Replies

1. 
   Malcolm | Mar 05, 2006 01:22pm | #1

   Rod

   I've set up my Shepherd smoother with the corners of the blade slightly crowned to eliminate edge marks. It only needs to be a whisper - just a few thou, and only on the last few 16ths of the blade.

   I do it by leaning into the sharpening stone for a few passes as I finish hone. Only a whisper!

   Malcolm

   http://www.macpherson.co.nz
2. 
   BG | Mar 05, 2006 02:02pm | #2

   RodWolfy,
   I'm not sure if it's Powell Manufacturing, but my local Woodcraft(Woburn, MA) has the curved plates on the shelf...about $100 ea.

1. 
   RodWolfy | Mar 06, 2006 06:51am | #8

   BG,

   Could you call and check on a name? We have a Woodcraft in Seattle (about a 2 hr drive) and I could see if they have one in stock. I have a birthday discount this month too (the big 40)...

   Thanks,

   Rod

3. 
   JeffHeath | Mar 05, 2006 05:57pm | #3

   I really don't think you need to purchase a special jig or plate to accomplish this.  Alls you have to do is put extra pressure on the corners of your blade for several passes over the stone.  I leave the blade in my honing jig, polish and microbevel as always, and then simply make about 10 to 15 passes over the 8000 stone with heavier pressure on the corners, one corner at a time.  It only takes an extra minute or so, and in my opinion, doesn't warrant purchasing some dewdads to get it done.

   Save the money, and buy another plane!

   Jeff

1. 
   Malcolm | Mar 05, 2006 11:06pm | #5

   Yes Jeff - that's what I tried to say (but not as well). The main point is that you don't want a scrub-plane-scoop, just a tiny amount of crowning at the extreme outside corners.

   Malcolmhttp://www.macpherson.co.nz

1. 
   JeffHeath | Mar 06, 2006 12:14am | #6

   You got it baby!!  I didn't see your post when I posted, or I wouldn't have bothered.  We were probably moments apart.  Nice plane, by the way.

   Jeff

4. 
   cob | Mar 05, 2006 10:52pm | #4

   I got the David Charlesworth video part 1 Plane Sharpening from Lie-Nielsen at christmas time. Better to see things done than to just read about it. They also carry the honing guide.

1. 
   RodWolfy | Mar 06, 2006 06:43am | #7

   Cob & other posters:

   I have both the LN David Charlesworth dvd's. He said to use a cheap honing guide, but I haven't found one. I have the Veritas Mark II, which is next to impossible to tip.

   I'll try pushing down on the corners for the last 10 passes on my 8000 grit stone.

   I take it, for a scrub plane, I'd want more of a curve???

   Rod

1. 
   highfigh | Mar 06, 2006 07:13am | #9

   Lie-Nielsen, Lee Valley, WoodCraft and Rockler all sell the Eclipse giude. It has a smaller wheel on the bottom and it's silver. Usually, it's about $14 unless it's on sale.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

5. 
   philip | Mar 06, 2006 09:45am | #10

   And at the risk of derision from the assembled Knottery, I have to tell you that here is yet another advantage of the Diamond Plate (good quality one that is): you can put as much force at the corners as you like and that baby stays flat, your blade gets a crown. Not well tolerated by the Japanese water stones and others.

   Philip Marcou
1. 
   RodWolfy | Mar 07, 2006 06:43am | #11

   Philip, have you seen the curved plates anywhere?

1. 
   philip | Mar 07, 2006 07:38am | #12

   I haven't actually seen them-only read about them. They do not appeal to me-just reckon they are another gimmick. What if "their" curvature is not what I want?Philip Marcou

6. 
   4yanks | Mar 10, 2006 12:27pm | #13

   As others have said, you only need to curve the extreme outer edges of the iron.  To do more than that will give you the scooped surface that a scrub plane provides (Which is nice if you're looking to hog off a lot of material).  The solution I developed (read somewhere else) was to grind off the very outside corners of the irons on my smoothers, then sharpen as usual.  This will provide the effect you looking for without expensive purchases.  If you do not have a grinder this can be accomplished by dragging the corners freehand over either a diamond plate or sandpaper mounted to a hard surface.  Hope this helps.

7. 
   AdamCherubini | Mar 10, 2006 03:32pm | #14

   "A great innovation whose time had come."

   Really? This what kills me about the woodworking illuminati. First they told us our stones needed to be dead flat- that we needed to buy special $100 stones to flatten out our dished stones. Now they see the benefit of an old "worn out" whetstone, and why no one ever bothered to flatten them before. And their solution? Go to a flea marlet and buy an old stone? Nope, now we need to buy a $100 dished stone.

   I have some innovative whetstones SPECIALLY curved (gathering dust under my bench) FOR SALE!!! Only $98 with FREE SHIPPING!!! Supplies are unlimited so don't feel bad about getting more than one.

   Adam

1. 
   highfigh | Mar 10, 2006 06:48pm | #15

   If they're charging $100 for dished out stones now, I saw one last week that could be used as a prototype for a new model. Must have seen 50 years of hard time, used by a flooring guy to sharpen his knives.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

8. 
   Sean2112 | Mar 11, 2006 08:24am | #16

   Dont spend 100 bucks on a stone you can easily duplicate with a honing guide and some careful pressure points.  clamp your iron into a honing guide (I prefer the two offered by Veritas/Lee Valley) and imagine your blade with numbers 1 2 3 4 5 from left to right along the cutting edge. hone first with pressure at point 3, then point 2, followed by point 4, back across the iron to point 1, and finally point 5.  This will offer a fine crown and eliminate track marks in your work.