How should I store my plane?

[Matthew Campbell]

Hello,

Probably a dumb question, but hey the only dumb questions are the ones you don't ask right? Anyway, I have a 9" smoothing plane which until today I've stored upright sitting on its foot. However, I am reorganizing and I bought a tool cabinet and I can't easily store the plane except in the bottom of the cabinet. I'd prefer to save that space for my more bulky tools. So, is it okay to lay the plane on its side in one of the drawers or is that going to cause the foot to warp or something? I'll probably be acquiring other planes in the future as I need them so I imagine what works for one plane should probably work for all of them.

Thanks,
Matt

[Steve Schoene]

This actually is a much debated issue. My mentor while learning to use planes advocated laying them on their side while working so that the blade does not strike errant metal on the workbench when you set it down. Other point out that while laying on it's side, the mouth and blade are exposed and hence subject to being struck by hard objects like other tools. Ideally, you would store planes with bottom side down, but with a spacer to keep the blade from rubbing on the storage shelf. You won't cause the plane (I assume we are speaking of metal planes) to warp or be otherwise damaged on it's side as long as it isn't subject to damage from other objects. I think it works out to 6 of one, or half a dozen of the other.

[Frank Drew]

Matt,

If this is a 9" metal plane, you'd be safe storing it almost any way you want as long as you protect it, particularly the blade. If you want to lay it on its sole, I'd back the blade into the plane body so that it's not exposed; on its side, just make sure the blade and sole won't get dinged by something hard. In many years working at the bench and laying my planes on their sides while on the bench top, I never once damaged a plane. When not in use, I stored my planes either in a drawer or on a shelf, out of harms way.

Wood plane bodies have been known to move, but they're relatively easy to correct, and IMO placing one on its side won't, just by itself, cause it to warp.

[Matthew Campbell]

Steve and Frank - thanks for the info. This is a 9" metal bodied plane. I think I was mainly concerned because I've read about the cast iron tops to table saws warping if not stored properly before assembly. However, that is a much larger expanse of metal to be acted on by various forces, rather than the relatively small structure of a plane body. Well, for now I will store it on it's side in a drawer because that will be convenient and protective of the blade surface. I hate retracting the blade if I don't have to because most of the time I use the plane in the exact same configuration and getting it back to that "just right" amount of blade extension seems to be a pain in the rear for me. It is a Buck Brothers plane though, so that might have something to do with adjustment being a touchy affair.

[Don Morris]

I recently read...believe it was in Woodsmith, don't hold me to that...where the author placed small inexpensive earth magnets on the front and back of his planes so he could store them upright in his cabinet for space conservation. This kept the bottom of the plane off the cabinet surface and supposedly the earth magnets had no harmful effect on the surface of the plane. Otherwise laying the planes on their side took up vast amounts of space.

[Sam Joyce]

I know the iron used in the higher end planes like Veritas and Lie Niesen are stress relieved so they should not have any movement in them at all. Not sure if that is the same with Buck brothers planes but its possible.

[Myk Rian]

I wrap mine in rust resistant paper and store them in a drawer.

[John TenEyck]

I've been laying mine on their side in a drawer for storage for 20 years now. That's the only way they would fit in. The drawers have rubber drawer liner in them so once in they don't slip around when the drawer is opened or closed. No dings, no warpage, no issues.

[Matthew Campbell]

Thanks for all the replies guys, especially the reply from John - that's what I want to hear - stored on their side for 20 years and no issues. I just wanted to be sure since I'm still fairly new to the care and feeding of planes.