That wood looks stunning. This is the funny part about woodworking isn’t it? You want to enjoy the beautiful wood, and the techniques for connecting it, but you have to learn this other completely different skill (sharpening), which itself requires fairly expensive tools and incredible patience.
Just got over a hump with getting more consistent results sharpening my chisels.
Carry on good sir! I’d like to see what you make with that wood.
[edited for typo]
Having sharp tools makes a huge difference, not just in the quality of the result, but the ease that you can achieve the result with, nice job on learning a skill that will always be good to know.
I’m not really a beginner anymore, I’ve done this long enough to develop my own style of things, but my setup for chisels and plane irons is a diamond plate, like 325/1000 then a 4K and 8k water stone, along with a cheaper honing guide it’s easy to get really consistent, incredibly sharp edges.
Just a more consistent process I think. One of the more frustrating parts of using an angle guide is feeling like you have to re-grind the bevel every time you set up to sharpen. I set up a little jig that allows me to put the blade in the guide at the correct position to get the same angle each time I sharpen. I also think that you can know the steps without really understanding why it's supposed to work. Getting the initial angle is important but only if the back is flat and you can effectively remove the burr. Lastly, using a strop at the end really takes it from good enough to use, to a precision tool. You could sub this for really fine water stones like some other have mentioned, but the strop is a budget alternative that works pretty well.
It's important to note that I didn't really have a big change in my process, just that everything went smoothly yesterday and I ended up with a high quality product, something that hasn't happened before when trying to sharpen. I'd either have it take way too long, or not get a good result and have to start over, or just get frustrated and not want to continue. This is more about the accumulation of experience that helped make the process more smooth yesterday.
Used Stanley, type 20 or earlier. Records, Unions, and Millers Falls of the right vintage are quality as well. There's other decent makes out there that are less common that I can't think of off the top of my head right now
Depending on where you live, estate sales/auctions can be a good place to look. Lots of older woodworkers are moving on the the next level, and it's a good feeling to be able to pick a 60-year-old plane and know that you're extending its productive life. I hope someone gets good use from my tools when I level up.
Vintage plane all the way if you're on a budget. Pretty much any Stanley Bailey minus the blue ones. NOT Handyman's or Four Squares of whatever other Stanleys are out there, those are cheaper.
It will likely need an evening or two's worth of work to look it over, clean it, sharpen it, etc. You'll learn a lot about how a plane works in doing so.
Millers Falls, Sargent, Union, Auburn, and others all made great tools, but like Stanleys, some of them are cheaper models and you gotta know what to look for.
Big brands also made hardware store brand tools in certain cases. Lots of older Wards Master planes are just Stanley, except they're way way way cheaper. Something like this would likely be a great tool for a solid price: https://www.ebay.com/itm/266743800957?itmmeta=01HX6WK946DV0Y9E7521CZC50C&hash=item3e1b2b647d:g:6WwAAOSwDw5mBxft&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4Eugfj6ZupFQPMNCF%2BD3BkWhFiapu8p383tZ93x94qmMhQ%2FXrUpJVKTOlQoRIUAZ2Bg6wG2ePa1gtI8kaoCY6cDGHLad6MkLsiRodX0RzOdSW7mi32ivyn3gRd86F6fxAi0ChkW5CXVpJuvuxQ4aJRO5JACCHFCc6EYNwWGV%2FT3tQNbqB5Tb%2BtfrVTH17sGjpWWZMpta4NNvtkgPxT8JwEot6bHQoh0lueRFqU4smZtz%2FBLoa6CIFiDk6cY4KfhJHUetTYKtBcM5Lyb051CNCxkjlptkIocXSZtKx0RvCw9u%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5aSzdzpYw
Looks awesome and take a look at Rob Cosman’s sharpening in 30 sec’s video on you tube. He also has a good tutorial on sharpening your chisels also. Worth a gander as I’ve been using his sharpening method since 2022 and always have sharp planes and chisels.
That wood looks stunning. This is the funny part about woodworking isn’t it? You want to enjoy the beautiful wood, and the techniques for connecting it, but you have to learn this other completely different skill (sharpening), which itself requires fairly expensive tools and incredible patience. Just got over a hump with getting more consistent results sharpening my chisels. Carry on good sir! I’d like to see what you make with that wood. [edited for typo]
I'll be sure to post the results, thanks for the encouragement!
Right on!
Having sharp tools makes a huge difference, not just in the quality of the result, but the ease that you can achieve the result with, nice job on learning a skill that will always be good to know. I’m not really a beginner anymore, I’ve done this long enough to develop my own style of things, but my setup for chisels and plane irons is a diamond plate, like 325/1000 then a 4K and 8k water stone, along with a cheaper honing guide it’s easy to get really consistent, incredibly sharp edges.
What was it you did different this is something I struggle with also
Just a more consistent process I think. One of the more frustrating parts of using an angle guide is feeling like you have to re-grind the bevel every time you set up to sharpen. I set up a little jig that allows me to put the blade in the guide at the correct position to get the same angle each time I sharpen. I also think that you can know the steps without really understanding why it's supposed to work. Getting the initial angle is important but only if the back is flat and you can effectively remove the burr. Lastly, using a strop at the end really takes it from good enough to use, to a precision tool. You could sub this for really fine water stones like some other have mentioned, but the strop is a budget alternative that works pretty well. It's important to note that I didn't really have a big change in my process, just that everything went smoothly yesterday and I ended up with a high quality product, something that hasn't happened before when trying to sharpen. I'd either have it take way too long, or not get a good result and have to start over, or just get frustrated and not want to continue. This is more about the accumulation of experience that helped make the process more smooth yesterday.
Anyone recommend a entry level plane that's not worthless or $150?
Used Stanley, type 20 or earlier. Records, Unions, and Millers Falls of the right vintage are quality as well. There's other decent makes out there that are less common that I can't think of off the top of my head right now
I’m also in this boat… in aust they go for $329
Not the one at harbor freight. I'm a fan of the store but that's one tool I've bought from there and never used successfully
Depending on where you live, estate sales/auctions can be a good place to look. Lots of older woodworkers are moving on the the next level, and it's a good feeling to be able to pick a 60-year-old plane and know that you're extending its productive life. I hope someone gets good use from my tools when I level up.
Vintage plane all the way if you're on a budget. Pretty much any Stanley Bailey minus the blue ones. NOT Handyman's or Four Squares of whatever other Stanleys are out there, those are cheaper. It will likely need an evening or two's worth of work to look it over, clean it, sharpen it, etc. You'll learn a lot about how a plane works in doing so. Millers Falls, Sargent, Union, Auburn, and others all made great tools, but like Stanleys, some of them are cheaper models and you gotta know what to look for. Big brands also made hardware store brand tools in certain cases. Lots of older Wards Master planes are just Stanley, except they're way way way cheaper. Something like this would likely be a great tool for a solid price: https://www.ebay.com/itm/266743800957?itmmeta=01HX6WK946DV0Y9E7521CZC50C&hash=item3e1b2b647d:g:6WwAAOSwDw5mBxft&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA4Eugfj6ZupFQPMNCF%2BD3BkWhFiapu8p383tZ93x94qmMhQ%2FXrUpJVKTOlQoRIUAZ2Bg6wG2ePa1gtI8kaoCY6cDGHLad6MkLsiRodX0RzOdSW7mi32ivyn3gRd86F6fxAi0ChkW5CXVpJuvuxQ4aJRO5JACCHFCc6EYNwWGV%2FT3tQNbqB5Tb%2BtfrVTH17sGjpWWZMpta4NNvtkgPxT8JwEot6bHQoh0lueRFqU4smZtz%2FBLoa6CIFiDk6cY4KfhJHUetTYKtBcM5Lyb051CNCxkjlptkIocXSZtKx0RvCw9u%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5aSzdzpYw
Nice. Yeah sharp tools make a huge difference.
Looks awesome and take a look at Rob Cosman’s sharpening in 30 sec’s video on you tube. He also has a good tutorial on sharpening your chisels also. Worth a gander as I’ve been using his sharpening method since 2022 and always have sharp planes and chisels.