Occasionally, we find ourselves blindly following a rule while forgetting the reason for it. “Always lay a hand plane on its side” is one of those. Taken at face value, it leads the novice to think that there must be something harmful about a benchtop that will dull the plane iron if you allow the two to come in contact. If you think this through, this is plainly not the case. A wooden benchtop will do no more harm to a cutting edge than the boards you’re planing. And in some circumstances, laying a plane on its side actually exposes the cutting edge to possible damage - it would be better to rest the plane on its sole to protect it from the activity going on around it. This doesn’t mean the rule is useless, just poorly phrased. The intention behind it is right on the money - we should do what we can to protect cutting edges when they are not in use. Reflexively laying a plane on its side doesn’t always get it. You need to consider the circumstances and choose a course of action that best protects the tool. What material is your worksurface? What is going on around it? Oftentimes this means either putting the plane back where it belongs, putting something under it, or arranging a clear area in your workspace where you can safely keep your tools at ready. And I’m sorry if that last bit sounds a little too much like your mom nagging you to clean up your room, but if the shoe fits…pick it up and put it away.
There is a joke where I live that illustrates this: A young couple was preparing a meal together when the young man noticed the girl cut the ends of the sausages before putting them in the pan, he found this a bit sinister, so he asked her why and she told him her mom always did that. So next time they visited mom they asked why she did that and she said grandma taught her this way. So they went to ask grandma and she said her mom used to do this. So they visited this frail old hardhearing lady in the home and asked her why she cut the ends of the sausages. Surprised she exclaimed: "ARE YOU STILL USING THAT SMALL PAN WE GOT DURING THE WAR?!!"
Pretty good advice to appease Mom when she's nagging as well. Not a woodworker, more of a mechanic but love watching your channel as a lot of shop advice transcends to other activities 😊
I remember being taught to lay tools on their sides by my woodworking teacher back in the eighties. I used to take care of them but many of my fellow (13 or so year old) students were rough as hell with them I guess he wanted to save the tools and benches a little damage.
Someone taught me to lay it over perhaps 45 years ago and I still do it to this day, despite a little voice that always asks, "Why do you bother?". Amazing how force of habit can win over logic.
Here's the real reason as explained to me by my master carpenter grandfather 30+ yrs ago. The cutting edge of plane protrudes below face, setting it on face can bend/flatten cutting edge then it doesn't cut.
In England with the wet weather if you don’t have a dry enough environment and you leave you plane on its face your likely to be cleaning the corrosion off of it the next time you use it
This is very true, even here in the States. I left a plane standing on a bench overnight. When I went to pick it up, it was rusted on the bottom. I had never experienced this before.
Thanks for addressing my concerns from your last video . I was taught to do this by my 70+ year old wood shop teacher 45years ago. If he saw you putting it down on the blade he would make you pick it up and put it down properly 25 times to reinforce the habit. I think i will continue to follow his teachings . I still don't think it's ridiculous .
P.s. you should watch a Japanese kanna competition they treat their planes with respect. Why are you so defensive ? I've always thought it everyone can teach you something.
This guy works in a nice clean shop. If he ever worked on a building site he would soon learn that discarded nails and small bits of metal are everywhere.
@@Gadgetman64 Building site woodworkers were always much more careful with their bladed tools, planes chisels and especially saws, than their factory based colleagues because it was impossible to sharpen on site. I say were because they don't seem to use hand tools anymore. The only time my father clipped my ear was because I had borrowed his Disten saw without permission.
I would say an issue is the plane cutting into the bench. There is also a big difference with how the cutting edge interacts with the bench between these different tools. Having a plane face down presses the cutting edge into the bench. That would be equivalent to sitting the teeth of a saw into the bench, or standing a chisel upright.
It’s not just about the plane, it’s about your bench as well. We try to look after our bench as much as our tools, it’s just good practice not to dump edge tools on your bench.
At school I once saw a few kids putting nails into the benches because they were bored. Upon closer inspection, many of the other benches had similar damage. Putting the plane on its side protects it from other school shop students being idiots.
I agree about resting a plane on it's sole and I have never heard a competent instructor repeat that old saw about laying a plane on it's side. Also, it is always 😊pleasant to see your shop dog watching you with rapt attention. Have a blessed New Year.
The reason to lay a planar on the side, is so habit of placing on side prevents laying it on tools during heavy work. He uses the origins to conclude you should simply keep your shop clean
This channel has inspired me to get into woodworking again. I had a back blast on a table saw a year ago while i was learning, and got seriously injured in my lower abdomen. But watching this channel really makes me want to gather my nerves and get back to it.
I think your half right, it started in schools but not with wood working teachers. It started with accountants who got sick of having to spend money to repair the tables when students would scrape the snot out of them with their tools.
I was lucky to have both a woodworking teacher and a stepfather with a wood shop that both understood this and taught me. The understanding of this has helped me in so many different aspects of my life.
I've always assumed that this rule comes from protecting whatever your working on from your plane, so that any accidental knocks or bumps don't take a knick out of what ever it is your working on. I admit I came to this conclusion myself though after doing just that!
Also if your bench is dirty, say with sand, dirt, abrasives from sharpening on the bench, file shavings, etc, those can also dull plane irons. I honestly dont even put my planes on the bench, to avoid clutter. I put them in their own special spot.
Not everyone uses a plane in a workshop. I was taught side my plane, because on site, there aren't always safe places to put it on it's sole. It's as easy to lay it on it's side, as is to lay it down any other way. Personally; I prefer always safe to mostly safe for the edge on any of my tools.
I'll also add that some workshops in schools and such end up having metal tables (since they're shared with other types of classes and such), and in that case laying your plane on its side is a must
If it's a worn old dirty benchtop, I'm protecting the blade not from the wood worktop itself, but from the dirt/sand/grit that is embedded in it. OR, equally important, if the bench-top is really grimy, I'm protecting my NEXT workpiece from any greasy dirt that may be transferred by the sole of the plane. If it's a pristine workbench, then I'm not really protecting the plane. I'm protecting the worktop from little divots left by the blade trying to plane the workbench every time it gets bumped or moved. So in both cases, my habit is to set planes down on their sides. Unless there's a convenient piece of leather, cardboard, wood scrap or whatever else to set it on. If the sideways exposed blade is at risk of getting dinged by other tools or metal parts laying around, THAT'S when some organizing/de-clutter/cleanup needs to happen immediately, instead of waiting 'til the end of the workday.
If you ask me, it's so that a plane can be laid aside without having to look at where you're laying it so as to not lay it on a nail or screw or other metallic object that may be on the bench without your knowledge. It's why I do it, anyway.
I usually leave them sole down with the nose on a “pillow” of shavings I just took off. It keeps the benchtop from bumping the blade and changing the adjust as I set it down.
I use wood and metal and dirt in my shop (gardening, repotting), I dont want to ding my tools with dirt or metal shards. I try to clean, but it's never perfect.
I was always told it was to protect the bench surface and to stop and metal pieces in surfaces from dinging the blade. I will always lay it sideways as face down makes no sense to me while I work on something
Did you see the reaction of the dog when you laid the plane flat on the bench? That says it all! ALWAYS...........lay............the...........plane.........on......... it's.........S. I D E........!!!!!!!!!! WOOF!
I’ll be honest, the only time in the past twenty five years I heard about laying planes on their sides came from people saying you don’t have to do it.
I see the foreman came in at the end of the short to make sure you cleaned up. Good job, he deserves a treat and a few belly rubs for being such a good manager.
I remember my first day in woodworking at the age of 11. Across the top of the board at the front of the class were the words: Accidents don’t happen, they are caused. And when I picked up a plane and put it down on its base the teacher admonished me. At least I learned one lesson! 🌞
I know one thing is too lightly. Let it sit on top of the counter, but what if you bump it and it digs into the counter I’d rather just leave it on its side like it’s supposed to.
I had a plane lying on its side and a guy picked it up and told me everything he learned on the internet about how I didn't need to do that. Love people
We don’t use the term “shop” here in Australia but yes as a shop teacher the ability of my students to seemingly have enough tools on their benches for three classes is mind blowing.
I was literally forbidden by Mr Cresmit (the man who taught me to do woodwork) to leave enough clutter around my stuff to damage things. “If your workplace is so disorganized then why should I trust you’re organized enough to use the big machines” was his answer
Sir, those are probably one of the best hand tools I have ever seen.. that hand drill and especially that wide hand chisel, my generation doesn't have access to stuff like that.. a wide good quality chisel like that with that kind of quality steel is around 300$ Nice tools!
When you lay a chisel on the bench, the blade is not pushing against the benchtop. The saw is on its side and the cutting edge is only contacting the bench at a point. The plane has that precious edge pushing against the bench all the way across width of the blade. Seems reasonable to lay it on its side regardless of how hard you think the blade is.
It's not that work bench "dulls" the iron, plopping it on flat surface (that you aren't cutting) can A: flatten/bend cutting edge B: push iron up so you lose depth of cut C: nick blade if you accidentally set it on something. This is how my master carpenter grandfather explained it to me 30+ yrs ago.
laying it cutting edge down will add more wear to the edge, but its a negligible amount. The argument 'if it could damage it, how could you cut it with the plane?" doesnt really work, you need to resharpen your edge if you use it enough, thats the wood slowly wearing the edge away. But sitting the plane down with the cutting edge down will add a small amount of wer, because wood is hard enough to dull steel over time but with no force behind it, its such a tiny amount compared to actually using the plane as to not be worth remembering. i do agree people who have this idea you cant lay it edge down likely came from people wanting to stop people laying their planes onto metal, but its simply ubtrue that wood cant wear steel. we wouldn't need to resharpen tools used on wood if it didnt
Not true, you can still damage your cutting edge on bench clutter even if you lay the plane on it side. The true reason is very simple, this “rule” goes back to when all planes where wooden and their irons held in place with a wedge, placing your plane down hard on it sole can dislodge the wedge forcing you to reset your plane , place it on its side and this is far less likely to happen.
Stated matter-of-factly but never measured :) If wedge is dislodged so easily then it's too easily dislodged while planing as well, a barely usable tool
I didn't understand your explanation until I saw you lay the plane sideways ON TOP of screws. The thought didn't even cross my mind to not lay it on a flat surface, flat or sideways 😂
Occasionally, we find ourselves blindly following a rule while forgetting the reason for it. “Always lay a hand plane on its side” is one of those. Taken at face value, it leads the novice to think that there must be something harmful about a benchtop that will dull the plane iron if you allow the two to come in contact.
If you think this through, this is plainly not the case. A wooden benchtop will do no more harm to a cutting edge than the boards you’re planing. And in some circumstances, laying a plane on its side actually exposes the cutting edge to possible damage - it would be better to rest the plane on its sole to protect it from the activity going on around it.
This doesn’t mean the rule is useless, just poorly phrased. The intention behind it is right on the money - we should do what we can to protect cutting edges when they are not in use. Reflexively laying a plane on its side doesn’t always get it. You need to consider the circumstances and choose a course of action that best protects the tool. What material is your worksurface? What is going on around it? Oftentimes this means either putting the plane back where it belongs, putting something under it, or arranging a clear area in your workspace where you can safely keep your tools at ready.
And I’m sorry if that last bit sounds a little too much like your mom nagging you to clean up your room, but if the shoe fits…pick it up and put it away.
There is a joke where I live that illustrates this:
A young couple was preparing a meal together when the young man noticed the girl cut the ends of the sausages before putting them in the pan, he found this a bit sinister, so he asked her why and she told him her mom always did that. So next time they visited mom they asked why she did that and she said grandma taught her this way. So they went to ask grandma and she said her mom used to do this. So they visited this frail old hardhearing lady in the home and asked her why she cut the ends of the sausages. Surprised she exclaimed: "ARE YOU STILL USING THAT SMALL PAN WE GOT DURING THE WAR?!!"
Pretty good advice to appease Mom when she's nagging as well.
Not a woodworker, more of a mechanic but love watching your channel as a lot of shop advice transcends to other activities 😊
I choose number 1
Maybe it’s to protect the bench top from damage by the plane 🤷
I remember being taught to lay tools on their sides by my woodworking teacher back in the eighties. I used to take care of them but many of my fellow (13 or so year old) students were rough as hell with them I guess he wanted to save the tools and benches a little damage.
Laying a plane on its side is bad advice for pilots as well.
I laughed way too hard at this. Snorted too. 😊❤
😂😂
Is that you grandpa?
Depends on what the plane is being used for
thankyou i needed that
Love how attentive the dog is! And great info as always!
That dig knows more about woodworking than any of us lol
Yes the dog is the real brains behind the operation
@@loganmartin1682
He's actually controlling the old guy with an R/C remote lol
I wish my grand kids were as well behaved as your shop dog.
@@treecooper8557I think the dog approves of his workspace.
I am an older person who in their youth loved woodworking. Your videos have revived my love of the craft and inspired me to take it up again.
that's awesome!! have fun!❤
Someone taught me to lay it over perhaps 45 years ago and I still do it to this day, despite a little voice that always asks, "Why do you bother?". Amazing how force of habit can win over logic.
Still deeply entrenched in cooking, particularly steak.
Here's the real reason as explained to me by my master carpenter grandfather 30+ yrs ago. The cutting edge of plane protrudes below face, setting it on face can bend/flatten cutting edge then it doesn't cut.
It also ensures you don't accidentally set it down on something, damaging the plane blade...
In England with the wet weather if you don’t have a dry enough environment and you leave you plane on its face your likely to be cleaning the corrosion off of it the next time you use it
th-cam.com/users/shortsYtpRaK3AW7Q
😂😂😂
This is very true, even here in the States. I left a plane standing on a bench overnight. When I went to pick it up, it was rusted on the bottom.
I had never experienced this before.
Came here to say this. Kansas is a lot dryer then England but still get rust spots overnight if you forget to turn it up\oil it.
I simply love this channel. I can watch woodworker Heimerdinger for hours without being bored or tired.
I don't know why I watch these. I'll never do wood working, but there is just something about these videos that get me.
From what I understand it's less about damaging the iron and more about slightly bumping the iron out of adjustment
Thanks for addressing my concerns from your last video . I was taught to do this by my 70+ year old wood shop teacher 45years ago. If he saw you putting it down on the blade he would make you pick it up and put it down properly 25 times to reinforce the habit. I think i will continue to follow his teachings . I still don't think it's ridiculous .
P.s. you should watch a Japanese kanna competition they treat their planes with respect. Why are you so defensive ? I've always thought it everyone can teach you something.
This guy works in a nice clean shop. If he ever worked on a building site he would soon learn that discarded nails and small bits of metal are everywhere.
@@gordonwood1594 thanks he really hit a sore spot when he said it was ridiculous
@@Gadgetman64 Building site woodworkers were always much more careful with their bladed tools, planes chisels and especially saws, than their factory based colleagues because it was impossible to sharpen on site. I say were because they don't seem to use hand tools anymore. The only time my father clipped my ear was because I had borrowed his Disten saw without permission.
@gordonwood1594 yeah had a rookie partner who used my new Sandvik saw to cut drywall. Thanks
I would say an issue is the plane cutting into the bench.
There is also a big difference with how the cutting edge interacts with the bench between these different tools. Having a plane face down presses the cutting edge into the bench. That would be equivalent to sitting the teeth of a saw into the bench, or standing a chisel upright.
It’s not just about the plane, it’s about your bench as well. We try to look after our bench as much as our tools, it’s just good practice not to dump edge tools on your bench.
At school I once saw a few kids putting nails into the benches because they were bored. Upon closer inspection, many of the other benches had similar damage. Putting the plane on its side protects it from other school shop students being idiots.
Very impressive how you're able to focus and get work done when bella is there ❤️
I agree about resting a plane on it's sole and I have never heard a competent instructor repeat that old saw about laying a plane on it's side. Also, it is always 😊pleasant to see your shop dog watching you with rapt attention. Have a blessed New Year.
Same to you and yours.
The reason to lay a planar on the side, is so habit of placing on side prevents laying it on tools during heavy work. He uses the origins to conclude you should simply keep your shop clean
This channel has inspired me to get into woodworking again.
I had a back blast on a table saw a year ago while i was learning, and got seriously injured in my lower abdomen. But watching this channel really makes me want to gather my nerves and get back to it.
I love all of these videos.
Receiving a sensible explanation is an actual emotion ❤
I think your half right, it started in schools but not with wood working teachers. It started with accountants who got sick of having to spend money to repair the tables when students would scrape the snot out of them with their tools.
I would have thought it would protect the table from unintended gouges.
I was lucky to have both a woodworking teacher and a stepfather with a wood shop that both understood this and taught me. The understanding of this has helped me in so many different aspects of my life.
I've always assumed that this rule comes from protecting whatever your working on from your plane, so that any accidental knocks or bumps don't take a knick out of what ever it is your working on. I admit I came to this conclusion myself though after doing just that!
I was always taught that you lay your plane on the side to protect you work surface from erroneous gouges.
Absolutely love when your dog pops into frame. Goes to show that everyone can appreciate a great teacher, no matter how much fur you're covered in!
Great guy to learn from, love the dog. Happy new year from Scotland
Same to you from Ohio.
Also if your bench is dirty, say with sand, dirt, abrasives from sharpening on the bench, file shavings, etc, those can also dull plane irons.
I honestly dont even put my planes on the bench, to avoid clutter. I put them in their own special spot.
Not everyone uses a plane in a workshop. I was taught side my plane, because on site, there aren't always safe places to put it on it's sole. It's as easy to lay it on it's side, as is to lay it down any other way. Personally; I prefer always safe to mostly safe for the edge on any of my tools.
It is also important if you set tools on other surfaces like the top of a table saw
I always thought it was because shop teachers didn’t want students accidentally planing the workbench.
I'll also add that some workshops in schools and such end up having metal tables (since they're shared with other types of classes and such), and in that case laying your plane on its side is a must
See pinned comment.
If it's a worn old dirty benchtop, I'm protecting the blade not from the wood worktop itself, but from the dirt/sand/grit that is embedded in it. OR, equally important, if the bench-top is really grimy, I'm protecting my NEXT workpiece from any greasy dirt that may be transferred by the sole of the plane.
If it's a pristine workbench, then I'm not really protecting the plane. I'm protecting the worktop from little divots left by the blade trying to plane the workbench every time it gets bumped or moved.
So in both cases, my habit is to set planes down on their sides. Unless there's a convenient piece of leather, cardboard, wood scrap or whatever else to set it on. If the sideways exposed blade is at risk of getting dinged by other tools or metal parts laying around, THAT'S when some organizing/de-clutter/cleanup needs to happen immediately, instead of waiting 'til the end of the workday.
+ was looking for this explanation. I don’t think it’s an “always” but there’s sensible reasons why it’s a habit many people pick up.
@boatrat I sure didn't mean to start this whole controversy but I agree with you
It also protects the smooth work surface from the sharp edge.
If you ask me, it's so that a plane can be laid aside without having to look at where you're laying it so as to not lay it on a nail or screw or other metallic object that may be on the bench without your knowledge. It's why I do it, anyway.
Me too!
I always thought it was to protect the benchtop from the cutting edge
Organise my workspace? NEVER, sir, never!
Lol,as the kids say
Great advice! Your dog is absolutely gorgeous too! Kind regards from the UK 🇬🇧
the wood work bench is a used dirty surface. it can have small bits of metal, dirt and rocks in it that will chip and dull the edge.
👍
I really needed this video today. Thank you, happy new year 🎉🎉🎉
Back at ya.
Organization is the most effective tool in your toolbox.
I appreciate you bringing in your supervisor.
I usually leave them sole down with the nose on a “pillow” of shavings I just took off. It keeps the benchtop from bumping the blade and changing the adjust as I set it down.
The Professor always talks so much sense……love it
Grande maestro. Chiaro, conciso, semplicemente.. bravo!!!
I use wood and metal and dirt in my shop (gardening, repotting), I dont want to ding my tools with dirt or metal shards. I try to clean, but it's never perfect.
Well, thank you, Nick. I don't like bumping a sharp plane on its side. I've found it's way too easy to get bloody knuckles 😅
I was always told it was to protect the bench surface and to stop and metal pieces in surfaces from dinging the blade. I will always lay it sideways as face down makes no sense to me while I work on something
Did you see the reaction of the dog when you laid the plane flat on the bench?
That says it all!
ALWAYS...........lay............the...........plane.........on......... it's.........S. I D E........!!!!!!!!!!
WOOF!
I’ll be honest, the only time in the past twenty five years I heard about laying planes on their sides came from people saying you don’t have to do it.
I absolutely love your insightful advice and videos sir.
I have no interest in woodworking just uet, but the way you talk and explain is so relaxing!
I see the foreman came in at the end of the short to make sure you cleaned up. Good job, he deserves a treat and a few belly rubs for being such a good manager.
I always assumed it was to protect the workbench underneath, or piece you’re working on
I remember my first day in woodworking at the age of 11. Across the top of the board at the front of the class were the words: Accidents don’t happen, they are caused. And when I picked up a plane and put it down on its base the teacher admonished me. At least I learned one lesson! 🌞
I love this guy. I could watch him all day
You brought back memories from my woodshop class in 7th grade ❤
Doggo is an attentive student!
I always figured it was more to do with not tapping/knocking the blade out of adjustment. Very interesting!
I know one thing is too lightly. Let it sit on top of the counter, but what if you bump it and it digs into the counter I’d rather just leave it on its side like it’s supposed to.
I'm making a list of all the tools I want by watching your videos.😊❤
I’ve never thought of it that way but it makes so much sense
I love finding out that old “rules” came from pure laziness and nobody ever questioned it for decades or centuries
"Instead of a rule you have a choice" is the motto I've lived by. If rules and laws were set in stone we wouldn't have to make them😂
I just dont want to mark up my bench, and of course Ive been classically conditioned.
Me too!
I had a plane lying on its side and a guy picked it up and told me everything he learned on the internet about how I didn't need to do that. Love people
I assume you put it back down on its side I hope
We don’t use the term “shop” here in Australia but yes as a shop teacher the ability of my students to seemingly have enough tools on their benches for three classes is mind blowing.
I’m protecting my clutter from the blade 😂
We need to protect this guy at all cost.
I was literally forbidden by Mr Cresmit (the man who taught me to do woodwork) to leave enough clutter around my stuff to damage things. “If your workplace is so disorganized then why should I trust you’re organized enough to use the big machines” was his answer
Sir, those are probably one of the best hand tools I have ever seen.. that hand drill and especially that wide hand chisel, my generation doesn't have access to stuff like that.. a wide good quality chisel like that with that kind of quality steel is around 300$ Nice tools!
If you have a local habitat for humanity restore you can usually get a great deal on older used tools .
When you lay a chisel on the bench, the blade is not pushing against the benchtop. The saw is on its side and the cutting edge is only contacting the bench at a point. The plane has that precious edge pushing against the bench all the way across width of the blade. Seems reasonable to lay it on its side regardless of how hard you think the blade is.
Thanks, I started all this by mentioning this on his last video. I agree with your using the word
Precious
I always assumed it was to protect the work bench from the edge. And the surface being work from accidentally gouging
Woodwork teachers want to preserve their pristine work benches.
The reason I always knew was incase there was a screw or nail in your Workbench that the cutting edge could hit if pushed out of the way
put the cutting edge down will damage your workbench. That's the reason why I lay it on the side towards the wall
Only if you push it. If you have a habit of accidentally pushing things then maybe place your plane somewhere else.
I feel like the rule would be more about protecting the bench from the plane rather than the other way around.
It seems like the blade would be more prone to getting knocked by debris if it were exposed than if it were safely tucked away under the plane.
Woodworking advice? Sure. But, this guy is now our collective uncle giving life advice
I was taught to lay on side NOT to protect the cutting edge, but to protect the alignment of plane iron
I want to think it also keeps you from damaging the work surface if you accidentally push or knock it.
I work with metal and car parts and such so I lay it sideways to avoid shavings and things I don't notice that are embedded in the bench top
It's also because some benches have nails or screws flush with top surface, not bellow surface.
I always assumed it was to protect the benchtop from the plane, not the other way around
That's justice good life advice. Reduce clutter so you can move free
I wish I could have learned in your shop sir
Those that can...do. Those that can't...teach. try watching. The woodwrights shop on PBS
It's not that work bench "dulls" the iron, plopping it on flat surface (that you aren't cutting) can A: flatten/bend cutting edge B: push iron up so you lose depth of cut C: nick blade if you accidentally set it on something. This is how my master carpenter grandfather explained it to me 30+ yrs ago.
Everything you said is true ! All the reasons my woodshop teacher told us
laying it cutting edge down will add more wear to the edge, but its a negligible amount.
The argument 'if it could damage it, how could you cut it with the plane?" doesnt really work, you need to resharpen your edge if you use it enough, thats the wood slowly wearing the edge away. But sitting the plane down with the cutting edge down will add a small amount of wer, because wood is hard enough to dull steel over time
but with no force behind it, its such a tiny amount compared to actually using the plane as to not be worth remembering.
i do agree people who have this idea you cant lay it edge down likely came from people wanting to stop people laying their planes onto metal, but its simply ubtrue that wood cant wear steel. we wouldn't need to resharpen tools used on wood if it didnt
I always thought it was to prevent the workbench surface from the plane.
I always took it more as to protect your bench from the tool than the other way around
Not true, you can still damage your cutting edge on bench clutter even if you lay the plane on it side. The true reason is very simple, this “rule” goes back to when all planes where wooden and their irons held in place with a wedge, placing your plane down hard on it sole can dislodge the wedge forcing you to reset your plane , place it on its side and this is far less likely to happen.
Stated matter-of-factly but never measured :) If wedge is dislodged so easily then it's too easily dislodged while planing as well, a barely usable tool
I would much rather accept the dirty workbench (hard dirt particles) that others bring up. So, clutter but hard to see
I always thought laying the plane on its side was meant to protect the surface on which it is laid from the sharp edge of the plane.
I hate laying my plane on its side. I’m afraid I’m going to reach for something, brush against it, and plane off some skin. Sole down for life!
You had better learn how to sharpen one properly.
This guy never misses
He missed on his advice on this video
I'm very glad to have nearby tool chests like drawers in a kitchen. No more looking for tools like I'm scavenging in a junkyard.
You're like the highschool shop teacher I never had..
I would add it will protect your bench top from that sharp ass plane you got there😂
I didn't understand your explanation until I saw you lay the plane sideways ON TOP of screws. The thought didn't even cross my mind to not lay it on a flat surface, flat or sideways 😂
👍
I'd assumed that it's more to do with save the bench top.
The version I got was never lay chisels or planes on anything harder than wood . After all , not all carpentry is done in a workshop .
More specifically, "brush up against anything ne-ferrous"
That dog clearly knows much more about woodworking than most men.