Feeling Fine Fettle

[U-CDK_CHARLES\Charles]

Reccers:

Okay, I figured out the age and approximate vintage of my Granddad's Stanley Smoother. "Older than Mom" and "A user, not a collector" suffice for my purposes.

Fettling questions:

The iron is rather obviously rounded, as if it were badly wheel-ground. Is it necessary that it be SQUARE to the sides of the iron or that it merely be straight? I'm not talking a scrub grind, I'm talking an assymetrical roundish shape.

I will obviously need to reestablish the primary bevel--there is none. What's a good all-round bevel? 30 degrees?

Here's my gameplan for the iron:

1. Scribe a square line
2. Machine grind to the square line, more or less restablishing the primary bevel
3. Dress the bevel to 120 grit using a Veritas honing jig.
4. Scary sharp the back of the iron to 2000 grit.
5. Polish the primary bevel to 2000 grit.
6. Add a 1-degree secondary bevel.

Are these the right steps in the right order?

For the capiron, I'm "merely" going to polish the bearing edge. It's fairly clean.

The bearing surface of the frog is VERY clean. I don't think it needs attention.

I did a "cleaning pass" on the sole using 120 grit on my lapping plate. It's VERY evident that there's a slight depression in the center of the sole, both fore and aft of the mouth. How deep a depression need I worry about? It's clearly not abraded when I look at the sole after lapping. I can see the depression only if I look parallell to the surface in EXCELLENT light. I'm not sure about how deep beyond "Damn shallow."

I can't think of a reason to fret about surface patina. Should I?

Finally, when I reassemble, do I lubricate? With what?

Thanks

Charles

[Tom]

Charles Krug wrote:>I did a "cleaning pass" on the sole using 120 grit on my lapping plate.

Watch the wrap. Any reation to the wine producers in California? Tom Work at your leisure!

[U-CDK_CHARLES\Charles]

No wrap. I saw that one this morning. Haven't decided whether or not I'm a "Flat Soler" but he seems to think that if there's a depression in front of the mouth it's a doorstop, which doesn't make sense for a 60yo Bailey. Trouble is, he doesn't say how bad a divot is "bad."

Nope. Nor to the French Champagne maker.

[dave in Fairfax]

Then use the test that counts. Talk to a board with it and see if you can live with the results. Dave in Fairfax

[Dave Mundt]

Well, FWIW, that is exactly the sole pattern used in Japanese planes. As long as the mouth area, a point at the FRONT of the plane and a point at the tail of the plane are all in a straight line, there should not be a serious problem. Actually, planes are manufactured with corrogated bottoms, to cut down on the amount of friction involved in pushing the plane along the wood. I am not sure whether this is science or tradition, as I have both types and can't see that much difference in their performance. I would tune it a bit (as sounds as if it has been done), make sure the blade is Scary Sharp, and, have at the wood. If you have problems with it not cutting well, then, look at taking the base down a bit more. By the by...I have found that for major edits like that, a fine belt on a 4"x36" or 6"x48" belt sander works great. Use a light cut, and, if possible set up a fence to ensure that the bottom stays at a 90 degree angle to the side. Regards Dave Mundt

[Conan The Librarian]

Yep. Just be careful when machine grinding, as it's easy to overheat the iron.

One question: Did you have the iron in place as if you were going to use the plane (but retracted, obviously) when doing that test? The stresses placed on the plane by the cap-iron being locked down and the iron in place can make a distinct difference in the flatness of the sole.

Not unless there's rust there too.

I don't do much lubrication of plane parts. If anything, I take the hunk of parrafin I keep for lubing the sole and give it a few swipes on the threads of the adjuster.

Chuck Vance

[U-CDK_CHARLES\Charles]

Got it. I rarely machine grind, but I keep a spray bottle and a quench tray near my grinder.

(snippage)

Ahh . . . I didn't think of that. I was just lapping the empty body. I'll try it that way.

[Australopithecus scobis]

(Got Leonard Lee's book for Bday. Got Ian Kirby's from the library. So-- )

1. Leave a lot of metal at the edge when you re-establish the bevel. Avoids overheating a thin edge. Means more work at 120 grit. Relieve the aft portion of the bevel on the grinder; don't hollow grind the whole thang, just the aft third or so. Means less work at 120 grit.
2. Don't bother mirror polishing the primary bevel. Waste of time, but it shore looks purty. Helps to have some visual contrast with the secondary, in my experience.
3. Picky, picky. Depends on what wood you're using.
4. Strop when you're done with the 2000 grit. (Auto polishing compound _can_ suffice, if you don't have the green crayon 0.5 micron stuff.)

[CW]

Better yet, use a piece of leather and forget the compound.

[Australopithecus scobis]

I don't put the compound on the leather; I use a piece of glass. Didn't write clearly before. Anyway, I find my plain leather gets gunked up with something. After a while it starts making scratches. Bits of wire edge, or something. Planed my stuck-to-a-board strop with a block plane and it's fine again. Anyone else have this problem with the strop?

[CW]