Tools & Materials
Sharpening a Router Plane with Vic Tesolin
A hollow-grind makes a difficult task simple and fast
A router plane is a tool many woodworkers find indispensable for joinery work. But sharpening a router plane blade can be a difficult task if the blade is one of the older-style integral blades. Many of the newer models can be disassembled and put into a honing guide, but the older-style blades are made from one solid piece of metal. Vic Tesolin adds a hollow grind to his blades, giving you two faces to rest on the sharpening stone, making it much easier to get a consistent bevel. This could be done many ways, but as Vic learned from Derek Cohen, the job is made easier by using a V-block to hold the blade steady. Then, a sanding drum chucked into the drill press makes quick work of the hollow grind.
More on FineWoodworking.com:
- Dan Faia – Why You Need a Router Plane
- Garrett Hack – Handplanes I Can’t Live Without
- Video: Garrett Hack – How to Use a Router Plane
Comments
I listened to the discussion of this topic on thr shop talk pod cast and watched the video... I just don't get the dilemma.
With a bevel that big and wide it's a piece if cake to just sharpen the bevel free hand on a stone. You would have to try hard to screw it up.
My eyes must truly need an eye exam. I think I only saw Vic making a hollow-ground on the top of the blade, but left the bevel untouched. Then he flattened the base on the flat stone. He never sharpened the bevel. As the first commentor states above, "...just sharpen the bevel free hand on a stone." One would obviously also flaten the base. So, why create the hollow-ground cut?
I would like to find an easy way of sharping a blade that comes to a point. Any ideas! I've been sharpening by eye using a small diamond stone.
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