Handplane Fundamentals: Sharpening

Comments

1. 
   user-5168902 | Oct 13, 2016 10:22pm | #1

   Nice job, Mike. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is almost like being there. love the whole series on planes.
   Jay

2. 
   user-6400178 | Oct 14, 2016 02:03pm | #2

   Nice. For far too long I've tried to polish way too much of the blade instead of the leading edge wasting much too much time.

3. 
   Marhk | Oct 15, 2016 11:18am | #3

   Mike,
   Well done, as usual.
   Note that Charlesworth originally described the "ruler trick" with a grinding motion that passed off and back on the edge of the stone. I suspect the reason for that was the curved bevel. If you imagine the curved bevel sitting on flat stone angled up by the ruler then only the center of the curve is being sharpened. However in moving off and on the stone then the edges make contact and are sharpened as well. So, a few more angels to fit on this pin. ;-)

4. 
   jhelminski | Oct 15, 2016 10:36pm | #4

   I recently took a class with Mike at the Connecticut Valley School of Woodworking, both Mike and the school were worth every penny! Mike is a top-notch instructor and the CVSW is an outstanding establishment that executes it's instruction with a top level of quality equipment and a learning style for woodworkers at every level. Mike really brings your quality of work to a whole new understanding. I will return! I am a better woodworking after just one class thanks to Mike and the CVSW.

5. 
   robertu | Oct 22, 2016 11:42pm | #5

   Thanks Mike. I forget the little things sometimes, your videos always bring them back.

6. 
   timberlady | Nov 05, 2016 01:48pm | #6

   Great video Mike but I have a question. All my planes are bevel up. When you spoke about "flattening" the back of smooth planes with the ruler trick you indicated it would not work for chisels because they are used bevel up and the back needs to be dead level as it is a reference surface where that's not the case with bevel down planes. Would you use the ruler trick for bevel up planes?

7. 
   WoodCrafter | Nov 18, 2016 09:42am | #7

   Thanks for another great video.
   This Neanderthal woodworker would appreciate your guesstimate at how much pressure your using. Hard to tell if your knuckles are changing color.

8. 
   JKreider | Nov 27, 2016 08:07pm | #8

   Best video I've seen on sharpening. Thanks!

9. 
   jveetee | Nov 28, 2016 09:52am | #9

   Mike, just curious why you don't use diamond plate stones? Wouldn’t that pretty much mitigate the deformation of the stones surface keeping it flat?

10. 
    csmith2222 | Jan 07, 2017 09:38am | #10

    Hi, I'm new to this stuff and the stones will be a major investment for me. I'm torn between the nortons described here and the Shaptons recommended by Bob Van Dyke in the June 2016 issue. I don't have an issue with the Norton sharpening stones as much as I do with the Norton flattening stone you're using here, in comparison to the DMT lapping plate Van Dyke uses. The Norton flattening stone will itself eventually require flattening by something like the DMT, which leads me to believe maybe using the Norton sharpening stones, along with a DMT lapping plate might be the way to go. Perhaps one day, when the Nortons wear out, I might upgrade to the shaptons. Any thoughts?

11. 
    csmith2222 | Jan 07, 2017 09:44am | #11

    Never Mind... I watched this a few days ago and have been around the world and back regarding sharpening research. I rewatched just now and see he's using a diamond plate, rather than the norton flattening stone, so I guess that confirms my thought to go with norton stones and a diamond plate. sorry for the confusion. Great video series, by the way!

12. 
    sawinglogs | Feb 19, 2017 08:39pm | #12

    Wow, just found this series - very good explanations. The one on grain was terrific. Seeing the examples of grain direction made much more sense than the stuff I have read.

13. 
    user-1092980 | Mar 05, 2018 12:01am | #13

    have tried a few of this series - None of the videos work - I know my software and systems are up to date and have good internet speed so what gives? Russians got your number?

1. 
   BenStrano | Mar 05, 2018 10:04am | #14

   Send me an email with specifics about your system ([email protected]). I'll open a ticket. Is it just this series?

14. 
    CharlesFlowers | Oct 05, 2020 07:04pm | #15

    Hey Mike,
    had a question about the diamond lapping plate. I noticed it is leaving scratch marks on my water stones, and the manufacturer says to use less pressure to leave a smoother finish. I've been trying that and have had a little bit of luck but am finding it difficult to leave a smooth surface on my waterstones after flattening. Any advice? I may not be being patient enough hah Thanks FWW

1. 
   BenStrano | Oct 06, 2020 01:24pm | #16

   Charles,

   You don't need to worry about a polished surface on your stone. Overall flatness is what you're going after here.

15. 
    CharlesFlowers | Oct 06, 2020 04:33pm | #17

    Thanks Ben! Appreciate you and all of FWW. Really helpful with school.
    Best

16. 
    PJKuras | Jan 04, 2021 12:22pm | #18

    That honing guide you use has an inner channel for chisels that would also be suitable for your narrow plane iron. It also has reference blade-protrusion distances on it for setting the coarse angles. Thanks for a very informative series.

17. 
    Mattatthegranary | Jun 05, 2021 03:22pm | #19

    Great video series as usual with some great advice.I have always been lead to believe water will rust diamond stones which is exactly what has happened to mine so is Mike really putting his diamond stone in a water bath when he re flattens his water stones? Thanks