How to Sharpen a Plane Blade

Sharpen your plane blade often for the best results.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Light Machine Oil
• Work Gloves
• Work Gloves
• Cups Of Water
• Magnifying Glasses
• Bench Grinders
• Fine-grit Sharpening Stones
• Plane Blades
• Safety Goggles
• Safety Goggles

1. Check the cutting edge with a magnifying glass for burrs and nicks. Grind them off with a medium grit wheel on your bench grinder.

2. 

   Hold the blade with the beveled-side up and move it side-to-side against the wheel.

3. Be sure the cutting edge stays square with the wheel.

4. 

   Turn the blade over (bevel-side down) and repeat the previous step, but this time hold the blade at a 25-degree angle to match the bevel.

5. Finish the edge on a fine-grit stone. Put a few drops of light machine oil on the stone.

6. 

   Hold the bevel flat against the stone. Pull the blade toward you and lift at the end of the stroke.

7. Wipe the blade clean about every third stroke with a clean rag and re-oil the stone.

8. Drag the blade once across the stone with the bevel-side up to remove any burrs that may have been created.

9. Re-examine the blade with your magnifying glass.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the blade from losing its temper by cooling it often. Dip it in a cup of water and return to sharpening.

[woodworkerktc]

on 5/8/2008 This video is pretty good. I liked it and the approach with a powergrinder is one option. I ran across this video on how to sharpen blades using waterstones. It's at:

http://woodtreks.com/how-to-hand-sharpen-using-waterstones/34/

A nice compliment to this video here.

on 6/30/2006 I think using a grinder for the rougher initial stages of sharpening is absolutely fine - just go slow and easy and don't let the blade heat up too much. If you need to cool the blade, hold it directly against another, colder chisel or plane blade. I would use both sides (medium and fine grit) of the grinder and then use a honing guide to get my final cutting edge on 150 then 300 and then 400 grit diamond slabs - these are cheap now. After that, I use some 1200 wet a dry paper for a mirror smooth cutting edge and a few strokes on a bit of tough old leather to remove any burrs and to really put the best edge possible on the blade. Now you've got a sharp blade that'll deal with anything and last.

on 11/22/2005 Grinders will super heat cutting edge & ruin temper. Hone to 25 degrees on 150 wet dry sandpaper glued on plate glass. Hone on finer grit to mirror brightens at 30 degrees. Be sure to polish face (non beveled side) to mirror bright & flat (no wire edge).