Replies

1. 
   kcmac | Sep 30, 2005 03:41am | #1

   Suggest you find a local machine shop with a surface grinder that can quickly flatten the 18" jointer... should not take 20 minutes including setup.

2. 
   jazzdogg | Sep 30, 2005 04:29am | #2

   Hi Greg,

   How big (long) is the piece of glass you're using?
   What grit of abrasive are you using?
   Are you working dry or lubricating? If lubricating, with what?

   I typically work dry, frequently clearing the abrasive with a stiff brush, or a vacuum cleaner with brush attachment, to remove the swarf.

   Make sure you have the blade and chipbreaker installed and properly tensioned (with the blade retracted), and take nice long strokes. If you use machinist's bluing (or a magic marker) you will be able to see exactly where you've made progress.

   It's only critical that the sole of your plane be truly flat immediately in front of the mouth.

   Would it help to sing sea chanties while you work?

    

   -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

1. 
   GregV | Sep 30, 2005 04:21pm | #3

   I started out with 220g laid out on a 15 inch square 3/8" thick plate glass.  Without much success with that I switched to 150g.  I drench the half-sheet in water before placing on the glass.  With the short life span of the sandpaper I thought using one of the 11" diamond plate would do me a little better.  Does the paper last longer using it dry?  KCMAC's suggestion of getting it flattened at a maching shop might make a little shorter work of it tho.  I had forgotten about making sure that I had the blade and chipbreaker in while flattening.  Thanks...  and thanks KCMAC for the replies...gva...

1. 
   jazzdogg | Sep 30, 2005 05:18pm | #5

   ProWoodworker got it right.

   Even an eleven inch diamond stone is far too small to use when flattening the sole of all but the smallest hand planes; you'd end up taking very short, and likely very irregular, strokes and getting the sole flat would be challenging.

   If you decide to take your plane to a machine shop, the frog, blade and chipbreaker should be properly installed and tensioned. If you have any plans to use this plane with a shooting board, make sure to let the machinist know the importance of having the sole of your plane flat and at right angles to its sides.

   Good luck,

    -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

1. 
   CharlieStanford | Sep 30, 2005 05:44pm | #6

   I think the guys is considering buying a diamond lapping plate but that would be ridiculous.

   Of course, the 60 grit on glass or granite will do the job.

   No really good alternative on the No. 7 except to lap on glass with loose grit due to the length of the plane.

   My No. 7 is not perfectly flat but it planes fine.  Boards jointed with it fit fine for glueups.  Saved me the heartache of lapping something so large.  I would buy L-N before I indulged in the kind of time and work it would take to lap a No. 7 "bargain" flat.

   Edited 9/30/2005 11:36 am ET by ProWoodworker

1. 
   Jimma | Sep 30, 2005 06:45pm | #7

   There is one other alternative, in my opinion, and that is to get a roll or two of pressure sensitive abrasive (from Klinspor or someplace) and stick it on the outfeed table of a jointer or on a table saw and grind away. Same idea as above, but more practical and you don't have so much waste of the abrasive as compared with sheets. Then, don't forget to take it off before ya plane something!

2. 
   CharlieStanford | Sep 30, 2005 06:57pm | #8

   Yep, that'll work.  But, if I had a power jointer I doubt I'd sweat if my No. 7 was a little out of flat.  Why bother?

   Loose grit is pretty fast since it is not, by definition, adhered to a paper backing - you don't have the loading problem.

    

    

   Edited 9/30/2005 11:58 am ET by ProWoodworker

3. 
   Jimma | Sep 30, 2005 10:18pm | #9

   Lots of times I just get out my #7 and #4 1/2 just to knock off a little something without getting my jointer hooked up to the dust control, or maybe to take the twist out of a board that's wider than my jointer. I dunno -- sometimes I just like to see what a new piece of wood feels like. Keeps my hand skills updated. But you're right, never had to mess with the bottom of my LN.

3. 
   CharlieStanford | Sep 30, 2005 04:34pm | #4

   220 grit?  Man, you will never get finished.

   Get some Norton 3X paper in 60 grit and blow off the finings frequently (don't breath the dust).  The paper is clogging with steel.  The grit will still be there.  You'll still have to use several sheets so buy a few packages of the stuff.  220 to 400 grit will be what you want to use to polish the bottoms after they are flattened with the 60 grit.  Don't let the scratches from the 60 grit freak you out. 

   Silicon Carbide powder plus mineral oil on a large sheet of glass will get you there too.  This is Garrett Hack's method as detailed in his writings and will definitely work.  I think he uses kerosene.  Lamp oil would work too.

   I would also use both of these planes and if they can take a blade-width clean shaving then I wouldn't worry about flattening them at all. 

    

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   Edited 9/30/2005 9:36 am ET by ProWoodworker

   
   

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   Edited 9/30/2005 10:40 am ET by ProWoodworker