From: jrdailey@cbnewse.cb.att.com (j.rex.dailey)
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking
Subject: Re: Sharpening Plane Irons
Summary: Scrub planes - NOW WE'RE TALKING
Keywords: plane iron, sharpening
Date: 9 Apr 92 00:55:31 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: AT&T

In article <1992Apr07.220756.14575@sdd.hp.com>, mckim@sdd.hp.com (Jim McKim) writes:
> ****** At last - a discussion involving hand tools!! What a relief! *****
> 
> I have read about knocking the corners off to avoid leaving lines, and do
> that myself, but I have never heard about progressive curvature with
> increasing plane length before. I can't figure out the functional 
> relationship here - seems opposite of what I would have thought. I have
> heard about having a jack plane especially for roughing work with a
> curved edge, about the amount you describe for the jointer. But I would
> think you would need to have the jointer blade straight across to be
> able to get a nice square edge on a board. The curved blade would scoop
> out a hollow if it was centered on the board, or put on a rounded bevel
> if it's not, won't it?
> 
> Inquiring minds want to know more...

Jim I'm glad you asked!  Roy spells it out in one of his books, I can't
remember which one right now.  If I remember correctly, he indicates that
the jack plane iron is curved by about 1/8", the jointer iron by 1/16",
and the smooth iron not at all but is sharpened straight across.  I can
still see the picture in the book, left page - lower left corner.

So some of you netters want to learn how to flatten boards by hand!  
I have tried this some but not enough to tell other people how, but 
I'll try from what I've read.

Start with the scrub plane, I was lucky enough to have a friend buy me a 
Stanley #40.  Works GREAT for the initial removal of stock in the least 
amount of time.  Next comes the jack plane to start the REAL flattening 
process.  Next the jointer plane, and finally the smooth plane.
All the while using your winding sticks to sight down the board to ensure
a board with no wind, twist, ect.  Winding sticks are two identical size
sticks to lay across the board at the front and end.  Sight across the
top of the sticks to see if the board is flat (FWW and American WW had
very good articles in the past year on this subject).  After the top of
the board is flat, take a marking tool and using the just planed top as
the reference edge (sounds like Bridge City doesn't it!), put the fence
of the marking gauge on top and scribe a line around the bottom edge of the
board so you can plane down to that line.  Turn the board over and start over
again.  And that is all there is to it.  Sounds easy but I ASSURE you, it
isn't.

I used this process to recycle some pine boards I bought at a garage sale
to be stripped of paint, glued together and planed flat for my wife's
pantry shelves.  THIS WAS ALOT OF WORK!!!!  But was glad I did it.  Two
things that I remember from that project.  If you are REALLY serious
about planing boards by hand, get yourself a scrub plane.  Having this
tool saved me MUCH time.  More importantly, DON'T try to think you can
plane knots down smooth with the rest of the surface.  Try to start out with
reasonably straight grained clear stock.  The shelves did turn out rather 
nice.  I'm sure they will sag much less that the pressboard that I replaced.

> 
> BTW, anyone know *why* the curved blade works better for roughing? Does
> it somehow allow you to remove material faster without gouging in (tearout)
> at the expense of leaving a slightly wavy surface? If so, how?
> 

I am guessing that the blade being curved grabs less wood than a flat
blade.  And it does tear the wood and creates a wavy surface, this is why
you follow a scub plane with the jack, followed by the fore, followed by
the smooth.

Rex Dailey
jrdailey @ cbnewse.cb.att.com