referbishing a 608

[Tom Bussey]

Doug,

Your statement, in my humble opinion, generally don't need to be reground, I agree with you. I have said all along that to make a plane work properly all it needs is to be sharp.

From Jim, Using sandpaper on a flat surface takes a different knowledge and skill set. No it doesn't. it my opinion it is just stupidity to believe in the false information. It exists only because people want to believe it, but the world is not flat Cast iron resists abrasion That is why is is used on machinery, great wear characteristics. From 60 years of working iron and steel I can assure you that just because you are getting scratches on a plane doesn't mean you are getting anything off. And 99.99% of the people that do it, have no way of verifying any removal.

If you want to take 1000 grit wet- dry and using something like water to lubricate it shine up the bottom and take the patina off so it is smoother it can't hurt you any. Put some wax on and sharpen, sharpen, and sharpen.

But, Why are lie- Nielsen plane so highly thought of and highly prized? Both Veritas, Lie-Nielsen, as well as Woodriver and the new ones from Rockler are all surfaced ground and their prices keep going up. Please do not bring the steel in the blade or the new chip breaker into it because they can be updated. But the only difference that I can possibly find in the 608 and the LN 8 is a little less clearance is the blade adjusting wheel. LN has a little finer control on blade adjustment.

The LN weighs more, it is an advantage for a few cuts, but a disadvantage it one had to use it all day.

[Jim Koepke]

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A machine can do the work with precision controlled by the operator. In your case it gives the added benefit of 90º sides.

Using sandpaper on a flat surface takes a different knowledge and skill set.
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jtk

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From Jim, Using sandpaper on a flat surface takes a different knowledge and skill set. No it doesn't. it my opinion it is just stupidity to believe in the false information. It exists only because people want to believe it, but the world is not flat Cast iron resists abrasion That is why is is used on machinery, great wear characteristics. From 60 years of working iron and steel I can assure you that just because you are getting scratches on a plane doesn't mean you are getting anything off. And 99.99% of the people that do it, have no way of verifying any removal.

I don't think my abilities with sandpaper on cast iron would translate to being able to use a milling machine to acquire the same result. (Therefore my statement that the knowledge and skill sets of machine versus human labor are different.)

If one doesn't know what they are doing, they can make a decent plane worse. (Therefore it takes some knowledge of what one is doing and some skill to do it properly.)

Otherwise, there must be some magic taking place in my shop. There have been accumulations of iron filings whilst concave or convex soles have somehow become flat.

Whatever…

jtk