Bench Planes not as difficult as assumed.

[Kevin McMichael]

Gents

After reading this site for a while I have gotten the impression that you had to have a masters degree to use a bench plane and a doctorate to set one up.

I had purchased a Stanley jack plane on ebay and hoped someday to summon up the courage or find a worthy master to show me some of the ropes to get started.

My Mother-in-law recently gave me a Lakeside versiion of a Stanley #4 with a little rust and a blade that had probabl hit a nail or two. I doubted that I could ever get it working.

Yesterday I decided that I could not screw up the smoother plane any more than it could be and decided to give it a try. I am not a stranger to sharpening knives and have allways been able to do this pretty well. I cannot sharpen a straight razor very well although I have tried several times. Anyway, I had the stones and used pretty well what these guys recommend with the exception that I substituted a black novaculite fore the 1000 grit waterstone. It worked great, much better than my little electric sander. It produced a surface that could be finished as is. I got out the Stanley sharpened the blade and it seemed to work even better.

I am writing this to encourage those of you that might have thought that the learning curve was too steep, as I did. It is not. I did not have a guide to get the bevel dead flat and I am sure that mine were probably a little round if veiwed under magnification but I do not think it really matters. I am sure that on the finer stones I increased the angle to sharpen the tip as I have always did that on knives and believe that it works better.

I am not saying that I could perfectly do any of the more intricate duties of planes but it beats the &^*^*& out of sandpaper.

[Raney Nelson]

Nice post - Thanks!

I agree - sometimes the esoteric plane discussions can convey the idea that this is rocket science. Glad you found out it's not :)

[Dan Karachio]

Bravo. While everyone here means well and is really helpful, I'm not sure many can realize how the newbie perceives all the jargon, terms, debates... surrounding planes. it is overwhelming and not at all clear. Then when you get the super hard core guys talking about edges and thousandths of an inch and all that it seems hopeless.

I think Lie Nielsen recognized this kind of thing as a barrier to more people getting into their planes and chisels. They have a You Tube channel and videos that make sharpening quite understandable and direct. Seriously, with all due respect to everyone here, if I am going to listen to one opinion on all this among dozens, Lie Nielsen carries a lot of weight. Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/LieNielsen

[Bill Houghton]

I learned hand tool use before the Internet - seems, now, like before electricity, but it wasn't, quite - the same way you did, by trying stuff. Feels great, doesn't it?

[Richard Niemiec]

Gents

After reading this site for a while I have gotten the impression that you had to have a masters degree to use a bench plane and a doctorate to set one up.



Glad you had a good experience. I can see how you can get the impression it is rocket science, but as you found out, its not. Sharpening is a learned skill, and is fully 85% of the learning curve in using planes, IMHO. Your plane has got to have good bones and true mating surfaces, and be reasonably flat; but after that its all sharpening in my view. Keep it up, its addictive.

RN

[Jim Koepke]

Once there is a sharp blade in the plane, everything else becomes pretty obvious.

But do not become complacent, it is possible to keep learning new things.

jim

[John Schreiber]

I learned hand tool use before the Internet - . . .
I don't get it. How did you learn anything before the Internet? :D:D:D

[Bill Houghton]

I don't get it. How did you learn anything before the Internet? :D:D:D

There were these buildings (still are, by the way) called "public libraries." :D:D:D

That and trial and error, and error, and error, and...

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Sorry but it's true, you gotta have the advanced degrees. One in physics another in metallurgy and another in engineering.

I find, however, that I can make do with a little common sense and just a skosh of insight from other sources .

So I wrote to MIT and told them asking for my honorary Doctorate degrees.

They haven't relied yet.

[bridger berdel]

Gents

After reading this site for a while I have gotten the impression that you had to have a masters degree to use a bench plane and a doctorate to set one up.


the basic design for the modern bench plane was worked out in something like the 1850s. it's a tool meant to be used by carpenters, who in those days typically had something like a high school education, if that.

it's a very common sense design. a couple of hours of actual use and you'll be completely proficient....

[Billy Chambless]

Sorry but it's true, you gotta have the advanced degrees. One in physics another in metallurgy and another in engineering.

I find, however, that I can make do with a little common sense and just a skosh of insight from other sources .

So I wrote to MIT and told them asking for my honorary Doctorate degrees.

They haven't relied yet.

First they have to watch a few videos on reading and writing letters.

[phil harold]

I don't get it. How did you learn anything before the Internet? :D:D:D

By doing!


now that the internet is around I sit on my butt more than play in the shop...