I’ve been lapping the sole of an old #8 on my belt sander. As far as I can tell I have it absolutly flat from front to back. The problem is that there are a couple of areas on the left and right edges of the sole as I sight down the length that are .001 low. These 3 0r 4 areas extend in from the edge about 1/2 to 3/4s of an inch and maybe go on for an inch or so. I am reluctant to continue on the belt sander for fear of making things worse. My Question is, will the low spots effect the ability of the plane to work as it should? I’m hoping that the overall flatness of the sole will offset the .001 areas. Any thoughts or opinions are welcome. Thanks, Dave
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Replies
dave,
you got that big-ass no.8 flat-with a belt sander?!?. as in portable? i am not too shabby using those things, but i doubt that i could do it.
it was a stationary sander-huh?
eef
I defenetely was using a stationary sander.
The quick answer to your question is no. The main areas of the sole of a plane that need to be perfectly flat are; the front of the bed, the back of the bed, the front and back of the mouth. If there are low spots in between it's fine. In fact, Japanese planes are intentionally scalloped in the front to reduce friction. Sharpen the blade and put it to use!
thank you for your response, I have a few more steps to "Tune Up" the plane and sharpen the blade. I'll post my results
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