Ordered my first set of hand planes.. what do i need to keep them in shape/sharp?

[Cygnus A]

I decided to jump in and order some Veritas hand planes to add to my power tool arsenal. I picked up the block , smoother and jack planes. What is the recommended way to keep them sharp and well maintained? I've watched a lot of youtube on planes and some people use sandpaper, and others use stones. Any insight would be appreciated.

[Brendon_t]

The basics then.

something to hold the plane iron at a given pitch. There are many on the market. The Mk-2 gets good reviews although I cannot attest to it myself. Some also do this step by hand

An abrasive, so sandpaper, water stones, oil stones, strop and sharpening compound. There are as many opinions as people sharpening as I'm sure you have seen via your youtube research.

something flat to either hold your sand paper or flatten your abrasives. I use the infeed bed on my jointer for flattening stones.

something to keep them from rusting after sharpening and exposing new metal.

 

i use use a side clamping jig from rockler, shapton ceramic water stones and wd40. There are MANY configurations to do it right.

[minorhero]

The very first thing you do after you unpack and wipe off any oil they were packed in is to then apply a coat of paste wax to them just like you would to any machined surface. Otherwise they will start to rust. You will want to reapply every few months as well when you are re-applying to your other machines.

[TerryMcK]

I can recommend the Veritas MK2 honing guide. Out of the box the Veritas planes will work, the blades will have a flat back and the blades are not highly polished. This is not a problem. They also will have a slight micro bevel pre honed. Just keep the microbevel honed (normally 1 or 2 degrees higher than the primary bevel). Use some rust proofing agent (CRC-336, WD40, Boeshield, paste wax etc) to keep rust at bay.

Use some beeswax (or even candle wax) on the sole to keep the friction down and you will be good to go.

I've personally never found that the soles of Veritas planes need flattening but it doesn't hurt to check with a good straight edge and some feeler gauges.

[Cygnus A]

Since these are brand new blades, what grit stones should I be looking to buy?

[Jim DaddyO]

If you get the "Basic" sharpening kit from Lee Valley it comes with a Mkll honing guide and a 1000/4000 stone.  It is a pretty inexpensive way to get started on sharpening.

[Willin]

Before you go and buy stones and guides, check out what Paul Sellers says about sandpaper and a piece of stone tile.

 

[Brendon_t]

I don't know about anybody else but I can barely get sandpaper to Last two sharpening and it often ends up ripping. Sand paper was just way more of a pain than the asset. 

[TerryMcK]

1 hour ago, Brendon_t said:

I don't know about anybody else but I can barely get sandpaper to Last two sharpening and it often ends up ripping. Sand paper was just way more of a pain than the asset. 

You need to use better sandpaper Brendon. I use this stuff from Stewmac. http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Fretting/3M_Stikit_Self-adhesive_Abrasives.html

[Jim DaddyO]

4 hours ago, TerryMcK said:

You need to use better sandpaper Brendon. I use this stuff from Stewmac. http://www.stewmac.com/Luthier_Tools/Tools_by_Job/Tools_for_Fretting/3M_Stikit_Self-adhesive_Abrasives.html

You can also get good sandpaper from your local NAPA auto parts store.  They carry Norton in grits up to 2000.  That and a spray can of craft glue will get you going.  If you want to expand on that you can spend a couple of bucks at the local lumber store for a granite tile for a flat surface.  They usually will have an odd few around that have cosmetic flaws in them.  Other options would be a cut off from a place that does counter tops.  You can get those free.

[bob493]

I use king wet stones. very high quality, perfect size for plane blades. Use larson sharpening jig as well. Wrap everything with a leather strop and some polishing compound. It will be far cheaper than using sandpaper in the long run. You do need something to flatten the stones. I use a starrett flat stone with 220 grit sandpaper, works just fine.

 

http://www.amazon.com/King-1000-Grit-Whetstone-Plastic/dp/B000OT1ZOC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1461399149&sr=8-2&keywords=king+1000

 

http://www.amazon.com/Japanese-King-Sharpener-Whetstone-S-45/dp/B003Q377K4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1461399149&sr=8-7&keywords=king+1000

 

http://www.amazon.com/Robert-Larson-800-1800-Honing-Guide/dp/B000CFNCKS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1461399201&sr=8-3&keywords=sharpening+guide

[G S Haydon]

Cygnus, as it sounds you are mainly a power tool guy I'd stick with what Veritas can offer, the set up Jim says sounds great. Follow their instruction, put a bit of practice in and enjoy your woodworking.

There are so many ways to skin a cat, I like free hand on oil stones and I like vintage steel. I have no idea what my finished "grit" is, I don't need to I'm happy with the results. But it's not for everyone. As long as you get good results and you have fun in the shop it wont matter.

 

[derekcohen]

What Graham says is correct. The thing is, however, a beginner needs a place to start, and a specific recommendation is helpful.

Firstly, ignore anything on sharpening from Paul Sellers. I think the world of Paul, but his sharpening regime is unusual. Try it at a later date. For now stick to something basic and simple that will get your blades sharp.

A simple honing guide. such as the Eclipse, is a good one. The Veritas is more complex, more expensive, but does have a built-in angle guide (you need to build one for the eclipse (Google "LN and Eclipse sharpening", or see my link below). 

Start with "scary sharp" - sandpaper: 600/1200/2000 grit. Spray Contact glue a strip of each to a glass surface.

Alternative cheap system (one I developed a decade ago): http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/The%2010%20Cent%20Sharpening%20System.html

Once you are more proficient with sandpaper, then it will be time to consider waterstones, etc.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim DaddyO]

Easy preventative measure I forgot to mention.

I have furniture wax on hand at all times.  When my can of it (Johnsons, trewax, etc) was getting near empty, I bought another can of it.  I took the old can that had about 1/2" of product still in it, warmed it (gently) just until it got to a liquid state, then added some 3 in 1 oil to it (increasing the volume by about 1/4) and let it cool.  I keep a rag in this old can of now very soft wax/oil and I (try to remember to) wipe my tools down with it after each use to keep the rust at bay.

 

Of course you can always decant a scoop of it from a new can into a different container.

[RJ Now]

lots of options out there.

I use 3 traditional type stones.  I use honing oil.  Coarse, medium and fine stones from Arkansas.  I don't use any fixture to hold the blade...just my hands.  I finish on a leather shaving strap.  Usually in a couple of minutes max I can shave the hair off my arm.  That's my test.  Otherwise I repeat the process.