Plane lapping and sole scratches

[Dan Gill]

I'm lapping the sole of my flea market #5 Bailey. The large scratch in the picture is fairly deep. Is this going to affect the usability of this plane. It will take a LOT of lapping to get that out.

Also, two other questions: First, I notice that I get bright steel on the outside edges of the sole while the center is still dark. I take it this means that I need to continue lapping until the whole thing is bright, correct?

Second, I am using a 12 x 12 marble tile as my lapping base. This is shorter than the sole of my #5 plane. Will this cause a problem. I have been starting the stroke with only the front of the plane on the plate and continuing until only the end of the plane is on the plate.

Thanks in advance for the help. I'm new at this plane restoration.

[Jim Dunn]

Dan the dark spot in the middle means it is still higher than the outside edges. You really should use a base that is longer than the sole length of the plane, IMHO. I had the good fortune to highjack a shelf from an old refridgerator. The tempered glass and length/width is just right for lapping. I also have an 18x18" granite plate I purchased from Grizzly that I could use.
Oh and that scratch, I don't think it will have an adverse effect on the plane's use. But you might listen to someone else with more experience than me on this issue.

[Mark Singer]

As I read the photo, Jim is correct. The sole is still not flat. You can check it with a straight edge. The scratch is cosmetic. If it is really off, you can use a stationary belt sander with 220 grit and once it is close work by hand on glass or granite.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Dan, I agree with Jim the lapping plate should be longer than the plane sole, helps in keeping things aligned. If you have a jointer a sheet of sandpaper stuck on it will work.
If you do a google search on hand plane tuning you will find plenty of hits with useful pictographical tutorials. A few lessons I have learned are;

1. No need to flatten the sole end to end. Only three points have to be in line; the front, the back and the mouth (all around i.e. in front of the blade and behind it).
2. Before you start make a bunch of squiggly lines on the sole with a sharpie, make sure to line the mouth of the palne where the blade comes out. As you scrub the sole the places where the abrasion is occuring will have the lines disappear, easier to track than looking for shiny spots.

3. At first if the plane needs a lot of iron taken off dry wall screen is a good starting grit (carried by all major borgs), Next go to 150, and maybe 300 for a few laps to make it shiny.

just my 2c

[Dan Moening]

I'll wager I have less experience than most on this forum...but I'll offer these suggestions anyway:

- be sure that the frog, blade/breaker, and lever cap are installed and "tensioned" while lapping. If not the sole could flex when tension is applied.
It appears that they are in place...

- an old sanding belt slit open and adhered to a strip of MDF will function rather well for lapping these longer planes. Be sure to lift the plane up every few strokes to sweep away the swarf or it may prevent the center of the sole from reaching the abrasive.

- As this type of plane isn't a "finesse" tool, a few scratches like those will not impair its function.

Its looking good so far.

[Steve Evans]

- be sure that the frog, blade/breaker, and lever cap are installed and "tensioned" while lapping. If not the sole could flex when tension is applied.

Just make sure that the blade is FULLY retracted, otherwise you end up with a really nice back bevel on the blade (in the case of a low angle) or a very interesting micro bevel. DAMHIKT

Steve

[Jim Dunn]

Steve, I ya need to cut sand paper use a utility knife. Not the blade of a plane:)

[Derek Cohen]

Dan

What you need is a lapping table that is made from 10mm float glass AND 1m long.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Dan Gill]

Thanks to all for the responses. Now for a couple of responses to the responses:

I have been using drywall screen to start out. I don't know where I picked up that tip, but I suspect it was here. All parts of the plane are there and tensioned, with the iron fully retracted.

I will mark the sole with a marker to see how I'm doing. I only WISH I could do this on my jointer bed. Sadly, my jointer is very short.

Thanks again.

[Roy Wall]

Dan,

Some guys use Melamine covered particle board for a flattening surface....3M spray #77 sheets of medium grit sandpaper. The board is 6" x 36-48" long - a cheaper altenative to 1/2" glass..........

[Zahid Naqvi]

Thanks to all for the responses. Now for a couple of responses to the responses:

I have been using drywall screen to start out. I don't know where I picked up that tip, but I suspect it was here. All parts of the plane are there and tensioned, with the iron fully retracted.

I will mark the sole with a marker to see how I'm doing. I only WISH I could do this on my jointer bed. Sadly, my jointer is very short.

Thanks again.

Dan get 3/4" MDF and put a sheet of vinyl on top of it, you can drill holes in the corner and screw the vinyl to the MDF. Just make sure the screws are not in the path of the plane (maybe counter sink). Glue a sheet or two of 220 grit sand paper to act as your final grit. You can put drywall screen or other coarser grits on top of this base sheet without any adhesive, it will stay in place. You can save this setup for future use.

[Tom LaRussa]

I'm lapping the sole of my flea market #5 Bailey. The large scratch in the picture is fairly deep. Is this going to affect the usability of this plane.
No. Not at all. Just fill it with wax and it'll act as a reservoir.



Also, two other questions: First, I notice that I get bright steel on the outside edges of the sole while the center is still dark. I take it this means that I need to continue lapping until the whole thing is bright, correct?
Not necessarily. Check with a straightedge. It could be that your lapping surface is cupped.


Second, I am using a 12 x 12 marble tile as my lapping base. This is shorter than the sole of my #5 plane. Will this cause a problem.
Possibly. I think you are in danger of over-lapping the ends.

[Mark Stutz]

Possibly. I think you are in danger of over-lapping the ends.


LOL, Tom. I have this mental image of a plane shaped like a pretzel, with "over-lapping ends". :eek: :D

Mark

[Gene Collison]

Dan,

If you value the plane want to get it "flat", look in your yellow pages for someone that does surface grinding. It will cost you about 20$ but it will be as flat as a Lie-Nielsen. IMHO it is all but impossible to get it truly flat by home methods. When you slide the plane fore and aft, the rocking motion will give priority to the heel or toe of the plane. Any amount of side pressure the same thing. I have tried this numerous times using a granite surface plate flat to 1/10000" and when I get finished I can still get a fine leaf from a feeler guage under the sole. Some people take a marking pen and mark up the sole using that as a flat indicator, when it's gone it's flat. And the rocking motion from pushing back and forth will remove that too giving the illusion of being flat.

Gene

[Bob Hawley]

Gene, I think you are dead on. First, nobody has mentioned a straight edge to check for straightness fore and aft, side to side, and diagonals. What tickles my mind is scraps from a book on grinding [lapping] a mirror for a telescope.[concave or convex.....1/4" or so]. Next, know your machine shop. The posession of a shop doesn't insure either competence or integrity, ask any machinest. I suspect a small anount of lapping 2-3 thousandths or so is relatively safe. The faster you remove metal, the greater the risk. I'd like to hear from Bob Smalser or some of the other masters on this subject. Seems like I don't do anything but worry, I don't mean to be a wet blanket, but I have made most of the mistakes I caution about. Make haste slowly. Comments anyone?