Scratch on Sole of New Plane


TomInNC

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I just got a LN #4, and naturally on the first project I somehow managed to get a deep scratch in the sole (see attached). When you run your finger across the sole, you can feel the indentation from the scratch. Should I do anything to try to get this out, or just leave it be? Since this is very new, I am concerned that any fixes that I might pursue would do more harm than good.

PlaneSole.jpg

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I just got a LN #4, and naturally on the first project I somehow managed to get a deep scratch in the sole (see attached). When you run your finger across the sole, you can feel the indentation from the scratch. Should I do anything to try to get this out, or just leave it be? Since this is very new, I am concerned that any fixes that I might pursue would do more harm than good.

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I think you will create more of a problem by trying to remove that scratch.  I might take a piece of very fine sand paper, like p2000 or p3000 on a wooden block and gently wipe down the sole with the idea of removing any burr you may have created. 

Like Tom said, you do want to figure out how it happened and how to avoid it in the future.   But after that, it's like the dimple I put in the tailgate of my new truck--a reminder of how not to park.

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50 minutes ago, Tom King said:

I don't think you want to take that much off the whole sole, but it may not be as deep as it looks in a picture.  What in the world were you planing?

Just a piece of western red cedar for a planter. This was rough cut stock left over from a pergola. The only thing I can come up with is that there was a rock or small piece of metal embedded in the stock that I didn't see.

I was looking at the LN maintenance video, and they mentioned that you can send tools back into them for the "spa treatment" for issues that you can't address on your own. Has anyone done this? Just wondering what my options are if the scratch leaves marks on the wood. Don't want a 350 buck brick in the shop.

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2 hours ago, TomInNC said:

I was looking at the LN maintenance video, and they mentioned that you can send tools back into them for the "spa treatment" for issues that you can't address on your own.

You really should be able to deal with this yourself by doing the sand paper techniques mentioned above.  I had a scratch like yours in the bottom of my Veritas Smoother. and it took very little effort with sand paper.  Can I still see and feel the scratch? Yep, but it has absolutely no effect on the working results of the plane.

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It won't take much to flatten any burrs to make it not matter at all.

My Smoothers don't touch anything, unless something else has been over the surface first.  Mostly because I don't want to regrind the irons.  I don't have any newer, or prettier than the one JohnG posted a picture of.

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