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Thread: Looking for an easier way to flatten the back of plane irons

  1. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by J. Greg Jones View Post
    Jim, your analogy is seriously flawed. This is not about ‘technique’. Sure, people can shave arm hair successfully to test blade sharpness. People can also use a table saw without a blade guard or splitter and never have an injury as a consequence because they have developed a ‘technique’ that serves them well. There is no ‘technique’ that prevents a grinding wheel from flying apart if one ignores the manufacturer’s instructions to not grind on the side of a wheel not designed for that purpose. It happens. I’ve seen it. I had to file the worker’s comp report to get my employee’s injuries reimbursed. No amount of ‘technique’ is going to overcome some instances of ‘stupid’.
    You are right on this. My attempt was aimed more at discouraging others from recommending procedures deemed dangerous.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  2. #32
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    In the 40+ years of working with my grinders....have NEVER had an issue with any of the wheels I have used. Maybe because I tend to be more careful about how I use mine....than some on here.

    I suppose one could jam an item as hard as they could against the side of the spinning wheel....then act surprised that the wheel broke. Then think everyone else will treat a grinding wheel the same way.

    "Stupid"??? Respect for the tools I use.....I use a light touch, not out to burn away metal. Of course, IF one has a CHEAP, crappy wheel on their grinder......Get the good wheels, NOT the Harbor Freight/Borg ones..Had one of those break apart...just trying to dress the edge....that had just crumbled away.....

    But, I suppose there are some out there, that buy the cheap wheels, slamma-jamma an item into the wheel...after all, don't have the time to carefully do the job.....maybe not so much the "Procedures" as it is the person using the "Procedures" that is at fault.

    "Don't interrupt the man by telling him a job can not be done, until after he has completed the job"

    Then, there are some, that go out of their way to prove a "technique" will fail.....

    Had enough of this...stuff....go your own way, I'll go mine....see ya!

  3. #33
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    Norton Abrasives is not a cheap manufacturer. Their dos and don'ts clearly specify not to use the side of the wheels. You're just fortunate you have not had an accident.

  4. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    You are right on this. My attempt was aimed more at discouraging others from recommending procedures deemed dangerous.

    jtk
    I went back and re-read your post and I see that now-sorry! At the time my comprehension wasn’t as good as I thought it was! Cheers.

  5. #35
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Spangler View Post
    FYI, I did try Steven's suggestion yesterday. I have a Rikon slow-speed grinder with a 150 grit wheel and very gingerly used one side to lap an old plane iron. I ended up with the edges worn back more than the middle, and I was careful to put only slight pressure at the center of the blade. So dangerous or not, it does not work for me. I also checked the platen on my old belt sander and verified that is is indeed not flat across, so not worth revisiting it to flatten irons.

    There is a Woodcraft store and a Rockler store within driving distance from me. If I happen to get a coupon from either, I may go there and buy a Work Sharp 3000. Not in a big hurry, but still a consideration.

    Thanks again to everyone who responded.
    I have a stone that specifically states that you can do this (Tormek), but boy am I bad at it. I will never try it again. I also would not try it on a stone that specifically warns against it.

    I have seen Steven do things while fixing or sharpening that I simply am not capable of, but that is also why when I find something that I cannot make work I make the trek out to his shop. One example is using a belt sander on the bottom of a frog. Yeah, he fixed it and when he was done this "might as well throw it away" #4 plane was usable. I have not seen Steven flatten the back of a blade, but, with the warnings of a shattered stone, I would be very leery of doing this without something that said it was ok to do.

    Also note that I was not able to flatten the back using a Worksharp and many here are able to easily do that.

  6. #36
    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas Wilson View Post
    Fine Woodworking had a tip this month to attach a block of wood to the front of the blade with double stick tape. I have some chisels and plane blades that I need to flatten. I shall try it and report back.
    I tried taping a block of wood to a new A2 plane blade using XFasten double-stick tape. The block was about 1 1/4” by 2 5/8”. The blade is 2 5/8”. I glued the block right next to bevel. It does give a much better grip. It stayed on until the block got pretty wet from the water used on the DMT diamond stones. I was about done when it came off. I had to work a long time on the blade so I think that is satisfactory.

    My best grip was with finger tips on the bevel and thumbs behind the block. This position gives good pressure at the cutting edge. It works well for either forward/backward and side-to-side motion. I also tried placing my palm on top of the block and pressing down. This gives a good grip and works well for coarse grit. For finer polishing, it only polished under the block. I needed more pressure at the edge.

    One further point about diamond stones, you can’t use a MagSwitch as a handle. The diamond plate is magnetic. Well, maybe you could if you are a gorilla. I couldn’t budge it.

  7. #37
    I've had really good results with the Charlesworth ruler trick. If you watch any of Rob Cosman's videos on sharpening on YouTube, he demonstrates the technique. This saves needing the flatten the entire back, by putting a very slight back bevel on the edge. All it requires is a thin steel ruler (like 1/32") and you have everything you need.

  8. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Todd Ulery View Post
    I've had really good results with the Charlesworth ruler trick. If you watch any of Rob Cosman's videos on sharpening on YouTube, he demonstrates the technique. This saves needing the flatten the entire back, by putting a very slight back bevel on the edge. All it requires is a thin steel ruler (like 1/32") and you have everything you need.
    Hi Todd and Welcome to the Creek.

    One problem with this is if the back isn't flat the chip breaker may not mate up properly. This could become a real problem if the shavings start jamming.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

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