What is the proper way to store hand planes. I have seen them vertical, horizontal flat and horizontal with a small support to keep it from full contact. Want to build a storage cabinet for my small amount of hand tools ( #4, #5, Block and shoulder) which will continue to grow. The block and shoulder are Lie Nelsons so I need to treat like an “heirloom”.
As always I am a Humble Newbie
Replies
The simplest is to place them on a shelf with a small block under the toe to keep the blade off the shelf. They are much easier to pick up and put down stored this way.
Setting them vertically is more likely to lead to a fumble, and requires much more work to build the shelving.
John White
Shop Manager for FWW Magazine, 1998-2007
John,
What is the advantage of the block under the toe? Or, from the other angle, what is the disadvantage of placing the plane flat on a wooden shelf?
Also, is it beneficial to keep dust off your planes when you store them? I think accumulated dust holds moisture, so I blow off my planes with compressed air before I put them away. I also have a simple glass (plexiglass) door on my plane cabinet to keep airborne dust off the planes.
Frank
Frank,There are a few relatively small advantages to using blocks to lift the planes:1. It keeps the blade off of the shelf so the shelf isn't cut up and the blade won't be dulled or knocked out of alignment.2. It allows air to circulate under the sole, lessening the chance that the sole might rust in ####damp shop.3. I attach the blocks to the shelf and position them so the heel of one plane is against the end of a block lifting an adjacent plane and up on the block at its toe, this makes it simple to get the plane back in place on the shelf.John White
Shop Manager for FWW Magazine, 1998-2007
Larry,
I keep mine in a special freezer. I hear that way they will last longer. But when I go to use them, they are uncomfortable for a few minutes.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,I think that an oven would do a better job at staving off rust.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Isn't there a risk of mistaking a plane for a pizza?
Not once you bite into it. (Getting your recomended daily dose of iron?)Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Naw, no problem. You can tell pretty quickly after the first bite...
Chris,
"I think that an oven would do a better job at staving off rust."Sorry about that, Chris. I didn't take the time to explain. My freezer is moisture-free. It is a very expensive freezer that was developed based on NASA technology. Butit is worth the expense since I paid more than $50 for many of my planes. I am thinking about switching to a cryogenic freezer. I hear it is good for treating the irons. Soon all woodshops will have such a freezer, and also an electron microscope for checking sharpness, and large CNC machines for making multiple copies precisely. MelPS there is a thread on Holtey planes. THink about this. THe same amount of money (more or less) would buy you one each of the planes that Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen make, or a single Holtey plane. Unfortunately that point is merely intellectual to me. I haven't got room in my freezer for all of those planes.Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Yes you are right.
But i keep mine in drawers with those cheap anti slip mats in the bottom, stops them going back and forward and this is also good protection for the iron.
Cheerio Bernhard.
I do a hybrid of John White's and another poster's suggestions. My planes are stored in a drawer under my workbench, and they each rest in compartments on the drawer bottom. In all those compartments are small blocks that elevate the toe of the plane.
The "compartments" on the drawer bottom were easily created by simply nailing some small strips of wood around the base of each plane. They stop the planes from sliding back and forth when the drawer is opened and closed.
The only minor issue I've found with this storage method is that during the winter the shop warms up faster than the inside of the drawer. Sometimes, when I reach in the drawer for a plane, I'm surprised at how cold it is. And during sudden weather changes, when it turns warm and humid rapidly, a cold plane could collect condensation.
So far I've not had any rust formation. But I use my planes a lot and I monitor them closely for this type of thing. It helps keeping a good coat of paste wax on them, too...
ZoltonIf you see a possum running around in here, kill it. It's not a pet. - Jackie Moon
Bernhard,
Those mats are a great idea. Zolton also had a great idea. He puts riser blocks under the toe of each plane. While that makes the plane slightly more unstable when you slam the drawer shut, I find that when I elevate the toes of my planes while they are at rest, they have more energy. I believe that that is in accordance with the laws of Physics. Raising any object increases its potential energy. Isn't that true?So Berhnard, I see that you are in arts/entertainment. YOu can see that I am a frustrated stand-up comic who could never make it in the entertainment business. Let me give you an example. What did the fish say when it swam into a concrete wall?"Dam."Yuk yuk yuk. I shouldn't laugh at my own jokes, but I only tell the ones that I like, so it just happens. What do you do in the arts and entertainment? I am intrigued. MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,I'm surprised you would risk freezing your planes here on earth. I understand that in outer space, there is no air, thus no water at all. But maybe it's impractical even for Astro-Boy-Mel to make such a long journey just to retrieve a Holtey plane.Checking for sharp? I have a much simpler way. I take the edge and strike it against my concrete floor. Then I KNOW that it is NOT sharp. Ingenuous, isn't it!Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I'm glad that the Internet uses mostly wire- and fiber-based transmission methods. I'd hate to think of some humorless alien species intercepting some of these conversations. ;-)
Ralph,Not to worry - they all have wonderful senses of humour.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodworks.com and http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com)
- Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
I was always taught what Mr. White advocated. Always lay a plane on it's side on the bench and on a block to raise the blade when stored more permanently. Screws nails and debris are often on a bench top. My tools have always had less problem with rust when air is allowed to circulate and those I do put in drawers I throw those packets absorbing moisture in the drawers. I also include those from pill bottles. Harry
I keep mine flat on a shelf (laminate) with a small refrigerater magnet (the kind that looks like a business card for advertising) on the toe to keep the blade slightly elevated.
Frank
There is plenty of water in space, alot of it is dust size and frozen. Then there are comets that are full of water. Current geophysical theory holds the origins of the oceans is from comets crashing onto earth's surface. Who'd a thunk it.
I usually just lay them on their SIDE on a shelf. That way, they won't rest on the soles, DUST and such won't settle in the mouth opening, and I can see which plane is which at a glance. I made "saddles" for my homemade "profile planes" by using a pair of 1xs screwed to another. The two 1xs support the plane by the side "handles" I have on the planes. Cross section of these planes looks like a "T", so a "U" shaped saddle works great.
I don't have a ton, but the ones I have (LN) I keep in the original boxes in their paper for pulling the moisture away.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Renaldus Magnus
First don't treat your tools like Heirlooms treat them like tools. Maintain them and use them how they were meant to be used. That's what will make them heirlooms.
I just set mine on a shelf blade down. I used to store them on their side, but after bumping the blade a few times I learned.
I have never had a problem with rust or anything, I never clean them off they go straight on the shelf with chips in them. If theres alot I tip it over and tap it with my palm but that's about it.
I've never had any trouble with rust.
One day when I build my nice tool cabinet, after I finish the 8000 other projects I have to do, I planed to make a small vee along the length of the shelf to allow circulation etc.
But at the rate I'm going the tool box will be my coffin! And I'm taking my bandsaw with me!
Your profile doesn't say - where do you live?BB
I live in Fairport NY (a suburb of Rochester). I have no idea how to change my profile. Or I would update it.
Open shelving and woodshops don't mix well - open horizontal surfaces are dust magnets. You need to keep this to a minimum.
Build a workbench with drawers and keep them in there, or work out of a toolbox you build yourself, or build a tool cabinet.
My very unique solution to protect the irons - no matter where the planes are stored - is simply to withdraw them, using their respective adjusters, when not in use. Aren't I a genius?
Edited 7/2/2009 4:20 pm ET by Plancher_Fasciitis
Until you get your cool cabinet made do what I do:
take various sizes of plastic laundry detergent bottles ( oops orange juice gallon works to ), cut the bottom off and store the plane nose down in the bottle. I put the bottles in the rubber made plastic tote tubs or cardboard box. One plane per bottle. Keeps them protected from each other. Plastic is soft so doesn't dull blades. Super easy to put away just slips in like a holster.
For smaller planes can use other size plastic bottles. These aren't all of them but shows the smaller planes/bottles and a few blades in the white foam. Most blades I have on nails on the wall.
roc
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
There hasn't been much said about moisture considerations.
I have three or four planes that will need to be stored for two years, maybe three.
What I've done so far is simply wrapped them in bubble wrap (no attempt at airtightness) with some dessicant packets. The room isn't moist, per se, but there's always ambient moisture of some percentage, right?
Is there be a better way to do this?
Also, importantly, am I horning in on Larry101's original posting question? It seems to fit the topic, but it changes it a little bit too. I'm not quite sure of the protocol.
--jonnieboy
I would avoid any covering material that does not breath, such as plastic. This is likely to create and accumulate condensation..... guess what happens next? :(
If the planes were mine I would coat them in Vaseline, and then wrap them up in a (cotton) cloth - one you can unwrap every couple of months (if possible) and so check the contents.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Derek,
Vaseline would work, but to really keep the moisture off, put the plane in an oven at 250 deg F for an hour, then let it cool in a dry environment and finally encase it completely in cosmolene. Start with a wood box which has been stored in dry conditions, and coat the bottom with at least a half inch of cosmolene. Then place the plane in the center and fill the rest of the box with cosmolene.If it is a Holtey or a Marcou, and you are having trouble getting the cosmolene off, send it to me, and I will remove the cosmolene for you, free of charge. Of course it will take me a while. Don't worry about a thing. Trust me on this. I will return it quicker than Roc would.MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
For long term storage, stay away from any plastic or rubber touching the metal, over time they leach out chemicals that react with the metal. I've seen lots of tools that were wrapped in bubble wrap have a bubble pattern etched in them when they were unwrapped. The chemicals in plastics will also have a bad effect on the finishes on the handles.The safest simple thing to do with just a few planes planes is to wax them with ordinary furniture (no silicone) wax and store them wrapped in paper towels in a box on the top shelf of a closet in a house that doesn't have moisture problems.John White
Shop Manager for FWW Magazine, 1998-2007
Ooh, I'm glad I asked!
I'll attend to that today.
Thanks!
--jonnieboy
I had to store my entire shop, including planes and chisels. The shop was in part of a 2 1/2 car garage. New house had no shop space. I stored all of the metal in my shop (planes, chisels, table saw top, jointer top and fence, small hand tools and marking equipment, etc.) using the method below.
cleaned them all really well
waxed them all really well
On the smaller items (planes and chisels, and small metal hand tools) I sealed them with a safety seal kitchen appliance (sucks all the air out of the bag and seals it).
On the larger ones wrapped them with bubble wrap as tight as possible.
wrapped everything well with news paper to protect them from bumps during transportation.
When I unpacked my shop nine years later (in my brand new 600 sq. ft dream shop) I had no casualties. good luck. I hope you don't have to leave your things as long as I had to.
I'm starting a handplane storage service for the benefit of owners of Holtey, Marcou, LN, and similar planes here in the dry air of New Mexico. The service includes periodic cleaning, and rubbing against wooden surfaces at appropriate intervals. ;-)
Ralph B,>hand plane storage service for the benefit of owners of Holtey, Marcou,Fancy that. I am starting a hand plane vacation service here in dry Colorado; just came through a big scary drought that lasted years. ( true it has rained every single day for about a month but I am not complaining living on the edge of forest I would go to work every day wondering if one of the local fires would take everything we own before I got home )Perhaps we can work out a neighbor state hand plane exchange program ?Any way it is a little known fact that hand planes tend to deteriorate rapidly in emotional fortitude if stored for long periods without exercise or change of scenery. It is highly recommended by hand plane psychologists and tool recreation experts ( namely me ) to have them get out and about occasionally. They love to travel to new places. In fact most of the Holteys and Marcous have gone off to live in countries other than their native lands. Which seems to prove my theory. Perhaps my logic is flawed but do you honestly want to take that chance when for the mere cost of shipping you can have piece of mind ?Some restrictions apply, chipped blades not accepted, handles must be in tact and in impeccable order, wear and tear from apparent use by the above mentioned service organizations not subject to compensation to the plane owner, period of stay at our facilities determined by hand plane, we reserve the right to modify the terms of this agreement at any time for any reason or for no reason.Have a nice day and thank you for flying Roc Airways !rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
It's a good thing were not in the same state. Any single state would explode from the singularity of genius. ;-)I'm going back to work, now, on my physics theory of shavings. It's sort of like membrane theory, but curly.
>like membrane theory, but curly.Oh I see where you are going with this. Kind of like the Three Stooges does fractals. Or not. Hey don't get mad ! I'm going I'm going.: )rocGive me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )
Thanks for all the information. It is great to see that with a couple of key strokes hundreds of years of experience is mine.
It is interesting to note that as my original question states there are a variety of ways to properly store hand planes and it is a matter personal preference.
Of the infinite number of uses for the internet "Knots" is a solid resource.
" . . . Oh I see where you are going with this . . . ""Going" infers that I'm making some sort of progress. I suspect that is not the case, at all. But, there's some comfort in the pursuit of frivia (frivolous trivia). ;-)
Ralph,
" . . . Oh I see where you are going with this . . . "Journeys are the essence of life, not destinations.
Travelling is good.
Keep travelling.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Wow! How much!? Oh, it doesn't matter, I just know you're the most qualified for the job. The truck will be roaring up your driveway about... now.
It's the entire sets of both Lie-Nielsens and Holteys. One set's a back-up. I'll need them stored for one week, then sent back.
--Jonnieboy
larry,
I'm assuming that you don't mean long term storage.
I made a cabinet for mine that perches over the bench, the bench is against a wall. I made 4" spacers out of drawerside material and simply laid a board in the cabinet resting on the spacers ay each end. As I acquire more planes I can simply add shelves. Once the cabinet is full, I'll make another one. All planes rest on their sides, primarily so I can get more planes into the cabinet as opposed to the resting on their soles.
The doors are 4" deep so I made brackets to hold marking guages, squares, etc. in one door. The other door holds chisels, which also have a habit of multiplying as do planes. So far it has worked good althoug at first they would fuzz over at times with rust. I cleaned them up with butchers wax and 0000 steel wool.
Since then I've installed a gun cabinet heater, keep the doors closed most of the time and nary a fleck of rust has appeared on them for well over a year now. I live in northern NH and the temp/humidity is all over the place and this setup has worked for me.
I do believe keeping them in the cabinet away from dust (dust traps moisture)and the heater (keeps the air dry in the cabinet) has made a world of difference and doesn't cost a lot of money either.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Don't know if this will help, but; I store all my antique Planes in a cabinet; with supports for the sole at ~20% in from the front and back. The cabinets have plexiglass faces, sealed up to keep out as much moisture as possible. I add several bottles of desiccant inside--holes in the lids to allow the desiccant to take out any moisture. the desiccant lasts about 4 months before I need to regenerate it in the oven @ 180 degrees for ~ 4 hours. Even with daily use, the desiccant lasts about this long. Still, nothing beats checking each week, and keeping them oiled(wipe off the soles w/denatured alcohol before use, of course)
Gary
Gary,
You can also nuke the dessicant in a microwave - takes about 1 minute. Another option is to install a gun cabinet heater that uses very little electricity - a low wattage light bulb works good too.
I live in upstate NH and don't keep the woodshop heated all the time so it gets mighty cold in there at night. Keeping them warm prevents the wide temperature swing that used to cause them to sweat as the woodshop warmed up.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
First, I respect John White's opinion greatly and would consider it well as regarding the way to store your tools for everyday use.
I also consider my father's long-term tool-storage advice to be sound, and have ample proof of its effectiveness. The proof is that I inherited a number of his very old tools, and apart from the wear of daily use, the metal on all of them looks like new. My dad was born in 1898, and many of his hand-tools were gifted to him after his apprenticeship. So, a good number of these tools are well over one-hundred years old.
Here is how he stored all of his Chisels, Planes, Marking tools, Squares etc...
He made air-tight drawers for every tool in his shop. Inside each drawer he kept an ounce or two of Camphor. Camphor releases a harmless gas (which you can smell) that largely replaces oxygen in a sealed environment. Reduce oxygen, and you also reduce the chance for rust to get a foothold. He replaced the Camphor about once a year, or when the smell told us that its effectiveness had waned. Back then, Camphor blocks were widely available from almost every pharmacy for about 12 cents a piece.
He also used desiccant to absorb any atmospheric moisture that entered while opening the drawers. Once every spring he would "cook" his desiccant packets in the oven for two or three hours until they were bone-dry. Then he immediately replaced them back into the drawers and cabinets.
He scrupulously cleaned all dust from every tool he used at the end of every working day, then applied a very light coat of oil to any ferrous metal surface.
For certain mechanical tools, such as his Starrett adjustable squares, gauge-blocks, angles and other precision measuring / layout tools, he built a special large cabinet and installed a low-wattage light bulb. There were two 1/4 inch holes in the top of this cabinet to allow some heat to escape and to allow enough light out that he could instantly see if the bulb ever burned out. The dim light bulb uses negligible energy, yet gently emits enough heat to keep the cabinet warm and dry throughout all seasons.
As a pattern maker and violin repairman, he relied on his tools daily for almost 84 years. Though he used all of them, their near perfect condition is testimony to the efficacy of these tool-storage practices.
I have found no more economical or effective strategy for complete tool-care.
By the way, Camphor also has salubrious effects for any precious metal that may tarnish, like Silver or Gold. Just a few ounces inside your silverware drawer or fine dinner-ware cabinet will prevent tarnish for about a year. In our house, that's perfect timing for those holiday meals when we break out the fancy eatin' stuff.
Best wishes!
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