Finally got around to working on an old Stanley #78 rabbet plane
I picked up a few years ago. The iron has "STANLEY RULE" on an
arc with "& LEVEL Co." under the arc so, if I've got it right, the
iron was made between 1874 and 1884. Cast on the inside,
No.78
MADE IN USA
I suspect the plane body is much younger than the iron.
Anyway, the iron looked like it'd been "sharpened" on the
sidewalk or the corner of a cinder block wall. Fortunately
they left the back alone.
Started with an India stone to begin flattening the back. Going
was very very slow even on a coarse stone. Switched to a 220
DMT diamond plate - the plastic ones with the diamond grit
in a perforated metal plate. A little better but still slow. Then
I got out the waterstones, 800, 1200, 2000 and 6000. The
800 cut so much faster. Once the back surface I was working
on showed fresh scratches it was short work going through
the other grits to a nice flat, polished back. Was surprised
at how fast the waterstones cut.
Cleaned up the butchered bevel with the Tormek and then
the sequence of waterstone. Now have a nice sharp shiny
iron - and missing finger prints on the tip of my left
index finger. Funny how the waterstones feel so smooth
when wet.
Next - a Hock iron for a #6.
charlie b
Australopithecus scobis wrote:
> This seems like a good place to post the question that's been bugging me
> for a few days. Just got the LV combo set of 800 and 4000 waterstones; had
> used SS before. I'm trying to flatten the backs of some cheapo chisels. I
> use the 800 until the back is nice and gray. For grins, I run the back
> over a pocket ceramic stone (woodcraft, iirc). I get a shiny line running
> up the spine of the back. This tells me the back is convex across its
> width. So why isn't the 800 cutting the high spot off? My guess is that
> the slurry is deeper than the defect and so the grit can reach above the
> flattened stone and grab the whole blade. If this is the case, how the
> heck do you flatten anything on a waterstone? The same effect occurs when
> I do SS on either a 3/8" glass or a marble tile substrate.
>
> My second guess is that the temper is uneven in these blades. The blade is
> indeed flat, but the soft chewy center polishes quicker.
>
> FWIW, I'm using Stanley fatmax (hey, they're my beaters!), Marples blue
> chips, and a $2.39 3/4" bevel-edged paint can opener from Ace. (Yeah, when
> I win the lottery I'll buy real chisels.) They all cut just fine.
>
> Ideas?
Is this happening just on narrow chisels? Narrow chisels are harder
to control than wider ones, especially when working on the bevel
face.
Are you running the long axis of the chisels about 90 degrees
to the long axis of the stone or angling it? Angling my help reduce
the rocking.
+--+ +--+
| | | |
| ---- |\ |
| | | \ |
| | | \
+--+ +--+
Are you coming in on both sides of the stone - 10 strokes from
the right, 10 strokes from the left? If so, try just one side.
Alternating sides, especially if you're angling the chisel's long
axis to the stone's long axis gives you visual feedback on how
you'e doing. When the "left leaning" scratches are all gone you're
done. Also gives more even wear on the stone's face.
Are you pressing down on the push stroke AND the pull stroke?
Try just on the push stroke or just on the pull stroke.
Rinse the stone more often and wipe the slurry if you think
that might be the problem.
This one's subtle - after your last stroke, do you stop and THEN
lift the chisel off the surface? If you lift while still stroking
you're likely to roll the chisel while still cutting
Just some things to consider.
charlie b
You're rocking it. It is for this reason that, when hand laping, the figure
eight pattern and light pressure have been used for years.
"Australopithecus scobis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 22:20:39 -0700, charlie b wrote:
> This seems like a good place to post the question that's been bugging me
> for a few days. Just got the LV combo set of 800 and 4000 waterstones; had
> used SS before. I'm trying to flatten the backs of some cheapo chisels. I
> use the 800 until the back is nice and gray. For grins, I run the back
> over a pocket ceramic stone (woodcraft, iirc). I get a shiny line running
> up the spine of the back. This tells me the back is convex across its
> width. So why isn't the 800 cutting the high spot off? My guess is that
> the slurry is deeper than the defect and so the grit can reach above the
> flattened stone and grab the whole blade. If this is the case, how the
> heck do you flatten anything on a waterstone? The same effect occurs when
> I do SS on either a 3/8" glass or a marble tile substrate.
>
> My second guess is that the temper is uneven in these blades. The blade is
> indeed flat, but the soft chewy center polishes quicker.
>
> FWIW, I'm using Stanley fatmax (hey, they're my beaters!), Marples blue
> chips, and a $2.39 3/4" bevel-edged paint can opener from Ace. (Yeah, when
> I win the lottery I'll buy real chisels.) They all cut just fine.
>
>
> Ideas?
>
> --
> "Keep your ass behind you"
>
On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 07:08:35 -0500, Australopithecus scobis
<[email protected]> wrote:
>On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 22:20:39 -0700, charlie b wrote:
>
>> Started with an India stone to begin flattening the back. Going was very
>> very slow even on a coarse stone. Switched to a 220 DMT diamond plate -
>> the plastic ones with the diamond grit in a perforated metal plate. A
>> little better but still slow. Then I got out the waterstones, 800,
>> 1200, 2000 and 6000. The 800 cut so much faster. Once the back surface
>> I was working
>
>This seems like a good place to post the question that's been bugging me
>for a few days. Just got the LV combo set of 800 and 4000 waterstones; had
>used SS before. I'm trying to flatten the backs of some cheapo chisels. I
>use the 800 until the back is nice and gray. For grins, I run the back
>over a pocket ceramic stone (woodcraft, iirc). I get a shiny line running
>up the spine of the back. This tells me the back is convex across its
>width. So why isn't the 800 cutting the high spot off? My guess is that
>the slurry is deeper than the defect and so the grit can reach above the
>flattened stone and grab the whole blade. If this is the case, how the
>heck do you flatten anything on a waterstone? The same effect occurs when
>I do SS on either a 3/8" glass or a marble tile substrate.
>
>My second guess is that the temper is uneven in these blades. The blade is
>indeed flat, but the soft chewy center polishes quicker.
>
>FWIW, I'm using Stanley fatmax (hey, they're my beaters!), Marples blue
>chips, and a $2.39 3/4" bevel-edged paint can opener from Ace. (Yeah, when
>I win the lottery I'll buy real chisels.) They all cut just fine.
>
>
>Ideas?
One possibility is that if the back is convex then the chisel simply
rocks on the high spot as you move it back and forth on the stone.
Same thing aws trying to flatten a board on a jointer with the convex
side down - doesn't work well - you usually just get a thinner convex
board.
On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 22:20:39 -0700, charlie b wrote:
> Started with an India stone to begin flattening the back. Going was very
> very slow even on a coarse stone. Switched to a 220 DMT diamond plate -
> the plastic ones with the diamond grit in a perforated metal plate. A
> little better but still slow. Then I got out the waterstones, 800,
> 1200, 2000 and 6000. The 800 cut so much faster. Once the back surface
> I was working
This seems like a good place to post the question that's been bugging me
for a few days. Just got the LV combo set of 800 and 4000 waterstones; had
used SS before. I'm trying to flatten the backs of some cheapo chisels. I
use the 800 until the back is nice and gray. For grins, I run the back
over a pocket ceramic stone (woodcraft, iirc). I get a shiny line running
up the spine of the back. This tells me the back is convex across its
width. So why isn't the 800 cutting the high spot off? My guess is that
the slurry is deeper than the defect and so the grit can reach above the
flattened stone and grab the whole blade. If this is the case, how the
heck do you flatten anything on a waterstone? The same effect occurs when
I do SS on either a 3/8" glass or a marble tile substrate.
My second guess is that the temper is uneven in these blades. The blade is
indeed flat, but the soft chewy center polishes quicker.
FWIW, I'm using Stanley fatmax (hey, they're my beaters!), Marples blue
chips, and a $2.39 3/4" bevel-edged paint can opener from Ace. (Yeah, when
I win the lottery I'll buy real chisels.) They all cut just fine.
Ideas?
--
"Keep your ass behind you"
On Sat, 24 Jul 2004 09:39:49 -0700, charlie b wrote:
> This one's subtle - after your last stroke, do you stop and THEN
> lift the chisel off the surface? If you lift while still stroking
> you're likely to roll the chisel while still cutting
This one might be it. The narrow chisels are the worst. Tried all the
other even-out-the-wear tricks.
Another notion, which might be answered by my calculator and rubber bible,
is whether the heat from my fingers is enough to make the metal expand
under them. The rest of the blade is chilled by the rinse water.
--
"Keep your ass behind you"
Technically yes, that does happen but the effect would me measured in
millionths.
"Australopithecus scobis" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
Another notion, which might be answered by my calculator and rubber bible,
> is whether the heat from my fingers is enough to make the metal expand
> under them. The rest of the blade is chilled by the rinse water.
>
> --
> "Keep your ass behind you"
>
O
>Cleaned up the butchered bevel with the Tormek and then
>the sequence of waterstone. Now have a nice sharp shiny
>iron - and missing finger prints on the tip of my left
>index finger. Funny how the waterstones feel so smooth
>when wet.
>
I removed all my fingertips till they bled learning to sharpen using a diamond
stone. it did not hurt at first. then man it was bad. it was so hard to type (G)
--
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