Random Small Plane Sharpening

[gee-dub]

This may be a tip or just dumb.  I have a fair amount of things to make things sharp.  I hand sharpen, guide sharpen, and power sharpen.  I have holders for small or short irons but find these Kell guides handle some of those odd sized irons well.

I am not the most highly skilled hand tool worker so I use this trick when setting the iron in this little Millers Falls 33.  I stick a couple pieces of tape that are about the depth I am looking for ahead of and behind the blade.

I set the plane on a reference surface and extend the blade till I make firm but gentle contact and tighten the lever cap.

In this case I am easing edges pretty significantly so masking tape is about right.  This gives me shaving like so when easing an edge.

Like I said . . . may be a tip or may just be dumb .

[Mark J]

Actually, clever.

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

@gee-dub I don't know that I've ever seen anything dumb come out of your camp. 

This is an interesting technique and not something i would not have stumbled onto any time soon. So no. Definitely NOT dumb!!!

 

[Coop]

Great Tip! Only thing simpler would be for us to send our blades to you for sharpening!

[derekcohen]

Let's assume that the bed angle is 45 degrees. If you sharpen like this, you achieve a blade with a 45 degree bevel. Not good.

Further, sharpening the angle flush with the surface leaves a zero relief angle. The plane will either not cut at all, or stop cutting after a few shavings. 
 

Regards from Perth

Derek

[gee-dub]

I hear what you are saying Derek.  Yet that is how they were produced from 1929 through 1964.  Completely non-adjustable other than blade protrusion.  One catalog reproduction I have seen states a bedding angle of 20 degrees but it is more like 45 and stated as such in other document reproductions .  Obviously not a plane for any serious stock removal.  I believe the target was pattern and model makers.  Pretty light use. The bevel down iron is sharpened at ~30 degrees for my use.

[Tom King]

The tape is just for setting iron protrusion, not sharpening.  I've never owned a plane without some sort of iron adjustment for that, whether with a hammer like for molding planes, or adjusters, so can offer no better advice.