I can't help myself, another sharpening thread

[ken hatch]

Richard Maguire AKA The English Woodworker has a new series of videos on sharpening. So far four of the planned eight videos are up and running. If you are not familiar with Richard he build and sold beautiful work benches totally by hand for many years. He is also a great teacher and a hoot to watch. The first three videos deal with my way of sharpening, using oil stones with simple high carbon steel. The fourth is about A-2 and thick irons with the use of grinders and water stones. The most surprising part is when using water stones and A-2 he makes the case for use of a jig. In fact he makes a strong case for use of A-2 in modern planes for finishing difficult woods. I may not be quite so dogmatic about O-1 and thin irons on natural stones in the future.

This is not a commercial but if you have an interest in sharpening iron, and what woodworker doesn't, you should check out this series.

ken

[Dave Zellers]

Personally, I'd like to see a new sharpening thread every month.

Thanks for the heads up.

[David Eisenhauer]

Thanks for the heads up Ken.

[david charlesworth]

Thanks for the heads up Ken.

Ken.

We used a lot of difficult timbers in the workshop, Iroko and Doussie being two, Ovankol a third.

I have been advocating guides and A2 blades since they became available for plane blades. Holtey first and L-N second, if I remember correctly.

About 65 workbenches were built here over the years!

Best wishes,
David

[George Conklin]

Hey Ken,

I had to laugh out loud when I read your thread title:D.

I need all the help I can get and look forward to sharpening threads.

Thanks for posting this!

[ken hatch]

Thinks guys, it is a fun show.
ken

[ken hatch]

Ken.

We used a lot of difficult timbers in the workshop, Iroko and Doussie being two, Ovankol a third.

I have been advocating guides and A2 blades since they became available for plane blades. Holtey first and L-N second, if I remember correctly.

About 65 workbenches were built here over the years!

Best wishes,
David

David,

I doubt I will change my work flow too much, it works well for the woods and tools I like to use but, I expect I will dig out a couple of the unused LN planes, put the A-2 irons back in and use them when they make sense. A good teacher really can teach and "old dog" new tricks :).

ken

[Thomas Schneider]

Hi Ken,

Are these available for free or is there a fee required?

Thanks
Tom.

[Brian Holcombe]

Ken, rather than revisit A2, you may well consider putting a Tsunesaburo blade into your planes. They're pre-laminated blue steel and soft iron, wonderful blades. I've even go so far as to tap out the blade so that I don't have to sharpen the whole back, but just the leading edge.

[george wilson]

Isn't OVANKOL one of Trump's wives?:)

[ken hatch]

Hi Ken,

Are these available for free or is there a fee required?

Thanks
Tom.

Tom,

A small one time fee.

ken

[ken hatch]

Ken, rather than revisit A2, you may well consider putting a Tsunesaburo blade into your planes. They're pre-laminated blue steel and soft iron, wonderful blades. I've even go so far as to tap out the blade so that I don't have to sharpen the whole back, but just the leading edge.

Brian,

I have a Tsunesaburo iron in one of my Stanleys. it is a great iron and is thin enough to work well in the Stanley but too thin for the LNs without mods to the LN. As hard as it is becoming to find good OEM irons for the older Stanley planes I expect more of mine will be retrofitted with Tsunesaburo irons. Another problem with the older Stanleys is finding good cap irons....I've kissed a few frogs in pursuit of usable OEM irons and cap irons :).

ken

[Brian Holcombe]

I just decided to modify the LN as I was at the point of either selling them or modifying.

[Stewie Simpson]

I just decided to modify the LN as I was at the point of either selling them or modifying.

Brian; you may find this recent article by Richard of some interest, http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/laminated-plane-irons/

Salko Safic (http://journeymansjournel.wordpress.com/) February 6th, 2017 (http://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/laminated-plane-irons/#comment-102604)
I have been asking this question for years and only ever get the same reply, A2 steel is better because it holds an edge longer. But A2 steel’s ideal bevel is 30-35 degrees to hold that edge longer yet they all come ground at 23. All I know is that I get a keener edge with O1 but it won’t hold as long as A2, but A2 is a pain in the backside to sharpen because it takes so bloody long.

[Brian Holcombe]

Salko and I certainly agree, I find O1 preferable to A2, but frankly I find laminated blue steel to soft iron better still, it outlives the A2 and gets very nearly as keen as O1 in my experience.

I swapped the blade in my LN4 to a Hock 01 and LN7 I swapped to Tsunesaburo's laminated iron.

Truth be told I find my use of metal body planes increasingly limited, I tend to use the LN7 for final few passes on edge jointing, but the great majority of my work is done with wooden bodied planes.

[david charlesworth]

Nice one George!

I believe Ovankol is also called Amazaque and Heydua.

Like many African timbers it probably has half a dozen other local names.

It is a very attractive golden brown colour. Surprising how few timbers are brown!

David