best way to sharpen plane irons?

[Adam Herd]

So i'm a poor college student and I have decided to splurge and buy a good hand plane when the weather starts to get warmer. I'm going to get the wood river 5 1/2 from wood craft. I have watched a million videos on you tube on how to sharpen. Every one has a their favorite way to sharpen. i'm looking for suggestions on the best way to sharpen not only that but specific products. I'm looking for something that is quick, easy, cost efficient, and long lasting. thanks for all the suggestions.

[Matt Day]

You’re asking for a lot there. Scary sharp, work sharp, Makita 9820-2, water stones, grizzly Tormek copy.... they all satisfy at least 2 of your criteria.

You should have posted in the Neander Forum by the way.

[Phillip Mitchell]

It’s like the old saying about sports cars...

”Fast, cheap, reliable. Pick two.”

Getting edge tools as sharp as they need to be to just let the tool do the work takes a combination of money, time/sweat, skills, and practice.

Any method that’s going to be “easy” for a beginner isn’t likely to yield an edge that’s truly sharp or long lasting. Obviously my opinion, but I think many will agree with it.

If you’re new to sharpening, or don’t have a system in place already for getting edge tools properly sharp, I would recommend working on developing a system that works for your budget and disposition and practicing it until it works and is repeatable time and again. Honing guides are great. Don’t be ashamed to use one or think you need to tough it out and freehand everything bc that’s takes a bit of experience, practice and skill to do successfully.

I don’t know if anyone can really tell you what the best approach is for you. Lots of variables in that equation.

[Andrew Hughes]

Pick a method that make sense to you and keep at it.
There's a zillion different ways but they all take perseverance.

[Warren Wilson]

I found one of these useful when I started out sharpening chisels and plane irons -- you can use it with different kinds of stones, and it will maintain the angle (using the initial angle might not be a bad place to start out).
http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=60311&cat=1,43072,43078

And at less than $15, it will have earned its keep by the time (if ever) you move on to a more sophisticated solution.

[Phil Mueller]

Since you’re only dealing with one iron for the moment, I’ll suggest what might be the lowest cost of entry, but not necessarily the most cost effective long term.

Start with the sandpaper method (referred to as “scary sharp method”). Get the honing guide suggested by Warren. Buy a few sheets of 220, 400, 600 grit sandpaper at the big box store. Then go to an auto parts store and buy a few sheets of 1000, 2000, and 3000 wet/dry paper. Get a piece of plate glass about 8” x 20”. Get a can of 3M spray mount, a putty knife and a bottle of goo be gone. Also, spray water bottle is helpful.

Use the spray mount to stick down a 3” wide piece of each grit from coarse to fine in a line down the plate glass. Start with the flat side of the iron on the 400 grit paper. See if you get even scratch marks in the area that’s about 1/2” from the bevel end. If you don’t get an even scratch pattern, you may need to go to a coarser grit. Once you do, progress through the grits until the previous scratch marks are removed and only the smaller scratch marks are left. Keep going until you get a nice shiny surface.

Then take the guide and set your iron for a few degrees greater than the primary bevel that exists on the iron. The idea is that you are only trying to put a very small shiny edge on about the last 1/16” (or even less) of the bevel. You don’t want to have to grind the entire bevel, just a tiny amount at the edge. Start at 400 and proceed down the line until it’s nice and shiney. You’ll now have a burr on the back flat side. Carefully place the backside on the 3000 grit and pull it towards you to remove the burr.

Courser grit sandpaper (80, 100, 150) should only be needed it you nick the iron and need to do a major honing of the primary bevel to get past the nicks.

If you need to change sandpaper, scrape it off the glass with the putty knife and clean up the adhesive with the goo be gone.

This isn’t necessarily the “best” method, but I think it gets you sharpening with a small investment.

You can certainly search “sharpening” here on SMC and you’ll get about a million threads on the subject with lots of opinions...all work, just beware, it can lead to a never ending, costly search for the perfect solution.

Good luck!

[Andrew Seemann]

Hi Adam,

Since you asked for it, and because I remember being a poor college student while trying to be a woodworker myself, I am going to give you much more specific advice than I normally would to this kind of question. Feel free to ignore most or all of it.

"Sharpening" for planes and chisels is really two different operations, setting the main bevel and honing. They do different things and are easier done with different equipment.

Setting the bevel involves removing the most material and is most pleasant to do with something motorized. You can use sandpaper or stones, but it isn't fun. For a recommendation I would say get a slow speed grinder, unless you have a stationary belt sander, in which you can use that. The main thing is that you don't want to overheat the steel and burn the temper out of the blade (rainbow colored discolorations in the steel). Woodcraft sells a 1750 RPM Rikon for $139. You could also look for a used normal speed (3450RPM) grinder and get a friable wheel. You can use stones or sandpaper if you want, they just take a lot of time and effort. Fortunately you don't need to set the main bevel often, so going the sandpaper route isn't too bad if you want to save the $ now.

Honing is what you will do the most. That is where you take a little bit off the edge with a fine grit at a slightly steeper angle. This strengthens the edge a little and more importantly it removes only a small amount of material. Fine grit is slow to use and you will rehone frequently. This is simplest and cheapest long term to do on a waterstone. Woodcraft sells a King 1000/6000 waterstone for $42 that will serve you perfectly well for years. I have had a similar one for years myself. You hone whenever the blade starts to get dull. You only need to reset the main bevel once it starts taking too long too hone or the blade gets nicked badly.

Yes I know I am omitting the whole flattening the back part, but you don't do that often, so how you do it is less relevant.

As a poor college student, the last bit of advice I would give you is to skip the 5 1/2 and pick up a decent used #4 Stanley and a decent used #5 (any good brand). #4 and #5 are the easiest bench planes to find used, because they were the most common, because, get this, they were also the most useful. 5 1/2 planes are uncommon used because they aren't a particularly popular or useful size. They are too long and heavy to be a good smoother (#4) and too wide to be a good jack plane (#5) and too short to be a good jointer (#6 or #7). They could do all of those things, but they won't do any of them well. Having two planes that do their job well is normally better than one that does both jobs poorly. You should be able to get a used #4 and #5 for less than half the cost of the new #5 1/2 and still have money left to get some sharpening equipment.

One you find your used #4 and #5, you just need to find someone to help you set them up. I'd show you, but you are 1500 miles away from me. In NY there should be plenty of people within an hour or two that could teach you to set up an old plane, just ask around. It makes us old geezers feel important and relevant when we pass on the trade to young pups like yourself:)

[Derek Cohen]

So i'm a poor college student and I have decided to splurge and buy a good hand plane when the weather starts to get warmer. I'm going to get the wood river 5 1/2 from wood craft. I have watched a million videos on you tube on how to sharpen. Every one has a their favorite way to sharpen. i'm looking for suggestions on the best way to sharpen not only that but specific products. I'm looking for something that is quick, easy, cost efficient, and long lasting. thanks for all the suggestions.

Hi Adam

I will offer you two systems. The first is the "10 cent" system. This is a serious system that will cost next-to-nothing: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/The%2010%20Cent%20Sharpening%20System.html

The second system is "the ultimate" grinding and sharpening system - one to aim for: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/UltimateGrindingSharpeningSetUp.html

Regards from Auckland (for another week)

Derek

[Matt Day]

Andrew makes a very good point. Especially if you’re a poor college student, buy an old used 4 or 5. Should cost no more than $25 for one that needs work at a flea market or garage sale. There’s a few guys over on Woodnet who regularly sell rehabbed (and sharpened) old planes which cost more like $50-60. Like admiral and tablesawtom (though I think he’s stopping soon).

[Bradley Gray]

+2 on buying old planes. The classified on this site is a good place to start.

[Jeff Heath]

I would recommend forgetting about the WR plane, and buy yourself an old Stanley #4, #5, and a low angle block plane. For under $100, you'll have a good starter set, and after you graduate from college, and start making millions, (:D) you can invest in a real quality North American made plane like Lie Nielsen or Veritas.

In learning to tune up a vintage Stanley, you'll learn a lot about how planes work, and what makes them work well.

My .02.

[Dave Parkis]

I agree that you would be better served by getting a few vintage planes, but that wasn't your question. The sandpaper method will be the least expensive for now. Once you start adding planes to your arsenal, it becomes a pretty expensive method. Whether you use a honing guide depends on how much time and patience you have to practice. I'm someone that uses a honing guide because I want consistency. If you want to take a drive to Albany, you're welcome to come by and try some planes.

[thomas hourican]

hi adam, you are welcome to stop by and i can walk you through a couple options for sharpening. i live just south of syracuse ,about 1/2 hour away. thomas

[Rob Young]

So i'm a poor college student and I have decided to splurge and buy a good hand plane when the weather starts to get warmer. I'm going to get the wood river 5 1/2 from wood craft. I have watched a million videos on you tube on how to sharpen. Every one has a their favorite way to sharpen. i'm looking for suggestions on the best way to sharpen not only that but specific products. I'm looking for something that is quick, easy, cost efficient, and long lasting. thanks for all the suggestions.

Norton combo India stone (new) from Amazon $28 (seen them as low as $22)
https://www.amazon.com/Norton-614636855653-8-Inch-Combination-Oilstone/dp/B000XK5ZDY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522935603&sr=8-1&keywords=norton+oil+stone

Kerosene for honing oil (you can probably ask around and get a small quantity for free from somebody that uses it in heaters, don't get it from the gas station)

$1 Store to get small bottle of baby oil, no-slip liner mat for drawer and maybe a small container to mix the baby oil and kerosene. 50/50 mix but don't obsess over getting the ratio perfect.

Something for a strop, can be as simple as a piece of MDF or you can cast about for some butt leather to glue down to the MDF.

Autosol polish (again, Amazon) or one of its competitors. Skip the "green crayon". The tootpaste sized tube of polish will last you a LONG time.

Keep your eyes open for a manufacturer's second Hard Arkansas stone but for the time, just the fine side of the India stone and the strop will get you a long way down the road. No jig, might as well learn how to sharpen without one. The coarse side of the stone can be used for restoring primary bevels. The fine side for the secondary bevel and the strop for polishing. Might take a bit longer on the strop without an intermediate stone but this two piece "system" should be under $50 all-in and last a very long time.

First project can be building a wooden box for the Norton stone.

[Jim Koepke]

So i'm a poor college student and I have decided to splurge and buy a good hand plane when the weather starts to get warmer. I'm going to get the wood river 5 1/2 from wood craft. I have watched a million videos on you tube on how to sharpen. Every one has a their favorite way to sharpen. i'm looking for suggestions on the best way to sharpen not only that but specific products. I'm looking for something that is quick, easy, cost efficient, and long lasting. thanks for all the suggestions.

Adam,

A couple responses to your post have offered you help via a visit to their shops. If at all possible you would be well advised to take up one or both of those offers. Many years ago it was advice and guidance from others that helped me to overcome sharpening hassles and other woodworking road blocks.

Your post brings up many other questions. Will the #5-1/2 be your first plane? What other tools do you have? Do you have a shop space? What is the purpose of buying the plane, i.e. is it to supplement power equipment or are you going to go full hand tool? Looking at your posting history tells me a little, but others may not have looked there. For touching up machined surfaces a #4 and a #5 may better suit your needs than a #5-1/2.

My sharpening set up is spread out over a few benches in my shop and a couple of diamond stones are kept in the kitchen. My shop is unheated so in the winter months my water stones do not work with solid water. It is also not a good idea to leave the stone wet if it is going to freeze overnight. My abilities with oilstones was not very good until after my being able to get a decent edge with water stones. Water stones are often in need of flattening and are easy to gouge if one presses too hard on the blade.

Andrew's suggestion of the King water stone at Woodcraft may be the best beginner solution for the cost.

In the long run, the best system is going to be what works best for your needs.

Also consider where you start your with sharpening will not necessarily be where you finish your sharpening equipment. This is where having a bit of hands on in another person's shop can go a long way in helping to make your choices.

jtk

[Malcolm Schweizer]

You are a brave man starting a sharpening thread! :D;)

As many folks here know, I am a hobby and semi-pro (I get paid, but not enough to live on) sharpener/sharpaholic. I own enough stones to build a small home. That said, I caution anyone starting out not to spend a whole lot of money at first. "Scary Sharp" (using wet sandpaper) works great for starters. Norton makes a great set of waterstones for a relatively reasonable price. Dan's Whetstones sells excellent oil stones.

So despite my love for waterstones, I am open to anything that will put a good edge on a tool/knife. I own a Tormek that I use for professional knife sharpening because it's quicker when doing 20 knives at a time, but I always finish them on waterstones or oil stones. I guess my point is pick one that you like, spend your money there, and don't look back. Just beware- it can be addictive, and then you'll be searching for the ultimate edge. That's fine- I enjoy that myself- just keep yourself grounded and remember that really the goal is to get it nice and sharp, and there are many ways to do so.

[David Sloan]

Adam, you have had lots of good answers so I won't add another of mine. I will say however that I bought the WoodRiver 5 1/2 yesterday and love it. I have about 20 mostly vintage planes and decided to buy the WoodRiver because I had a 200.00 Woodcraft gift card. The WR blade is a hefty one but not very sharp! A little work with the waterstones and I was off to the races. You would not go wrong with that as a first plane! All the best, David

[Robert Engel]

I'll echo what Andrew said.

Find a system that works for you, stay with it, and master it.

The first decisions you have to make relate to:

1. Method (hand vs. machine)
2. Material (stones [oil, water, diamond] vs. paper).

You have to figure out what suits you best. Sharpening is a very individual thing. Personally, I despise using sandpaper.

So my suggestion is start out with water stones. Coarse, med, fine and xtra fine grit (e.g. 300, 800, 4K, 8K). Also realize that grit sizes are not equal for sandpaper, water stones, and diamond stones.

I always encourage freehand sharpening because its 1) and art and 2) very fast.

Personally, I use a combination of diamond and water stones. Diamond in 300, 600, 800, 1250 and water in 4K & 8K.

I also use a combination of xxsharp diamond & Arkansas (soft and surgical black) oil stones for carving tools.

Last but not least, high quality sharpening stones are not cheap.

[Prashun Patel]

With due respect, you won’t get a definitive answer. Buy what sounds most right to you so far and just practice. It does not take much equipment but does require skill from practice.

[Adam Herd]

First to comment on what Malcolm said, I had no idea what I was starting. Second I probably should have provided a little background. So I have been doing wood working for a few years and previously to sharpen the old planes and chisel I have, I have used the scary sharp method and cheap sharpening stones i bought from lowes. I don't particularly like the scary sharp because sand paper is annoying, it moves, it wears quickly, but it is cheap and simple. The stones I have are not great they do work fairly well but they are not fine enough and I have ignorantly not kept them flat. So i am looking for an upgrade from those very basic and cheap methods. I am willing to spend a chunk of change either now or in the future for a better system that will be i guess more of a professional system. I have been leaning towards diamond or ceramic stones but not sure what brand or how much I actually need to spend. Some people have suggested water stones, my only real problem with water stones is the water. I have heard they are very messy, however I am not totally against them if they are cheaper then diamond or ceramic stones and work as well if not better. As for using a guide, I do have a guide it is I think the rob larson one. It is white with a wheel on the bottom every one on youtube has it. I like the guide for my plane irons but for my chisels it doesn't hold them as well so I tend to just free hand my chisels. umm some one else was asking about my space. My parents garage is what i'm using for now while living at home. Any one from central New York knows what the winters are like. I unfortunately do not do wood working in the winter. I think I have answered everyones question. I really appreciate all the suggestions.

[Jake Hillestad]

Quick, easy, and low maintenance - 400 grit Atoma diamond plate, medium spyderco bench stone, ultra fine spyderco bench stone, strop. Should be able to get into that setup for about $150 +/-

[Adam Herd]

Where would the cheapest place to but these be?

[Jake Hillestad]

They can all be had on Amazon, whether they are the cheapest on each one you'd have to look into a little bit. I suspect you'd be money ahead getting them all through one source by the time you factor in shipping and your time.

[lowell holmes]

I also use diamond hones to sharpen edge tools with. The fine one stays out on the bench all of the time with a stropping board.

[John C Cox]

Another good solution for not a giant cash outlay is the 2 sided 400/1000 (or so) diamond plates available from Trend and DMT.. Finish with chrome oxide on a strop and you are off to the races.. Stumpy Nubs woodworking tube channel has a good tut on this.. It's very similar to what Paul Sellers recommends - he uses 3 diamond plates + a strop...

One advantage of these is that they are available in 3" widths suitable for use with the larger plane irons...

[Chet R Parks]

Adam,
Sharpening Supplies Trust Sharpening Supplies For All Your Sharpening Needs (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwjcyJu686PaAhUkja0KHbgWAvAQFghSMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sharpeningsupplies.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw2vsnomp62kRmmS4hoCjK6D) is another great place to get sharpening stuff.

[Andrew Seemann]

Every sharpening method is going to be messy, it's more a matter of which mess you dislike the least. No matter how you do it, sharpening involves removing small particles of steel from the blade. Grinding is dusty; waterstones make dirty water; oilstones seem to get oil everywhere; ceramic, diamond, and sandpaper have whatever you use to get off the swarf (the steel particles). I've tried all the methods except ceramic, I'm too cheap to buy any of the stones. Sand paper is the only one I really didn't like, I ended up just tearing the paper it seems like.

I tend to like waterstones because they cut fast and my skin has gotten sensitized to petroleum-based products over the years. That said, if there is a chance you are going to leave them out in the cold, waterstones aren't the best. Diamond seems to cut pretty nice, but you do need to keep the stone clear of the swarf otherwise they don't cut so well. Actually that is true of all stones, but diamond and oilstones seem more prone to it, since there is less fluid to keep the stone clear.

Myself, I use a grinder on the main bevel. The arthritis doesn't like using stones for 10s of minutes at time anymore, plus grinders match my patience level better. I picked up a Tormek on the cheap a few years ago, but before that I used a regular grinder with a real delicate touch. I hone on waterstones, but my shop is heated, so no worry about freezing.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

First to comment on what Malcolm said, I had no idea what I was starting. Second I probably should have provided a little background. So I have been doing wood working for a few years and previously to sharpen the old planes and chisel I have, I have used the scary sharp method and cheap sharpening stones i bought from lowes. I don't particularly like the scary sharp because sand paper is annoying, it moves, it wears quickly, but it is cheap and simple. The stones I have are not great they do work fairly well but they are not fine enough and I have ignorantly not kept them flat. So i am looking for an upgrade from those very basic and cheap methods. I am willing to spend a chunk of change either now or in the future for a better system that will be i guess more of a professional system. I have been leaning towards diamond or ceramic stones but not sure what brand or how much I actually need to spend. Some people have suggested water stones, my only real problem with water stones is the water. I have heard they are very messy, however I am not totally against them if they are cheaper then diamond or ceramic stones and work as well if not better. As for using a guide, I do have a guide it is I think the rob larson one. It is white with a wheel on the bottom every one on youtube has it. I like the guide for my plane irons but for my chisels it doesn't hold them as well so I tend to just free hand my chisels. umm some one else was asking about my space. My parents garage is what i'm using for now while living at home. Any one from central New York knows what the winters are like. I unfortunately do not do wood working in the winter. I think I have answered everyones question. I really appreciate all the suggestions.

Ha! I was being a bit humorous- sharpening threads can get very deep here!

Based on your comments, here is my recommendation:
The Lowe's sharpening stones are not really that good, but they will at least set an edge. I would personally add a nice finishing stone first. I absolutely love the Dan's Whetstones Arkansas Black Ultra Fine if you want an oil stone. I would recommend trying a Shapton Pro 8000, which wouldn't be too costly and is a great stone, if you want a waterstone. This is just one suggestion- there are many out there that are good. I am recommending what I own myself and have experience with.

Once you have a good finisher, work backwards. For a coarse stone for setting bevels, I really like the speed of a diamond stone. The problem with diamond stones is since the diamonds are fixed in one place, the stones leave a very scratchy finish. No big deal if you are just setting a bevel with it. Diamond stones cut really fast, so I would get a medium grain as opposed to the coarse. The coarse is very coarse.

For a middle stone it depends- if you're sticking with oil stones, get a nice Arkansas soft. If you are going with waterstones, get a 1k and 4k or something similar. I recommend Shapton and Naniwa for high end, but the Nortons are good stones for the price. This is, again, just a suggestion based on what I have used. There are TONS of waterstones, and many good ones out there. Stick with a reputable brand.

If you like diamond stones, and want to just get diamond stones, I would very much recommend using something else as a finishing stone because of the above mentioned scratch pattern you get from diamond stones. Keep in mind- I'm a bit picky. Lots of folks finish on diamond stones with no issue, but I very much prefer to finish on a waterstone or fine whetstone. You will get a much more refined edge.

You do need to strop. Stropping removes the burr and final polishes the edge. I personally prefer to strop with green chromium oxide on a leather strop. You can use balsa wood or hard felt as well. This could also be a whole separate topic. My suggestion- keep it simple- get or make a leather strop. Mount the leather fuzzy side up. Sand it with fine sandpaper to smooth the finish. Load it with green chromium oxide. I get mine from Lee Valley. Fair warning- someone is going to jump in and say their green chromium oxide isn't really as few microns as they advertise- ignore them. Whatever the grit is, it certainly does the trick, and it's finer than my finest stone, which is 16,000 grit. If you make your own, get horse butt. It is a really fine grain and makes a great strop.

That's my nutshell recommendations. Again- I could write a book, but trying to keep a simple reply here. If you find something other than what I recommend here, that's great. The main thing is you need to progress from grit to grit- I suggest at least three grits- four is even better. The more different grits in the progression, the less time you are going to spend on each grit. If you started with 600, for example, and then tried to go to 6000, you're going to spend a very long time on the 6000 trying to remove the scratch pattern from the 600. A 1000 and 4000 in-between the 600 and 6000 would make things a lot quicker.

I'm rambling. I'll stop now. :-) Don't ask me about sharpening or sailing or I'll never shut up.

[Warren Mickley]

I bought my first plane when I was a college student student many years ago. It was $9.49 at the hardware store and I had a ten dollar bill in my wallet. As the clerk rang it up I realized I had forgotten about tax, so I fished around in my pocket and luckily there was a quarter. Three years later I could plane any wood any direction without tear out and I had abandoned scrapers as superfluous. When I became a full time woodworker, I still had not spent a thousand dollars on tools and equipment.

I thought Rob Young's answer was the best (combination India stone). My first thought was a medium India $24 and a soft Arkansas $26 both 1x2x8. Alternatively you could get a hardware store combination stone (silicon carbide), a fine India and a soft Arkansas.

I would recommend a #4 plane or a #5, not a 5 1/2. The 5 1/2 planes were not popular 100 years ago and I have never seen one in a professional shop.

[Justin Ludwig]

This isn't a recommendation... it's what I did because I'm cheap and I like to see if I can get the stars and only pay for the moon.

I went to eBay and bought a combo 400/1000 and a 3000/8000. Here (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Knife-Grit-Sharpener-Sharpening-Water-Stone-Dual-Whetstone-3000-8000-1000-4000/181854573611?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649)

I bought a flattening stone there also, but it is no longer available. All told, I spent $14.50 + $20.90 + $27.50 and S&H.

Then I stopped at 5 Star Equine (https://www.5starequineproducts.com/) and asked them if they have any leather scraps. Stoopid question for an equestrian saddle/supply shop. The lady gave me a piece of leather. Otherwise, they sell scraps for $2/lb. I already had Red Rouge compound because I also have a set up on my bench grinder for sharpening kitchen knives.

The stones work great. They wear really quick but I expected that for $20 water stones. My irons can shave the burliest of faces.

Good luck!

[Jim Koepke]

I'm rambling. I'll stop now. :-) Don't ask me about sharpening or sailing or I'll never shut up.

My knowledge of sailing is zilch so that won't get much conversation going with me.

On sharpening my setup starts with the Veritas® Mk II Power Sharpening System and/or a granite block with a strip of adhesive backed sandpaper of ~320 grit for heavy work such as nick removal or back flattening.

After that it is 1000, 4000 & 8000 grit water stones. Mine are Norton and King. They work well for my needs when it isn't freezing weather. If it came upon me today to purchase some stones my first thought would be to buy from Stu at Tools from Japan. There has been some issue of late with family health and it might not be the quickest way to acquire stones.

My cold weather set is made up mostly of odds and ends acquired over the years. Oilstones are not as fast cutting as water stones. My favored "quick removal" oilstones are some old Washita and soft Arkansas stones. The middle stone is a Dan's Whetstones hard Arkansas. My main finishing stones are a couple pieces of translucent Arkansas bought at a gem an mineral show. Also purchased from lapidary supply venues are a couple pieces of jasper. Jasper is as hard as translucent Arkansas but has a finer structure. It is more of a polishing stone.

Like Malcolm, get me talking about sharpening and you will have a hard time getting me to shut up.

jtk

[Patrick Chase]

I would recommend a #4 plane or a #5, not a 5 1/2. The 5 1/2 planes were not popular 100 years ago and I have never seen one in a professional shop.

I sometimes suspect that your definition of "professional" is "someone who works exactly as I do".

With that said, I think this is good advice. I think that the 4 and 5 both have much broader applicability than the 5-1/2.

[Chet R Parks]

Patrick or Warren, I don't mean to muddy the waters or hijack this thread but do you have any opinions on the LV 5-1/4 Veritas® #5-1/4W Bench Plane (http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=45156&cat=1,41182,48944&ap=1)? Does it fall in the category of the #5 or the #5-1/2. I kind of like the idea of the long toe but I'm not sure it's worth it?
Chet

[Jerry Olexa]

They are MANY different ways to sharpen....Most WWers have their own favorite methods.....Pick a method that you are comfortable with and try it...easy to see if its effective by simply using your results on some scrap wood...There is NO perfect, ideal method that works for everyone!!! One man's meat is another man's poison. :)

[steven c newman]

Bad part about these sort of threads..they take a life of their own..long after the OP quits reading them.

Beginning to think all sharpening threads should have their own forum for people to post these questions in....nah, this forum would get a bit dull, and boring....

[Adam Herd]

So I have been keeping up and reading everyones posts. I previously was leaning towards diamond stones but a lot of people on here have been suggesting water stones. I was looking around on woodcraft's site and found a norton combination 4000/8000 stone. The price isn't bad, about what i am willing to spend. Does any one have any experience with this stone? pros cons? I know many people have suggested norton stone for their price to quality ratio. Also a few people were wondering about my choice of the number 5 1/2 plane. I made that choice based on Rob Cosman's you tube videos. He said if you're only going to have one plane the 5 1/2 is the best. it is the perfect medium size. every other video on youtube says that the number 5 is the best do it all but Cosman said the 5 1/2 has a bigger handle and is a little easier to use than the 5.

[Patrick Chase]

Patrick or Warren, I don't mean to muddy the waters or hijack this thread but do you have any opinions on the LV 5-1/4 Veritas® #5-1/4W Bench Plane (http://www.leevalley.com/us/Wood/page.aspx?p=45156&cat=1,41182,48944&ap=1)? Does it fall in the category of the #5 or the #5-1/2. I kind of like the idea of the long toe but I'm not sure it's worth it?
Chet

The Veritas 5-1/4W (not to be confused with the rather different Stanley 5-1/4) is the same width as a #4 or #5, and between them in length. Its most noteworthy design feature is that it has a longer than usual toe for a plane of its length. IMO it's a perfectly reasonable "all around" plane for somebody starting out.

[Patrick Chase]

Also a few people were wondering about my choice of the number 5 1/2 plane. I made that choice based on Rob Cosman's you tube videos. He said if you're only going to have one plane the 5 1/2 is the best. it is the perfect medium size. every other video on youtube says that the number 5 is the best do it all but Cosman said the 5 1/2 has a bigger handle and is a little easier to use than the 5.

Well then obviously Rob Cosman isn't a "professional" :-).

PS: Rob actually isn't a professional woodworker in the sense that he doesn't produce wooden objects as his principal source of revenue. I couldn't resist, though.

[Warren West]

An abrasive and the ability to hold a fairly consistent angle on the abrasive. That's the bare bones of it. I suggest Diamond or Oilstones and maybe a ceramic finisher if you go the diamond route. Forget the jigs, learn free hand.

[Mike Baker 2]

The Norton 4/8k IMO is a quality stone.

[steven c newman]

Ok, how about a little show & tell?

Three jacks.
.383226
L-R: #5-1/2, #5, and a #5-1/4
383227
"Handles" on all three are the same size. Width? Skinny one is just a stretched out #3, the #5 is just a long #4...the #5-1/2 is just a shorter version of a #6
383228
Other than length ( and weight) they are the same. So..which one would you want to push around all day?
And, this #5-1/2 is a type 17...with the 2-3/8" wide iron, same width as the #6. The #5 has a 2" wide iron...the Millers Falls #11 has a 1-3/4" wide iron.
All three are still just jack planes..
383229
YMMV

[Andrew Seemann]

He said if you're only going to have one plane the 5 1/2 is the best. it is the perfect medium size. every other video on youtube says that the number 5 is the best do it all but Cosman said the 5 1/2 has a bigger handle and is a little easier to use than the 5.

I think the key there is "if you were only going to have one plane", like if you were stranded on a desert island or something with a single plane, then yes a 5 1/2 would be a good one. If you were going to have several planes in a woodshop, the recommendation might change.

I'm not trying to take issue with Rob, it's just that the idea of a 5 1/2 being an ideal plane is a pretty uncommon one. I don't know that I have really heard it before.


P.S. I know we all sound a little argumentative and set in our ways, but we really are trying to be helpful, and to spare you some of the pain and suffering (and expense!) that we all went through. We just disagree on the best way:)

[Jim Koepke]

I was looking around on woodcraft's site and found a norton combination 4000/8000 stone. The price isn't bad, about what i am willing to spend. Does any one have any experience with this stone? pros cons?

There is one of these in my accumulation. It is a fine stone. The only reason it isn't currently used a lot is some deep gouges from my carelessness while sharpening carving tools. One of my plans is to intentionally shape it for sharpening gouges and other carving tools.

You may also want to consider purchasing a 1000 grit stone. Anything coarser that that could be done with sand paper or a grinder. If you do not let your blades get too dull they can often be touched up with just the 4000/8000 combination. Often though there will be a few small nicks that can use the coarser grit to get back to a good edge.

jtk

[Joe Bailey]

David Charlesworth, a contributor to this forum, is known to be a proponent of the 5½.

[Patrick Chase]

David Charlesworth, a contributor to this forum, is known to be a proponent of the 5½.

Yes, and there are others like him, hence my not-so-subtle needling about "professionalism" earlier.

There is a lot of subjectivity being passed off as objective truth here, and IMO neither the difference between 2" and 2-3/8" nor the difference between 5 lb and 6.75 lb is going to be a deal-breaker in the real world. I think that the 4 or 5 is a safer choice for somebody who doesn't yet know what their subjective preference will be, though.

[Joe Bailey]

Yes, and there are others like him, hence my not-so-subtle needling about "professionalism" earlier.


The reference was by no means lost on me.
I imagine that, from our limited exchanges, Warren knows how I feel about his certitude regarding his own pronouncements.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

(1) I really like the India stone I have, in combination with an Arkansas. I have no desire to use anything beyond O1 or traditional high carbon steel, but that is a whole different debate, and you would have people who worship at the altar of the supersteel bringing small animals and children in to be sacrificed. Thread looks long enough as it is.

But unless you have a bunch of A2 and PMV-11 laying around, my vote would be for the oilstones that have been mentioned a couple of times. I would also vote for the Stanley No. 4 or 5, particularly if you have someone near you who can offer an hour or two to help you get it set up properly.

(2) If you want waterstones, which will handle the supersteels, I would suggest the Norton 1000/8000 instead of the 4000/8000. You want something coarser in your kit. Keep some sandpaper around for getting a new to you blade into shape. The 1000 is too fine to deal with nicks, a completely new bevel, etc.

(3) If you have not figured it out, Warren has made his living with hand tools for about 40 years. One of the handful of people on the board who can say they have ever done that. The vast majority of us are a mix of professionals who use a blend of power and hand tools, and hobbyists who do whatever we want because it is a hobby.

There is a big difference between using a smoother to touch up a board that was ripped to width on the bandsaw, flattened on the jointer, and thicknessed on the drum sander or planer (on the one hand) and doing all of that with a ripsaw, jack, and jointer (on the other hand). There is a big difference between doing that every once in a while, and doing it daily for a long period of time.

Warren annoys some people, apparently, with the fact that he is pretty sure he knows what he is doing. I have the impression that comes across to some people as arrogance.

On the other hand, I work 12-14 hours a day in the job that pays my bills. I use my spare time to read stuff and fool around in my shop. I would have to be pretty arrogant myself to conclude that I know as much from my hobby projects as a man who has spent 40 years in the trade.


I was looking around on woodcraft's site and found a norton combination 4000/8000 stone. The price isn't bad, about what i am willing to spend. Does any one have any experience with this stone? pros cons? I know many people have suggested norton stone for their price to quality ratio.

[Warren Mickley]

Yes, and there are others like him, hence my not-so-subtle needling about "professionalism" earlier.

There is a lot of subjectivity being passed off as objective truth here, and IMO neither the difference between 2" and 2-3/8" nor the difference between 5 lb and 6.75 lb is going to be a deal-breaker in the real world. I think that the 4 or 5 is a safer choice for somebody who doesn't yet know what their subjective preference will be, though.

Here are some weights for my planes:

#3 ............................... 2 lb 10 oz
#4 ............................... 3 lb 1 oz
Jack plane (wood) ........... 2 lb 12 0z ............. 16 inches
Trying plane (wood) ......... 5 lb 11 oz .............. 22 inches

Compare to Lie Nielsen:

#4 .................4 lb ........... 9 1/2 inches
#4 1/2 ...........5 lb 8 0z .....10 3/8 inches
#5 1/2........... 7 lb ........... 14 1/2 inches

I think that if you are doing any real amount of planing you want to limit your time working with a seven pound plane plane. It would slow you up and tire you out. Tennis racquets usually weigh about 10 ounces. If you used a 7 pound racquet, there would be a really solid feeling when you hit the ball, and a lot more momentum. You might not want to play for an hour.

When I go to a Lie Nielsen event I am always struck by the heaviness and clumsiness of the 4 1/2, which is what they demonstrate most often. I can't imagine wanting an even heavier plane for any period of work. Believe or not, the 5 1/2 is two and a half times the weight of my jack plane, which is slightly longer.

I am not familiar with the 5 1/4, Chet.

[john jesseph]

Mike Dunbar also said the 5 1/2 was his favorite plane, for what that’s worth. Edit to say I just weighed my 5 1/2, which is 5 pounds 12 ounces. All the equivalent Stanley planes are lighter than the LN/LV tools.

Asking questions on forums sometimes leads to woodworking by committee, where people inject personal preferences and assumptions that don’t solve problems for the OP.

What type of work do you want to do? For example, being a historical reenactor vs an acoustic guitar luthier will give completely different sets of answers/solutions for for questions.

Do you want to make things, or “rehab” tools?

And so on.

[Todd Stock]

Patrick:

I disagree - I believe the weight difference is definitely a factor for the slightly built, those with limited upper body strength (many women and a surprisingly large number of men), and the elderly, who are generally seeing progressive loss of both muscle mass and bone density. We keep a nice, svelte Stanley #3 over the bench for those students, and I'm still looking for a good #5-1/4 to handle plate jointing for those students that cannot heft a LN #5 for more than a few moments. Expecting all of our students to be in at least average physical condition is unreasonable, so some accommodation is clearly necessary.

[Jim Koepke]

Heck, at times my #6 is my most used plane. At other times a #3 is "doing it all."

It all depends on one's plane management strategies. For me having at least one of each size works fine. For others having just one or three sizes works fine.

jtk

[Patrick Chase]

Patrick:

I disagree - I believe the weight difference is definitely a factor for the slightly built, those with limited upper body strength (many women and a surprisingly large number of men), and the elderly, who are generally seeing progressive loss of both muscle mass and bone density. We keep a nice, svelte Stanley #3 over the bench for those students, and I'm still looking for a good #5-1/4 to handle plate jointing for those students that cannot heft a LN #5 for more than a few moments. Expecting all of our students to be in at least average physical condition is unreasonable, so some accommodation is clearly necessary.

I agree completely with what you say, but that's far different from claiming that no professional uses or would use a 5-1/2.

You're giving reasons why *some individuals* would need a lighter plane. Warren was claiming that *everybody* needs to use a lighter plane. See the difference?

FWIW I'm pretty burly but I use a #3 quite a lot. I subjectively prefer light- or mid-weight planes, but I also recognize that that's my preference and not some sort of platonic ideal.

[Jeff Heath]

Weight of a plane is a subjective objection. Not everyone is bothered by weight. Some of us consider it a quality. The laws of physics and momentum come to mind. As an educated engineer from a nearly 3 1/2 decades ago, I still remember most of the laws. My point is, not everyone has a meager build, and some of us prefer the extra mass.

I love my 5 1/2, and I also love my #6 (own 2 of them). I like the extra width of the blade, and use them for planing wider furniture and cabinet parts. Having the extra width allows for skewing and still having enough iron to not need to make side-by-side passes. I use my #5 1/2 as a panel smoother, sharpened for the task, as well as one my #6's for the same situation. The mass of neither troubles me at all, as I'm a larger human that has spent my entire life doing hard work. I'm 53 years old, and still bench press well over 300 lbs. (it's all relative, as I'm 6'-2", 270 lbs.). So, judging the use and viability of planes based solely on their weight is not always a good argument to make. A 7 or 8 lb. plane is not a big deal to use all day long for some of us. If plane mass is a problem for you, perhaps a set of woodies would be a much better choice, as they are much lighter.

The best answer, in my opinion, to what the best sharpening system to learn to use is, quite simply, which ever system you choose to invest the proper amount of time in, learning and perfecting it to suit your sharpening needs. It doesn't matter whether or not you use $20 worth of sandpaper or $1500 worth of NASA approved (that's a joke) diamond and ceramic stones......or anything else in between. They will all work quite well on most of the steels found in woodworking tools.

The best plane choice, with a little bit of knowledge, is also relatively interchangeable, too. With some sharpening and iron shaping ingenuity, with a couple of extra interchangeable irons, if you so desire, you can use any of the planes mentioned to hog wood or smooth wood. Is it optimal....nope. Can it be done.....sure. When I was just starting out as a woodworker, a very tight tool budget forced me to get creative in a lot of different ways. I'm sure plenty can relate.

[Todd Stock]

I stand corrected, Patrick - I should have limited my disagreement to the special cases noted versus the more general. Can we view the lack of current featherweight plane options in the market, as well as the notable failure of previous forays in light-alloy bench planes - such as the Stanley A-series - to find much in the way of market share, as supporting evidence for your position?

[Warren Mickley]

I agree completely with what you say, but that's far different from claiming that no professional uses or would use a 5-1/2.

You're giving reasons why *some individuals* would need a lighter plane. Warren was claiming that *everybody* needs to use a lighter plane. See the difference?



That is the second time you distorted what I wrote.

I wrote: The 5 1/2 planes were not popular 100 years ago and I have never seen one in a professional shop.

There are several thousand woodworking shops within 20 miles of my shop. Rob Cosman's shop is several thousand miles away.

Please be more careful.

[Rob Young]

I bought my first plane when I was a college student student many years ago. It was $9.49 at the hardware store and I had a ten dollar bill in my wallet. As the clerk rang it up I realized I had forgotten about tax, so I fished around in my pocket and luckily there was a quarter. Three years later I could plane any wood any direction without tear out and I had abandoned scrapers as superfluous. When I became a full time woodworker, I still had not spent a thousand dollars on tools and equipment.

I thought Rob Young's answer was the best (combination India stone). My first thought was a medium India $24 and a soft Arkansas $26 both 1x2x8. Alternatively you could get a hardware store combination stone (silicon carbide), a fine India and a soft Arkansas.

I would recommend a #4 plane or a #5, not a 5 1/2. The 5 1/2 planes were not popular 100 years ago and I have never seen one in a professional shop.

I would like to add that the India stones have NO PROBLEM with "exotic" steels. I've got a motley mix of steels, although I do prefer O1/vintage. But no issues with some D2 (I think that's the stuff), A2, PMV11, rando vanadium etc. It may take 5 figure 8's on the stone to raise a burr on O1 but only 8-10 for the PMV11. I do have some Washita and soft and hard Ark stones to use as intermediates and they too can sharpen the "exotic" steels. Anybody that says otherwise is either impatient or has glazed their stones through abuse and/or lack of care.

And I'll pitch on on the which-planes-to-buy argument by asking a question, what do you (OP) plan to build? Small boxes and other little things, maybe a nice low-angle block + a #5. Small to medium sized furniture, a #3 or #4 + a #5 or #6. Then as you have the time and money, fill it in so that you have coarse, medium and fine covered.

[Adam Herd]

So some how people kinda got off track and got more talking about the choice of plane, which is fine. A lot of people suggested that I go with a number 5 instead of a number 5 1/2 which I am very flexible on as the number 5 is about I believe $20 cheaper. Also many people were wondering what kind of things I want to build. I would have to say medium to large furniture. Over the summer I made a coffee table for friends and if the weather ever gets warm here again (IT IS CURRENTLY SNOWING!!! It has been a very long winter in CNY) my next project will be a wine rack for a friend. I will up load pictures so everyone can see the size of these.

[steven c newman]

Just throwing this out there...weight of a plane: all very nice to have a heavy plane to move forward, BUT, when you have to lift and drag all that weight BACK to start a new pass....tends to get a bit tiresome.

Sharpening: I use oil stones to start, after a new bevel has been made. 600 medium India, then a 1000 grit oil stone. Then, I spread a bit more oil on the last stone used, lay a piece of wet-or-dry sandpaper into that oil....paper stays put. I work through the grits up to 2500 grit.....and green stick on a leather belt strop. Works for my stuff, YMMV.

I tend to use a size of plane that matches the work I am trying to do.....I have most sizes from #3 to #8....except for the overweight 4-1/2.....never found much use for it.

383249
YMMV

[Patrick Chase]

I would like to add that the India stones have NO PROBLEM with "exotic" steels. I've got a motley mix of steels, although I do prefer O1/vintage. But no issues with some D2 (I think that's the stuff), A2, PMV11, rando vanadium etc. It may take 5 figure 8's on the stone to raise a burr on O1 but only 8-10 for the PMV11. I do have some Washita and soft and hard Ark stones to use as intermediates and they too can sharpen the "exotic" steels. Anybody that says otherwise is either impatient or has glazed their stones through abuse and/or lack of care.

Be careful not to over-generalize about "exotic" steels here. India stones are made of Aluminum Oxide. AlOx is harder than Chromium carbide, so Chromium-based steels like A2, D2, and PM-V11 do just fine on it as you say.

AlOx is softer than Vanadium carbide and a couple others, so steels with a lot of the carbides of those alloyants are problematic (note that not every steel that contains V has a lot of or large Vanadium carbides, hence the careful wording). For example, CPM-S110V is no fun on AlOx.

[Brian Holcombe]

Patrick:

I disagree - I believe the weight difference is definitely a factor for the slightly built, those with limited upper body strength (many women and a surprisingly large number of men), and the elderly, who are generally seeing progressive loss of both muscle mass and bone density. We keep a nice, svelte Stanley #3 over the bench for those students, and I'm still looking for a good #5-1/4 to handle plate jointing for those students that cannot heft a LN #5 for more than a few moments. Expecting all of our students to be in at least average physical condition is unreasonable, so some accommodation is clearly necessary.

Or those working 80 hours a week with hand planes. :D

I have LN 4, 5 and 7 along with a host of Japanese planes and wooden jack/jointer. The heft that seems appealing when you're buying a plane is not as appealing in use. I like my LN planes so I keep them, but I can't see the weight as an advantage.

I tend to prefer light planes, and even to some degree prefer to use the smaller Japanese planes in typical use over much of anything else.

When I was building the white oak kitchen last year, I built it about 90% by hand, all material was dimensioned by hand. There were plenty of times where lugging that heavy plane back to the start of the board was getting old.

[Todd Stock]

Good training...long runs and heavy loads suck, but keeping up with the kids that you triple on age makes it worth while.

[steven c newman]

Seems the OP is more interested in HOW to sharpen an edge, than being a "bodybuilder" ......since that is NOT a requirement to be able to do woodworking.

[George Wall]

Warning: the following advice is from a rank beginner.

Sharpening can be a very confusing topic, just because the detailed methods are very much individual preference, often based on experience. The good news is that means that most methods likely "work" if given enough time, practice, etc. But, the key is to pick a method and practice it until you become good. Then tweak it once you have enough confidence that you have a "fall back" method that creates a sharp edge. If you instead start trying a method, and then get frustrated and abandon it for something else, then abandon it again for something else, you'll never get good.

I myself started with waterstones, and followed the methods described in David Charlesworth's video, available for $30 from Lie Nielsen. As he notes, you only need a couple of waterstones and a cheap $9 honing guide, and so the startup cost is still reasonable. Having said that, I don't really like flattening waterstones and dealing with the mess they create, so I've since switched to diamond stones, which are more expensive, but are essentially maintenance free. Or, you could buy a couple of oilstones instead; the same techniques will still work, albeit perhaps at a different speed.

There are plenty of others to follow as well; Richard Maguire, The English Woodworker has an excellent series of videos on sharpening, and he explains a variety of techniques, and the reasons why he's chosen the methods he's chosen (oilstones). Paul Sellers has a couple of videos touting his methods (freehand convex bevel with diamond stones). Again, key point is to find a method and stick with it until you get proficient enough that you feel confident in experimenting. I'll just add that it's best to stay away from buying expensive jigs and hardware when starting out, as they're really not needed for everyday hobbyist sharpening.

As for the plane type: a 5 1/2 plane with a sharp blade will outperform a #4 or #5 with a dull blade in most cases. So, don't stress over it too much. If you like the 5 1/2, just go for it. I like mine. The new plane is nice in that it needs very little fettling to get it going, other than honing the blade. A used #4 or #5 Stanley plane will be cheaper, as there were so many manufactured as they truly were general purpose, especially the #5 (hence it's name the jack plane). However, the problem is that some used planes need a lot of work to get going, and, until you've actually used one for a while, it's hard to even know how to judge a used plane. My first was a real beat up rust bucket #5; it now works nice, but it took a lot of work to get there. In the end, I didn't save that much over the cost of a new WoodRiver 5 plane.

[Todd Stock]

Different thing, Steven...useful strength and stamina, and the ability to do moderately hard physical labor; in other words, conditioning appropriate to the tasks to be performed, versus the mere physical appearance of strength. And judging from the appearance of the average attendee at PATINA and other woodworking-oriented events, swapping a couple pounds of processed beer and Cheetos for some lean muscle would do most of us some good.

This is a sharpening thread, so thanks for the timely reminder.

- Stick with a system - whatever it might be - until it is second nature to run through the steps quickly and without much in the way of conscious mental effort. Don't be that guy that has a $1000 worth of jigs, fixtures, saws, etc., but glues and screws his drawers together because he won't invest the effort to actually learn how to use one of those cool dovetail systems.

- Find someone that can sharpen tools and spend some time with them. Video or passive viewing of a sharpening demo is a poor substitute for competently delivered, 1-on-1 instruction. Chances are that same mentor will be able to help you get your tools set up properly as well.

- Once sharp edges become a routine event for you, avoid the fallacy of believing that the approach that you have mastered is the only approach worth knowing and using. Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to tweak the system to fit your individual needs.

There ya go!

PS - I use a 4-1/2, 5-1/2, and 7...Stanley back in the day and now LN. Because I can. Def not the tools for hobbits or my 5' 4", 150 pound repair tech, but at 6'2" and 215 lbs, they work for me. YMWV.

[steven c newman]

Neither a "Hobbit" nor the "wimp" you seem to think me be.....IF you want a job that will leave you sore and aching too much for your heavy, over-weight toys....do as I did, Concrete work. Makes the back and the knees OLD very quickly. Forms, when you have to man-handle 75-100' of wall forms everyday, both setting and stripping them....Bend over tying rebar all day, everyday, year-round. Raking placed concrete, skreeding it to depth, running the bull float. Carrying around 35-80 pounds of tools and parts in your nails bags. Last thing I wanted to do, was handle a bunch of heavy tools when I got home....sometimes after a12-20 hour "day".

If you feel like discriminating against us "wee" folks...take it to some other forum......Maybe Arnold would have the forums you prefer?

My idea of a "Cardio" is raising a large panel with just hand planes...or hand sawing a lot of lumber....

Been building things in wood, and concrete for a LONG time..the wood part since I was a teenager.....was 6'1" back then.....Back troubles has since made that 5'11" now. All that ever effected was how tall the workbenches were.

The OP ( and anyone else) is more than welcome to stop in at my little shop. I'm sure we could find something to do.....Looks do NOT determine how good a woodworker is.....it is the SKILL of that wood worker.....I can just see you telling people like Krenov to lose the weight.....and "work out" more...THAT would be a video worth watching....LOL.

[Patrick Chase]

- Once sharp edges become a routine event for you, avoid the fallacy of believing that the approach that you have mastered is the only approach worth knowing and using.

Seldom have more useful words been spoken :-).

[Pat Barry]

Seldom have more useful words been spoken :-).
And we know that you know this because you have tried them all, right? At the very least, most of them. ;-)

[Todd Stock]

Again...functional strength and stamina versus body sculpting...think ranch hand versus bodybuilder. And your preference is noted on plane weight, but let's not confuse individual preference with everyone's preference. My repair tech def does not like the 4-1/2...I do. She's a lot more comfortable with a 3 and tolerates the LN 4. Nothing wrong with that. Already discussed physiological differences...they are real and need to be accommodated. Aging as well, but that can be 'reversed' or at least delayed with decent diet and conditioning. Injuries go under the accommodation heading.

[Jim Koepke]

Different strokes for different folks.

Some days my enthusiasm is great enough to pick the #8 off the shelf to plane a 3/4" X 3' edge. Some days my butt is dragging to the point of picking up a #5-1/4 to edge join a piece a bit longer.

At times my planing seems to be more in the groove of a #6 for everything from jointing to smoothing. There is very little difference between a #5-1/2 and a #6.

If it is working for you and your projects are working out, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

Just because my world works for me, doesn't mean it is what is best for your world. Many people do very well with only three or four bench planes and one block plane. Some of us want to have 'em all.

Of course there are specific planes best suited for a specific jobs. There is also a bit of overlap and the ability of the user is what is more important.

It seems we have come far afield of the original question of this thread, "best way to sharpen plane irons?"

The answer to the question being there is not one best way to sharpen a plane iron. There are only opinions based on what works best for each of us.

jtk

[Patrick Chase]

And we know that you know this because you have tried them all, right? At the very least, most of them. ;-)

No, I still have a few left to go. I haven't yet manipulated individual atoms along the edge with an AFM, for example.