How to Sharpen a Wood Plane
Nothing can frustrate a carpenter more than working with tools that have not been properly maintained. Ideally, a wood plane should be razor sharp, but repeated use naturally causes the edge to dull. Dull tools are difficult to use and can be dangerous as well. With a little practice, you can perfect the three basic steps involved in creating a cutting edge on a wood plan--grinding, honing, and removing the burrs.
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Things You'll Need
- Honing stone graded at 120 to 200 plus grit
- Rubber pad
- Oil
- Cloth
- Leather strap
Instructions
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Maintaining a plane's razor sharp edge
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1
Remove the plane blade to evaluate the condition of the tool's cutting edge. A beveled grind, also known as a flat grind, requires honing from time to time to retain razor sharpness.
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2
Place a honing stone--graded at 120 to 200 plus grit--on a flat surface on top of a rubber mat. This will keep the stone from sliding during the sharpening session. Put a few drops of non-food-grade oil on top of the stone.
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3
Hold the bevel flat on the honing stone and pull it carefully across it six or seven times. To get a razor-sharp edge, raise the angle of the blade 5 degrees and pull it across the stone.
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4
Flip the blade over. Run it across the stone a number of times to remove any burr. Check to see if the burr is removed and the blade is sharpened properly by shining a light on the blade's edge. If glittering spots are visible, the sharpening is not complete. You will know that the blade is completely sharpened when it no longer reflects light.
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5
When the blade is completely sharpened, blot any excess oil off of the honing stone. Leaving dirty oil on the stone will ruin it.
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6
Strop the blade by dragging it along a leather strap in one direction six or seven times. Turn the strap over and drag the blade in one direction across the other side six to seven times as well. Flip the blade over and repeat the stropping technique on the other side.
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Tips & Warnings
Hard Arkansas stone is used to hone plane irons and chisels and can last a lifetime.
References
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Comments
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this is very helpful especially in our place where it is very hard to buy good quality chisels. and blades for hand tools not power driven.
