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michael a nelson
02-21-2011, 12:39 PM
how high of a grit should i go to when polishing a hand plane sole and sides

Dave Gaul
02-21-2011, 12:42 PM
You can go as high as you'd like! You can go as high until you can see your reflection enough to shave with!

But, I've read you should go to at least 220, IIRC.

David Weaver
02-21-2011, 12:44 PM
220 as a max.

If you knock the burrs off of an 80 grit finished plane bottom with a really fine paper on a block or with a sandflex block, you'll not be able to tell the difference on the surface of a planed piece of wood vs. 220.

I have done that for several years on my users. You can go over the cheeks at a later date with a 220 grit block backed piece of paper if you want them to look finer.

Jim Koepke
02-21-2011, 12:46 PM
It is up to you. In my opinion, 80 grit is good enough. Some folks like to go much higher. To me a mirror finish is just waiting to get scratched.

My set up uses a 4 foot long piece of abrasive. As it wears, it is not making as big of scratches in the surface being worked as fresh abrasive does.

jtk

michael a nelson
02-21-2011, 1:17 PM
You can go as high as you'd like! You can go as high until you can see your reflection enough to shave with!

But, I've read you should go to at least 220, IIRC. dave i think if you are refering to the iorn then yes mine go up to 6000 then get power stropped on the worksharp 3000

Dave Gaul
02-21-2011, 2:04 PM
I wasn't thinking of the iron, I just couldn't think of a reason you can't go to a high grit on the sole as well, other than it would waste time, effort and abrasives, but if you really wanted the body to be super shiny, why not?!

For the record, I go to 220 on my sole & sides of my planes. The irons go up as high as the WS3K goes + leather hone & felt wheel.

David Weaver
02-21-2011, 2:13 PM
I have seen planes like dave is talking about. they look awful, but the mirror shine can be done.

Ron brese has a good comment on his site - anything above 400 grit starts to show fingerprints and such too readily.

I never even go that far, not even on infills - 220 makes a nice surface to look at on a nicer plane, but like I said above, my bench planes get 80 grit (and as jim notes, it usually wears down some, anyway), a medium sandflex block to knock the smart jagged bits off, and then I usually do a coat of paste wax or oil on the bottom of the plane with a rag to get as much dust off as possible - the iron may get wrecked quickly a few times until you get that cleared off. No worries, just rehone it if it does until it's no longer an issue.

Stanley Covington
02-23-2011, 1:30 AM
One point to consider when you think about mirror polishing your planes: above a certain point, the higher the polish, the greater the coefficient of friction. Basic physics, but it is counter-intuitive.

Positive side is that while highly polished steel shows fingerprints and corrosion more than rougher stuff, in fact, it corrodes less because less of the metal surface is exposed to atmosphere and corrosive stuff.

Stan

Johnny Kleso
02-23-2011, 2:06 AM
400 is what I thhink is max but 1200 if you choose..
Its a matter of taste and the look you want..

I start 100 unless really bad and try to go up to 220 but I dont leave a perfect 200 finish every time..