    There is a fellow on Youtube, named Mitch Peacock, that has a whole range of videos on the 45. Might even have a few on the 55, as well....

    Been working for what I do with the 45.....KISS seems to be the way.

  6. #6
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    Stew, Jim's link to the Hayward write up is pretty good and as Patrick said, in lieu of slipstones, abrasive on appropriately profiled pieces of wood will also work very well. To get a sharp edge you will need to work both bevel and the back, especially as multi plane profiles are more likely to tear.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Graham Haydon View Post
    Stew, Jim's link to the Hayward write up is pretty good and as Patrick said, in lieu of slipstones, abrasive on appropriately profiled pieces of wood will also work very well. To get a sharp edge you will need to work both bevel and the back, especially as multi plane profiles are more likely to tear.
    Dead right Graham.


  8. #8
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    set up.jpg
    Ok...you see those two shiny spots? Those are the only parts of the profile I worry about. Flat has been flattened, those to "quirks" as well. have never tough the profile itself.....haven't found the need to. Won't, unless I happen to hit a hidden nail, or other bits of metal...and nick the profile. I did find out that using the depth stop helps when I get near the far end of the cut.

    Like I said. I hone the back, and I hone the quirks....and that is it.

  9. #9
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    While just honing the back may work for Steve, I've always honed both the bevel and the back. There is little reason not to do so. I mean it's not like you are worried about matching the blade to a wooden sole. Who cares if you alter slightly the perfect profile that Stanley put on the blade? It mates with no sole, and unless you use a square stone to attempt to hone a round iron, you are not going to alter the profile enough that anyone will see it or notice it.

    I use the system that Patrick talks about. A small medium India slip with a radiused edge and a corresponding hard Arkansas stone. Has worked for me for years and I don't see any reason to change. One thing is for sure, multiplane blades work best when they are very sharp, and it's impossible to get them very sharp if the other side of the cutting edge has a rough grind like they came from the factory with. It's really not that hard, just try it and see.

  10. For the curved portions of the cutters, I like to use a 600 grit diamond plated rod that has multiple diameters. The larger diameter rods also have flat sections:
    CRKT Veff Sharp 600 Diamond Grit Stepped Sharpener.

    Follow this up with the finer Spyderco ceramic slip stones. There is a 4 rod set available.

    Finally, leather strop using either the v-shaped wheel on a Tormek or a v-shaped leather strop attached to your drill press (Flexcut Deluxe Leather Powerstrop FLEXPWS20).

    Any flat sections can be done with your favorite method.

  11. #11
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    This film from Lee Valley has a pretty tough backing. http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/pag...29&cat=1,43072 Wrapped around the shank of a numbered drill bit fits a lot of small shapes. I have even used it on the cutting edge of a dull chisel. You have to look around and see what you can come up with a lot of times. I use the diamond lapping film for sharpening some things, but the backing is too fragile for this use.

    That aluminum oxide film is handy for a lot of things-from polishing hydraulic cylinder rams, to combination plane irons.

    Fortunately, once fine tuned, if you don't let it get really dull, hitting the back will only will get a lot of work out of it.

  12. #12
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    Tom,
    I found this an interesting way to sharpen combination plane irons, thanks for posting. Could you elaborate on how you attach the film around the drill bit? Is it wrapped around in a spiral fashion or just a thin strip wrapped around the length of the drill bit?? Also do you use water or oil as LV suggest? It seems to me that using oil would cause the adhesive to come loose. I'm just trying to figure out how your system works in my mind. Thanks for any help.
    Chet

  13. #13
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    For what it's worth, "Planecraft," one of my essential references for the use of planes, recommends various suitable shapes of slips, such as those used for carving tools. Lacking a full complement of such slips, hardwood whittled to shape with an abrasive film should do the job.

  14. #14
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    It seems to me that using oil would cause the adhesive to come loose.
    Wouldn't the oil would have to penetrate the film for that to occur?

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  15. #15
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    Have had no problems with what system I use on mine......YMMV....

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