Thread: Differences in plane blades when sharpening

I suspect that the edge may be badly rounded over ("dubbed") and there is quite a bit of work to do to get to the stage of generating the 'wire'. I would use the grinder until you can generate the 'wire' or 'burr' and only move to the oilstone once that has developed across the whole blade to polish the bevel right at the tip (assuming that you now have a hollow grind on the bevel. In my experience, every blade will generate that burr, the quality of the steel just dictates how hard it is to get there and how long the edge will last.

Good luck.

By the way, a good magnifying glass or loupe can be a help - it's amazng how much more you can see - even rounding over becomes clearer with a good glass

Originally Posted by jmk89

By the way, a good magnifying glass or loupe can be a help - it's amazng how much more you can see - even rounding over becomes clearer with a good glass

I've been meaning to get one of those (loupe), where would one find one to purchase? I thought maybe a camera store.

Originally Posted by Mychael

I've been meaning to get one of those (loupe), where would one find one to purchase? I thought maybe a camera store.

eBay. A camera store will charge an arm and a leg; if you want a good one it may be as expensive as your first born

Probably rounded edge, easily checked by stoning the back. But Check to see whether the Stanley blade is one of those made in Tasmania by Titan with HSS laminated to the cutting end. If so, it will be harder than a usual blade, and will take more effort to sharpen, but should stay sharper longer. The lamination is easily seen.

Cheers
Peter

By "rounded edge" I assume all are meaning the back of the blade.

Rule #1 when sharpening is that the back of the blade gets flattened before the bevel face is ground. Sharpness occurs when two flat sides meet at a point. If the back is rounded, you cannot hone across the face of the bevel, and will never achieve a sharp edge.

So, either you flatten the back and grind the bevel until you are able to feel a wire edge (the wire edge informs you that the two sides are meeting), or you introduce a slight backbevel to flatten the rounded edge (called the "Ruler Trick").

Regards from Perth

Derek

By laminated, Peter means not a sandwich but a piece of diff. metal attached to the body.

That Stanley version is one of the best performing blades around acc. to Brent Beach's tests, and you've won the lottery if that's what you have.

... plus if the back at the edge is rounded over, a stone dished however slightly in the middle will often do this if you use it for flattening the back.

It is more likely that the back of a plane blade is rounded over because ...

1. The back was never flattened in the first plane, and
2. Is never lapped when sharpened.

As a result, a wear bevel forms on the back of the blade, and grows over time.

Wear occurs on both sides of the blade, not just the bevel face. Wear also occurs at the back of the blade behind the bevel. This is the wear bevel.

Regards from Perth

Derek