Sharpening Stanley 98/99

[MarcelLaurin]

Got a pair of used Stanly 98/99 and would like to use them. The problem is that the blades needs to be sharpened and there was not instructions with them. Can't find any informations on how to sharpen them specially with the different angles.

would appreciate it if someone could help out.

thank you in advance.

Marcel

[derekcohen]

Hi Marcel

Welcome to the world of Oz. Don't be frightened of the natives here - their humor is worse than their bite.:)

Yes, I can help with the Stanley #98/99 (side rabbets planes, if the rabble here want to know) - well done, by the way. they are not easy to get hold of. I am waiting on a birthday present delivery of a LN #98/99 set.

Until now I have used a Stanley #79, but the principle is exactly the same.

You can either do this freehand (:eek: ) or build a template to use in a honing guide. I have written an article on doing this, especially with the LV Honing Guide Mk II in mind, but is can be adapted to other guides.

Go to Advanced Angles on the Lee Valley Honing Guide Mk II (http://www.woodcentral.com/cgi-bin/readarticle.pl?dir=handtools&file=articles_566.shtml)

Incidentally, since they are in your neck of the woods, I have tested a very nice pre-production skew blade accessory for the LV Honing Guide Mk II for Lee Valley, and this will really be worth buying when it comes out (I have no idea as to the release date).

Regards from Perth

Derek

[MarcelLaurin]

Thank you Derek for the information and excellent article, easy to follow. My only concern is to determine the angles since those blades have compound angles. Other than the skew angle the blade itself is tilted for the "main" bevel and the second bevel also has a compound angle.

I could not find any information on the different angles to use.

I also own a skew block plane which does not have this compound angle and it is a lot easier to work with.

Maybe this is why someone told me that instead of sharpening them to only buy new ones. But it seems a waste of good blades and money....

thanks again for the information.

Regards,
Marcel

[derekcohen]

My only concern is to determine the angles since those blades have compound angles.

Hi Marcel

I have both the #79 (essentially the same as the #98/99) and the #140. The blades are honed on the skew, but the bevels end up being "normal", that is, they do not have compound angles.

I think that you are attempting to replicate what you found from a previous owners freehand honing of the 98/99 bevels. He or she mangled the bevels slightly. The bevels should be straight.

If you can, post a picture or two here, and I will confirm this.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Greg Q]

FWIW, I have a pair of those planes, and the LN version as well. The main bevel is as you have already discussed. The bottom bevel is merely a relief so that the corner does not dig into the work. I think any angle is OK here, just grind away enough of the bottom corner to provide clearance. That part of the blade does no work in the trench anyway.

On the L-Ns the factory bevel is more pronounced, but these two blades work identically as presented below:

[Greg Q]

Here are the pics:

[MarcelLaurin]

Derek, Gregory, thanks for the information. The blades in the 98/99 are like the blade at the bottom of the picture but a bit more "old/rustic".

From what I can see for the top blade in the picture (looks new) is that the second bevel (relief) is only there to produce a relief of the very tip of the blade.

I will use Derek method with the Mark II and choose a small relief angle.

again, thanks for all the info.

[Greg Q]

Bonjour Marcel...

The top blade is from the L-N, the bottom from the Stanley.

When I got the 98/99 set, the I honed the blade and got to work-of course the blade kept digging into the bottom of the dado as well as the side. Without any guidance, I set the blade to take the cut that I wanted and then scored a line with a carbide awl on the back of the blade to flush it with the bottom of the plane's body. Then I simply ground it away to the line with an eye-pleasing bevel.

I have not read anything that indicates this bevel is supposed to provide any cutting action.

Bon chance

greg

[MikeW]

Being late to this discussion, you did what was the right way to restablish both the main bevel and the relief along the bottom.

And you are corrrect, the bottom is not used to cut per se.

Good job!

Take care, Mike