Hand plane

[theprinceofdarkness]

Remember Clockwise for Coarser, anticlockwise for finer. It helps if you put a dob of paint on the brass adjuster, then you can retrace your steps if an adjustment proves to be too much. I think there is about 60 degrees of backleash (free movement) in the adjustment on mine. I think the adjusting screw goes through this to alter the depth of the cut.
Frank

 

[Alison556]

Thanks all. I've got it finished (just forgot to post up that I'd finished it) and I have to say, I'm feeling pretty smug cos it's looking rather nice.

I've not used it yet though - after all that bloomin hard work and sanding and polishing, I'm not getting it dirty!!!!

And to bore you even more, here are my "before" and "after" pictures (I forgot to take the before pics while it was still assembled........)

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[marshman]

looks very good, but I hope that's the last time you stand up like that
or you'll blunt your blade.

 

[Alison556]

Don't worry - I had the blade retracted right back at that point - and it's now lying on it's side!!! After the grief I had trying to sharpen the bloomin thing, I might actually not ever use it!

But thanks - you know, it was quite theraputic doing that - and a sense of achievement. I know, I'm a sad git!

 

[marshman]

I'm sure if I go and look in my shed I could find something to send you to help with your therapy ,
now you'll have to keep an eye on your friends because after they pick it up to look at it they tend to put them down on the blade.

 

[Alison556]

Send all your old tools this way!!

I was at my wits end sharpening the blade - did you know that most sharpening stones are only 2 inches wide? I didn't want to have to sell a kidney to buy a stone but it was hard trying to sharpen a 2½ inch blade on a 2 inch stone.

I confess (and I'm waiting on people fainting here) that the initial sharpening was done on the doorstep! Got any knicks out of it and got it all squared up then had to hone it on wrong size stones - but it's sharp - very sharp.

My brother just shook his head and told me I coulda bought a new one for about a tenner.............................

 

[marshman]

the new thing now is to get a piece of plate glass or marble work top, something flat then stick wet & dry paper to it of difference grades
and sharping on that, not tried it myself yet still on the 2 inch oil stone but that's what I was taught to use about 35 years ago.

 

[Alison556]

Yeah, I've read something about using wet and dry as well, but like that, I've got an oil stone.

What do you do if the blade is wider than the stone?

 

[xerxes]

looks very good, but I hope that's the last time you stand up like that
or you'll blunt your blade.

I used to lay my planes carefully on their sides. But I've stopped doing it, because I can't be convinced that resting a plane, static, on a wooden bench can possibly affect the blade edge. If anything, it must be a bit safer from accidental chipping resulting from another tool bumping into it.

 

[marshman]

sorry long time getting back but I couldn't remember so I've been out to the shed for a sharpening session today,
I don't have much of a problem with my plane iron it's only a mm wider than my 2 inch stone,
I guess you could twist it a little or work it across as you push it up the stone, some one else may help on this.
I'd run out of 3 in 1 oil so I've been using WD40 & blood mix I find the wd40 keeps the stone clean but a little course
so to get the edge sharp enough to shave the hairs off my arm I had to use very light pressure to reduce the burr for stropping,
I have my plane iron slightly convex by less than a half mm this stop you leaving a little bead at the edge of the cut.
I'm not a chippy by the way.

xerxes its what I was taught to always lay it on its side.

 

[Alison556]

I decided that I wasn't keen on oilstones - too mucky, so I got the diamond things - not the really good posh ones because I'm only a DIYer and not needing them all the time but I've sharpened a couple of chisels on them and they're pretty bloomin good. The plane blade as I said, I did it initially on the doorstep with water and once I got it evened out I went onto these diamond sharpeners. I did like you said and used it at an angle and did the best I could - just wasn't sure if there was any other way of doing it.

Didn't get the hair off my arm, but I cut my flippin finger on it!!!!

Just got to be brave and go and try and use it!