I have a cheap Stanley plane that I’m trying to get into better working condition. I’m working on getting the sole of the plane flat using sandpaper on a piece of plate glass, and so far I have gotten it mostly smooth, except for an oblong section in the middle of the plane, about an inch or so back from the throat.
It’s slow going at this point getting it all the way flattened, so my question is: do I really have to, or is that slight depression not going to matter, since it’s not at the throat itself, and there is a flat section behind it as well?
There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand binary, and those who don’t.
Replies
As you guessed, it won't matter, though I suspect some one will argue about this.
Are you flattening the sole with the blade installed, but pulled back a bit from the throat? Flattening the sole is usually done with the blade installed to prevent a possible slight change in the flatness of the sole that would occur later from new stress on the planes body when tightening down the blade clamping screw.
John W.
Actually, I have to blade removed. I hadn't considered that it might make a difference.There are 10 kinds of people: those who understand binary, and those who don't.
It may not make a difference, but being that it is easy to do, working with the blade in is the prefered way to go. Good joke.
John W.
Definitely put the blade in and draw it up.
If the sole flattening is slow going, you could quit for now, it sounds like the hollow behind the throat won't matter much to your results. Have the throat area itself flat and smooth in relation to the toe and heel DOES yield noticeable improvements.
If you decide to continue flattening, its weird but I found that moving to finer paper gets you back to positive flattening progress. For example: if you use 120 grit silicon carbide automotive wet-dry paper (use it dry and shop-vac the dust), this will work well, then when it stops cutting, move to 180 grit, then 220, then 240, then 320, then 600, then 1000 then 1500 , etc... Actually the hollow part should be mostly gone around the 220 grit stage. If your happy with it , you really are just polishing it after that for looks.
I like to hand lap my favorite garage sale Stanley 606-C a little more each time I resharpen the blade. Its almost like you are slowly creeping up on some kind of ideal of precision that allows you to successfully pull off new levels of flatness and ease. I have taught myself to flatten glued up hardwood panels where adjacent laminations have grain that goes downhill, where its neighbor goes uphill. My results aren't perfect but with a freshly sharpened (Hock) blade, set up with a fine throat setting and a very light cut, and cutting perpendicular to the grain, I am able to bring the panel into flat tolerances. Better than jointers, planers, or glue joint rip blades can produce in my shop.
paretsky
Agree with John W and sprocket. The toe, heel and the area just behind the throat are critical. That hollow depression that far back from the throat should not be a major factor.
Regards...
sarge..jt
Proud member of the : "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
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