This is such an excellent teaching channel. It's one of the best I've come across for woodworking for beginners. The what is provided along with the why, and it's the why that I find so valuable. Because it's delivered in such an accessible and sensible manner, I find it sticks with me for longer. Thank you.
Hi Rob I've been watching your channel for a few years and your skills and dedication to teaching woodworking are incomparable. In all this time your sharpening lessons are the most educational. As a kid at high school we had work benches with tool wells and were always told to place the hand plane in the tool well with the toe down. If we didn't have a tool well we were told to place the plane on its edge. You never do this, but your respect for the cutting edge is exemplary. Why don't you place the plane on it's edge? Keep teaching and I'll keep watching, thank you.
I personally do not place the plane on it's edge or side because it's really inconvenient. But the answer is simple - the plane blade protrudes so slightly and you almost always have dust and shavings on the bench top, so damage of the blade or even a contact with a bench top hardly possible. But if the contact will happened the bench top is of wood either as was written earlier.
Rob, I know you hear this a lot. You have improved my planning techniques 100 fold on your sharpening techniques. It has set me back a lot of funds, but it was worth it. I’ve been using water stones for 30 years. Shapton stones are by far the best. Thank you again.
I recently moved from my dmt diamond stones to shapton stones. This made possible because Rob's basic diamond plate is an affordable lapping option (so I bought it). I tried lapping ceramic stones with my coarse diamond plate, but the lack of the relief channels made it stick like glue to the shapton stones. There are woodworkers whose skill far exceeds mine who get great results with diamond stones, but I was always a bit frustrated with them. I believe ceramic stones cut faster. But a huge advantage (for me), and one that I have not seen mentioned, is the clear visibility of the swarf on the light coloured shapton stones. This gives me much better feedback on whether I am putting even pressure on the blade. As a first pass I still prefer the 1000 grit shapton to the fine side of the cosman diamond plate. Somehow the feel of ceramic stones just suits me much better, probably totally subjective.
Rob, great video, as usual. I know you know this, but the way you explained grit may confuse some folks. Grit number is the number of wires, or spaces minus 1(hold up 4 fingers, there are 3 spaces between them), per LINEAR inch in one direction and the same number of wires/spaces perpendicular to that woven or welded into a grid. So 120 grit screen would have about 14,400 wires and 14,161 holes per square inch. Taking the thickness of the wire into consideration, theoretically, the particles are much smaller than 1/120th of an inch. But industry specifications can muddy the waters as, depending on the standard referenced, the particle sizes vary widely in what's actually on the paper, or in the stone/wheel, etc. I didn't know the following part but found it while double checking to make sure my information was accurate. I learn something in the process, so this day is a win!! This is copied and pasted from a 3M Abrasives tech talk release: "ANSI B74.12 specifies that to be considered a 100 grit abrasive all the material must pass through a standard 70 screen with a maximum of 20% of the material being retained on a standard 100 screen. This means that up to 20 percent of the material is larger (more coarse) than the standard 100 screen opening while, at least 80% is smaller (finer) than the standard 100 screen opening." This is why old timers like me often look for well used sandpaper for certain tasks, as the big particles are mostly gone and the finer ones remain. Careful with those edges that weren't worn though.... haha! I have a way-too-large box of used, but not destroyed sandpaper in the shop. I have to admit, it's not sorted, so I'm forced to dig for just the right one occasionally..... Another bit of useless trivia? Perhaps......
Brilliantly executed. Precision without compromise. Time management for no excuse. Results the best achievable with a constant expectation. Thank you for your dedicated service so others may live freely without the sacrifice you continue to make. You are Quite the Professional.
Over the years I have made many of my own planes along with their irons. Everything that you say both here and in your sharpening video rings True. Thanks for the perceptive views about sharpening.
I very much appreciate your teaching method and for demonstrating methods for precision. Further, thanks for your dedication and service to our veterans. Very recently I encountered your videos and will be watching at least the ones most relevant to my projects.
I have a Shapton 16000 from Rob. I’ve been using it for 4 years now as a hobbyist that puts 300-400 hours a year into hand tool woodworking. I sharpen a lot, and the Shapton still has plenty of thickness for a few more years worth of use.
Hi Rob, Yet another great video. I would like to say what a wonferful workshop you have. No doubt the product of many years of hard work. Years ago I also had a large workshop like your own. Retired now with much smaller shop. Keep up the good work Rob. Yours Ricky
Great timing - I've just joined a new shared shop space, and all the planes and chisels are dull as butter knives. Good refresher on how I should go about sharpening them up! As an aside, I get a kick out of people commenting on your hair. I have a similar hairstyle at the moment - not sure if it makes me a better woodworker, but if it's good for David Charlesworth and Rob Cosman, I don't think it'll hurt my results in any case!
Thanks Rob. Ne woodworker here. Really taking what you say about sharpness to heart. I've ben trying freehand but on old sweetheart blades and with sandpaper and cheap water stones. I'm finding the whole process very frustrating and disheartening. I've heard you loud and clear now. No more fooling around with old thin blades. And I need to step up to Shapton GS. Pay now, and don't cry later.
Good plan. You need to get a modern replacement blade for you vintage plane, its the best upgrade you can do. Not only will it cut better its tons easier to sharpen. Make sure its correctly sized for your vintage plane
@@RobCosmanWoodworking Thanks for the reply and the encouragement. Any idea when your revival blades will be back in stock to use in old Bailey planes?
Thank you Rob! I enjoy your style of teaching and explaining. I am restoring an old Stanley Bailey plane from 1904 and your videos have been so helpful. I was about to ask a question and you answered it as I kept watching! Save your questions for the end folks! *Question*: Is there ever a chance you need to re-flatten the bottom of a plane? I have a Diamond stone and was about to go to town but it dawned on me maybe the hand planes are similar to the way a joiner works? Thanks for everything!
Rob, this is a truly EXCELLENT video! It’s THE BEST overview I have seen. Great job, great teacher. My only question is: past, conventional wisdom says you must go through ALL the various stages of grits to get the best edge. So why is it that we can go from 1K to 16K and skip all intermediate grips? I KNOW it obviously works, but my question is why? Why can we skip all those intermediate grits? Thank you!
with flat stones, the 1k straightens the edge, a straight edge sitting on a flat stone means contact from one side to the other. Under magnification, the 1k edge has some serrations caused by the 1k abrasive bits. The job of the 16k "flat" stone is to merely replace the 1k serrations with 16k serrations. Because the straightened edge has complete contact across the stone there is very little metal to remove. This help?
It's refreshing to see someone who gets sharpening and teaches it so well. There are many videos on YT showing sharpening of plane blades, chisels, and hunting and kitchen knives. Many lead us to believe we need to spend 10, 20, even 30 minutes to sharpen a blade. The object is to sharpen the blade quickly and get back to woodworking or food prep. If it takes more than a minute or 2, we're wasting time! I can sharpen my set of 5 kitchen knives in 2 minutes, and a plane or chisel in a minute or 2. That last bit of "scary sharpness" takes the longest, and is totally useless because it's gone the instant the blade hits the wood.
Amazing knowledge ,people with such indepth knowledge can explain to us so lucidity and there are very few people remaing to to that in this ever increasing CNC culture.Thank you so much Sir,keep the flame burning.
Hi Rob...one more amazing video about how efective a sharp blade can be...intersting the blade against snakewood ...in Brazil we have a wood called Garapa...it's a hardwood with a lot of silica inside ...this wood can dull a blade or plug cutters very quickly...so some wood with silica and resign are very bad to work... Thanks for help us in every new video
It’s simply amazing that sharpening a plane blade can be so efficient. No kidding, get this gear and try this method. It’s the best! Wish I learned it a long time ago.
Great video. I stand behind rob’s method. The trend diamond 300/1000 is worth the investment. Hoping to get a glass 16,000 soon , but the shapton ceramic 12,000 also does a really good job.
What do you guys think of stropping 16k? I use up to 8k CBN on my knives and then strop to 16k on a leather strop. Wondering if any of you guys have compared? I strop for a final hone and to set the burrs straight on my knives. Theoretically I think it should be similar to that ruler trick, but all done with pull strokes. The abrasive combined with leather might give finer results? I just know knife enthusiasts and barbers like their strops, as do I!
I've been using a Veritas sharpening guide as I didn't think I could hold an angle well enough. I've also been frustrated attempting to flatten the first 3/8" of the backs of plane blades & even starting with an extra coarse DMT stone, it took forever. The Veritas guide is fine for producing a squared off 25° primary bevel & a micro bevel but though sharper than they used to be, my plane blades still didn't produce those perfect looking, 0.001" shavings 0 more like 0.005"... Having watched this & the "32 seconds to sharp" video, I gave it a try, having purchased a Shapton 16,000 grit stone (I already had DMT from 300, through to 1,000 grit). Yep, I managed to get four, 2 3/8" blades to cut just like your does, though a new, thicker blade took 20 minutes with the Charlseworth ruler method & 1,000 grit to get a clean edge all the way across, despite it being much recommended as flat ground (definitely thicker in the middle, just like every original Stanley blade I've owned). I'm now a lot more confident I can do everything except creating an accurate 25° by hand. Now to sort out all the other planes I have collected over the years...
Rob, I love the teaching, and frankly, I've been watching you for years. I want to be able to do the freehand method you espouse, but when I've tried it in the past, I just tend to screw everything up. Part of the difficulty for me stems from what I think are two issues: 1. it can be difficult to know if you're dead on the face, or if you're just a hair high or low. You might know, but I don't feel like I know. I want to be sure I'm on the flat, but it's just not that clear, to my mind. 2. My bench is not low and I don't have a "low" place in my shop. Is it important enough to build or buy a table? As I say, I try this from time to time but always end up creating more work for myself. I can imagine getting this figured out if I could attend a workshop, but I don't honestly have time/money for that currently. Your thoughts? And thanks again for an awesome channel, willingness to share knowledge, and respect for those who serve.
Best thing I ever learned to "kick start" my wood working, was when I started to watch your videos and understood what you're preaching. I had a good stock of gifted purple heart that had me disheartened, it was so hard to plane, thought it was my old, used, cheap plane I'd managed to find and that I'd have to resort to using sandpaper to deal with it and when I first found your channel, it was a bit more than I was ready for, but thankfully I found you again about 10 months later and the brain/soul/mind was ready and now I easily deal with that PH and I get a finished surface I can apply a finish to. Just recently ordered a WR 5 1/2 plane and 16k stone, waiting very impatiently for it to arrive, very curious to see how it performs compared and what the blade is like with the 16k stone. Also ordered a new WR blade for my old N0.4 Record I'm currently using to see if the blade (metal and thickness) takes it to another level as the stock doesn't seem to hold an edge very long. Sharpness is the absolute key, if you don't understand that and having someplace always setup, close to hand to make it a quick and easy process, you'll only get frustrated running your tools way past when you should, because sharpening is such a PITA.
I'd be inclined to go for an electric planer wound right back to just skim that stuff to 95%, come back with hand to clean up that final pass or three. Purple heart is pretty rough on blades, gotta be careful you don't get it too warm either, or it'll weep resin that clags up your edges.
@@masondegaulle5731 I'd prefer to either not work with the PH or go for a dental visit than use a power planer, I absolutely hate the sound of them, actually don't like power tools in the least, hence why I use only hand tools (will admit to having an electric cordless drill because haven't found any hand powered ones yet and can't afford one new, yet). Also, practicing on the PH, I'll definitely learn to sharpen and keep a sharp blade, so when I go to "easier" woods, they'll be a breeze.
good video, good title too. In the real world means a lot. learning the most efficient method of sharpening to achieve the most accurate work you can get with your tool and the best finished surface on your wood.
Great video as usual Rob! I used this exact method on some 1890s Siegley planes I inherited that had not been sharpened (likely) since the early 1900's. In mere minutes, they were cutting like new. Fast, easy, sharp!
I totally get the pros for freehand sharpening to get back to a sharp edge. But I have difficulties finding the angle and keeping it consistent from one stone/plate to the next, and do don't get as great results as implied by the video. Also, every few rounds (maybe once a day), i like to go back to a jig (my case the veritas MkII) to keep the bevel at its designated angle and perpendicalar to the side of the blade
I hear you. With minimal practice most folks can achieve holding the proper angle for 10 seconds per stone. You could try our angle trainer which is designed to help you build muscle memory for the angles. Most beginners don’t raise the blade up enough. They try to make to small of a move between stones. In the end you certainly can do my method with a jig it just slows the process down a bit
I think the most valuable piece of advice is setting up a permanent sharpening station that's always ready to go. Otherwise, you're just making sharpening more of a "process" that many people will tend to avoid. Beyond the actual sharpening techniques, "quick and easy" is the key to always working sharp. That said, I need to practice what I preach. lol
I just got a TSPROFF knife sharpening system. I also got a good set of CBN plates ranging from 240-8,000 grit. I got this setup for knives of all sorts, but they make a scissor/chisel adapter for the system. This system will keep your angles precise with laser like precision. I'm buying my 1st hand plane. My mind is all made up, partially due to the woodriver #4 1/2 being on sale for $180. I'm going for their wheel marking gauge too, on sale for only $30 bucks! Including shipping it's all less than their #4 1/2 not on sale. I really want that #5 1/2 but it's not on sale and running $300...
Rob, I know you are a big fan of wood river planes, however; my question is what determines a high-quality plane? I see a lot of planes at various price points, and I currently use a Stanley #4 but I am looking to get into a #5 or 5 1/2 with a little more heft and smoothing abilities. I have seen quality price points from 150.00 up to 300.00. As a hand tool professional, and what I consider one of the most trustworthy youtuber's what truly determines a quality plane aside from the blade steel.
Using original blades on Stanleys, the chief thing I have had trouble with was getting the plane properly fettled. If the blade is flat front to back and side to side, then the only source of irregularity that can cause vibration is a frog where the surface or surfaces are not flat. I have only had one standard blade that ever presented a really serious vibration problem, and it was bowed front to back, and could not be properly fixed in place by the lever cap. The lever cap can also cause problems if it is too tight. That said, your 30 seconds really works, with or without using the Charlesworth ruler trick.
I much prefer and always recommend a modern thick blade to replace the original blade in vintage plans. Its the best upgrade you can do. Helps with sharpening, improved wear, and eliminates vibration
@@RobCosmanWoodworking I have a couple of new Wood River planes with thicker blades. They are really nice planes. I also have some old Type 11 Stanleys that would need to be modified before I could use a thick blade. I found that out the hard way when I bought a Hock to replace the original on a little no. 4. The mouth was too narrow for the blade, which still rests in the drawer with other spares and "maybe I could restore" pieces. So, that little no. 4 started me thinking about what the solutions were when Stanley made those planes. Those old carpenters and furniture makers would have either altered the planes or just shifted to a better brand. So the thin blades had to work properly. They do, but they are fussier setting up. Thick blades are easier to live with.
@theeddorian, besides the frog, there can be one other source of resonant vibration when cutting that I have not seen discussed, and that is the cap iron. Of the many of those of all ages that have come my way, very few are shaped adequately to the degree necessary. Most folks understand the need to have no gap at the meeting of sharp end to the blade, but take for granted that the arch will be pressing flat on the blade and holding it firmly to the frog. Not so, with many of them! The lever cap simply does not exert enough pressure to flex and press that down if it does not already lie in a plane with the sharp end, on the back of the iron, nor would you be able to make any adjustments if it was exerting such pressure. Some I have seen are bent way out of whack, the better to ensure contact at the sharp end. The lever cap pressure, which is often applied very closely to the iron's cutting edge and cantilevered slightly past where the primary bevel of the iron reaches the frog, is actually applying a bending force to the blade, trying to make it arch up slightly. The whole assembly becomes a resonant system! All the best.
@@leehaelters6182 I've only noted very mild vibration in any of the planes I restored, and as I mentioned that was always cleaned up by being sure the frog and the seat of the frog were true. The worst vibration I ever encountered was a Record carriage plane, where the blade itself was both bowed and slightly twisted. The cap iron had been adjusted to a fair-thee-well by previous owners, trying to fix the vibration. It would create a surface like a power joiner. I replaced the blade, which fixed nearly all the problem. But I had to replace the cap iron, which had suffered extreme "adjustment" to fully clear it up. Now you can take a shaving of less than a thousandth.
Hand plane over sanding every chance I can! Thanks Rob, awesome video. Side note, I stopped in at woodcraft in Woodridge, Il. Karl says hello and to get a haircut.
The comparison between sand paper grit and finish, and then translating that info to the finish on a plane blade and how this will once again translate to the wood itself... The light bulb finally went on for me. After two years of practicing freehand sharpening, the 10 second rule also will be saving me a LOT of time lost on error in my process. Very good work finding the correct details to delve into, thanks Mr Cosman 🙏
Thats why we repeat these lessons in multiple ways as everyone receives info a different way. Glad it finally clicked for you, now go sharpen some blades
Hey Rob, Great explanation of the process of getting blades sharp. QUESTION: I inherited a Stanley No6 in excellent condition but I'm not sure how to assess the blade. It does cut (somewhat) but I need to go from low end sharp to making it my shooting plane. Can you please tell me with what grit you would reccommend to start, and how far to go with it. I'm gonna be 80 in a couple of months so the idea of investing in a costly system makes little sense. Please give me your thoughts. I appreciate the material that I have seen on your channel over the years but this No6 has practical AND sentimental value plus assigning it to s shooting board is special too. Thanks man. Keep up the great work!
The two single things that improved my work the most: 1 - I started buying better quality tools. Narex Richter and quality Japanese chisels, and a Wood River 5 1/2 2 - actually sharpening properly. I'm getting such clean surface conditions now, on a block with a square corner, I've actually cut myself handling the wood. If you've ever cut yourself on a square piece of ash, you know you're doing it right, LOL. (Plus it's not a completed project till you bleed on it) Thanks Rob, you're my hero.
thanks for this very educational. I guess I would ask what this all means in the context of finishes that only want you to go to like 220 or 120 like osmo and rubio respectively? how do concepts like grain popping apply to this? Maybe more to the point does having wood this smooth effect your finishing options and if so how?
Hi Rob, another great video, please keep them coming. I wondered if you had ever concidered selling the shapton pond to keep all the mess in one place and the shapton field holder that safety stores three stones and allows you to sharpen on one side. Finally do you recommend purchasing the diamond plate 1000/300 over the shapton 1000 stone taking into account that I was planning to purchase the shapton 500 and 1000 grit stone and the shapton flattening plate?
We tested the pond and for my sharpening method its not advised and its very expensive - not worth it in my opinion. Same for the holder, i don’t see that its needed, an unnecessary expense
Yes I recommend the 1000/300 diamond over the Shapton 500. They are both approximately the same micron abrasives but you don’t have to flatten the diamond stone
@@RobCosmanWoodworkinghi Rob, thank you for getting back to me. I was watching your live scraper sharpening episode on the 16th sep. Your two shapton stones are sitting in the shapton pond that doesn't work for you and you don't recommend. I'm confused!!
Short answer - Yes. Long answer, 16k stone has abrasive particles of .92 microns if you are stropping with the green rouge (which is typical) you are at the same abrasive side so there is no difference between the two. You can increase to a 30k stone or a comparable rouge but you only get a 1-2 % surface improvement so cost is not worth the benefit
Thanks rob, considering moving over to your method and off my dirty oil stone. I really stuggle getting a consistent primany bevel of the grinding wheer. Can you please do a video on this? And how you get the 25 degrees, straight and square. Cheers
I felt the same way about disassembly and reassembly when sharpening, but been watching again and again some Robs (and one other handtool youtuber) videos regarding plane maintenance and whatnot. Now, I don't mind it, it starts to come naturally to me and does not slow the workflow (at least not much).
Can you recommend a 5 1/5 plane? I'm a hobbyist working on 3/4" to 1/8" wood. Intarsia, projects for the house, scroll sawing projects for sale (not so much) and Christmas gifts for friends and neighborhood kids.
All metall workers and knife makers tell us to get to 16000 grit polish from 1000 grit you have to double the grit of the stone incrementally and use a 2000, then 4k, and 8k stones before 16k. That makes the edge very smooth and more stable like a katana. Same thing in wood sanding. You don't jump from 80 grit to 300. I understand your method is quick, but I respectfully believe if you added at least a 2000 grit stone and perhaps an 8k before 16k (which doesn't sharpen but polishes the blade), you will get much lasting blades. A 1000 grit sharpen metal is not very stable as it has larger micro teeth than a 2000. Perticularly if you use a diamond stone. You can replace that with 3M lapping papers that are much better quality and can go way beyond 16k. It will add 32 more seconds to your process, but you will get a mirror polish edge that lasts much longer on a 60 Rockwell A1 or A02 metal. I wonder if knife like sharp edge on a hande plane would cut the wood the same way. The back bevel that you add remides me of some Japanese knives that have a very small bevel on the back ( without a primary bevel) and it makes them very sharp. But the back bevel on those knives has much bigger angle than the front bevel.
Thank you Sir, for this very detailed explanation on Sharpening. It can’t get better than this. Happy 😊 woodworking and keep updating us with more knowledge. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
? Hi Rob, Great Channel. Would you put finish directly on a planed surface? Traditionally I would sand to 320-400 and then apply finish. Appreciate your thoughts.
Hello….. in your opinion what is the best brand chisels that will get sharp and move some wood ??? I seen a video earlier and the guy had a chisel and a red oak board, and he was cutting an 1/8 th” of wood like hot butter !!! Never seen a chisel to that extent before…..any suggestions on a great brand because I’m often needing a good chisel at times…. And the better and sharper we know is also quicker and better too. Please let me know….. thx…..Paul.. white, London, Ky.
Your 'rough' stone, looks like one of the Trend stones/plates. 300 and 1000 grits. I had one, and it was concave on both sides, so they wanted me to send it back. The replacement stone came, and it was concave on one side only. They haven't gotten back to me yet. You commented that your rough stone is CBN. Trend is diamond. CBN will handle any hardened metals, but not the softer metals. I do have an 8000 grit diamond plate from DMT. It does leave a burr that needs to be stropped off. I can get a good surface with it. The 16000 grit Shapton stone does not appear to leave any burr that needs to be stropped off. One question, and you kind of answered it, is the Shapton 30000 grit stone. Do you think it is worth it? Or is there just not enough improvement to make it worth it? For the pine when you were cutting end grain with your chisel, I remember a video not long ago where you were cutting pine and suggested a 17 degree bevel. I was cutting dove tails in some very dry American Chestnut, and was getting huge tear out. I tried a trick I had seen for finish end grain cuts where you get it wet first, then make your finish/final cuts. No tear out when the end grain is dampened first. I have a pipe cleaner that I folded in 4s, and just a dip in the faucet and that is plenty.
We no longer recommend the Trend stone. The switch manufacturers and quality went down. We sourced our diamond stones from the same company Trend use to use and now sell them under our name so no its not a trend. You are correct. I misspoke when I said CBN. They are monocrystaline man-made diamonds
Question: do you have a video showing how you built & affixed your sharpening station to your bench ? If not, could you please ? I know that cantilever takes a lot of force and that can reduce force transfer and that can alter consistency in sharpening
Hi Rob, I have a sharpening question, but let me first give you some background information. I have a very old (probably early 1900's) bailey #5 plane, and it has the thinner style blade. I tried tuning it the best I could using your method with my 1200 diamond stone for the initial bevel, and a 4000 stone for the microbevel as that's currently the finest grit I have. I used the 1200 diamond stone to flatten the 4000 stone. I got decent results but not great, and cannot get the edge to edge very thin shavings that you routinely get. Thinking I deserve something better, I purchased a brand new Wood River 4 1/2, and tried the same sharpening process. I'm still developing my sharpening skills obviously, but I couldn't get much better results with the new hand plane. One symptom is my shavings are never the full width of the plane. So I'm wondering if this clue might help you identify what I'm doing wrong, and what I need to do in order to get the proper results. I understand that the 4000 stone will not give the same results as the 16000 stone, and I actually was about to order a shapton 16000 grit stone, but before I do, I want a little more assurance that my technique is good enough to deliver the results you get after I make that purchase. Any help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Rob, I just ordered one of your diamond plates. I did go to the local Woodcraft store in Springfield, OR and told them about Trend and what had happened to their product. They were unaware that it had sold and the quality had gone so far down. I do like to support you and what you do. 2 side notes. I do like the idea of the dove tail lay out piece that you make, but I want one out of metal so I don't ruin it by laying out my likes with a knife. Also, if you can reply, when at the Woodcraft store, they told me that you used to use the 30,000 grit Shapton diamond plate, but you don't seem to use it any more. I am curious as to why. Thanks, hope you make it out here again some time.... Oh, I have mixed feelings about the handles on the Woodcraft/Woodriver plane handles. That extra curve in the lower handle puts a pressure point on the heel of my palm. Have to experiment some more, but I may make one that fits my hand better, eventually.....
i am Pretty Sure it was Probably the Kurumaku 30000; in my humble opinion, there is no need for that 30k because the finish be achieve with a Strop Loaded with Chromium Oxide Paste at a Fraction of the Cost of the 30k.
The jeweler's rouge is supposed to be about 30,000 grit. There is a green compound that is supposed to be 60,000. I am not sure if there is any real benefit of stropping that high. I will say maybe on the stones, but more experimenting is needed. I was using the Shapton 30,000 grit stone, and Rob's White stone is the Shapton 16000.
No, any burr from the 1000 will get removed on the 16k. Many times you can see the thin burr com off while sharpening on the 16k. And just to be sure when you do the ruler trick for 3 sec that will get the remaining 2%
Thank for teaching us to Sharpen effectively! I recently build a wine cabinet out of Barnwood directly from the plane. Some pieces were so smooth I could see the reflection of my neighbors house a 100 yards away.
Hey can you pretty please make a guitar your skills could really help my building process specifically getting accurate fretboards and necks with hand tools only u can use a bandsaw ❤
No. When doing the back with the ruler trick you are going for flat. If you want to put a “mini camber” on the edge that is done while holding the plane edge onto the stone as I show when on the 16k stone
Rob, this video is so well done in terms of the methodology about sharpening and good message about it. All valid points you make. Everyone should watch this video at least once! Now we dont have to spend $20 to get the sharpening book from Lost Arts Press! It's all said here and better! Not saying it's not a decent book for sharpening. But I agree with you 100% that freehand sharpening is the way to go!
So, about shortening the time it takes to get back to planing: since our taste in books is similar, Rob, I know that you have seen reference to the Record Stay-Set cap iron of long ago. Years ago when my buddy Carl Spagnoli showed me his discovery of someone making and supplying an almost-copy of those, we bought a couple each. Wow, no screwing or unscrewing! The adjustments could keep their settings! Back to the task at hand lickety-split! The machining was well enough, but after using them a bit I was disappointed at a major mistake in the design. To make it easy to insure a perfect, no-gap meeting of the edge of the cap-iron to the back of the blade, the maker had clamped it and milled the underside parallel to the mill table, but deeply enough so that the cap would tip down to the blade when installed. It is this tipping and non-parallelism to the blade that is the problem. The originals were parallel, and therefore could keep the tension of the lever cap constant. Mine introduced a constant variance of lever cap pressure as they advanced or retracted, and I stopped using them. This seems to me to be right up your alley, Rob. You make so many fine tools, why don't you take a stab at those, and re-introduce them? All the best!
Rob, when it comes to new v old hand planes, if you were trying to keep expense down, would you drop a new blade in an old Stanley if it had a broken tote but was otherwise in fantastic condition, or would you just save the time and effort of cleaning and restoring the older hardware and go with a newer plane and just tune it up? Like say a wood river. V a Lie Nielson (I probably spelled that wrong).
I saw many tool sharpening videos, but I never saw one promoting the system used with the razor blade - it gets dull, you change it fast and continue shaving. Why don't woodworkers have a drawer with previously sharpened plane blades? This way, when their plane blade needs sharpening, they do not stop to sharpen but just change the entire blade...sharpening could be then left for later. On the same logic, In a factory, if a belt motor breaks, they do not stop and fix the motor, they just have a spare one close by the belt and they replace the bad one with a good one...
I have a new slightly thicker blade for my old Stanley. The blade was supplied ground at 30 deg. Would you recommend me to regrind it to 25 deg and then use microbevels as you do, or should I sharpen at 30 deg with or without a microbevel?
Actually you can sharpen it at 30 degrees with micro bevels. You cust loose 5 degrees of area you could work with, which is not much. Grinding it to 25 degrees wont hurt it. Either 25 or 30 works fine but do micro bevels on whatever bevel angle you end up on
Water on metal = rust if you are not careful, this is why petroleum products ("Lapping fluid")is recommended for diamond stones. However, since in our method you move from a diamond stone to a water stone you will contaminate the water stone with a petroleum product. It won't hurt the stone but now you are stuck using lapping fluid as a lubricant on your water stone and that stuff is expensive, water is much cheaper. Our recommended solution is use water on both but add a rust inhibitor additive to the water (we recommend Honerite Gold). If you dry off your diamond stone at the end of the day and set it on edge so any residue runs off of it, you will not have any rust with the inhibitor
We tested them and they are nice, we like them. Not a significant improvement over A2, but an incremental improvement. Our test found the edge lasting a little longer than A2 before dulling. That being said, i think any blade in the Rockwell hardness of 60-62 is fine. The differences at that level are minor. Its all about sharpening and resharpening at that point
If you liked this check out 32 seconds to sharp here: th-cam.com/video/okLIEoz00v0/w-d-xo.html
Rob awesome work 1000 grit stone and plate and your 1600 stone and plate kind and brand and your metal ruler thank you Johnny.
This is such an excellent teaching channel. It's one of the best I've come across for woodworking for beginners. The what is provided along with the why, and it's the why that I find so valuable. Because it's delivered in such an accessible and sensible manner, I find it sticks with me for longer. Thank you.
The why we do this is so important and keeps the information in your system. Thanks Robb.
Hi Rob
I've been watching your channel for a few years and your skills and dedication to teaching woodworking are incomparable. In all this time your sharpening lessons are the most educational. As a kid at high school we had work benches with tool wells and were always told to place the hand plane in the tool well with the toe down. If we didn't have a tool well we were told to place the plane on its edge. You never do this, but your respect for the cutting edge is exemplary. Why don't you place the plane on it's edge?
Keep teaching and I'll keep watching, thank you.
A blade is supposed to cut wood. Placing the plane blade down is safer, and never harms the blade.
And yet I often see chisels turned blade up on the bench. That's one woopsie from an uh-oh, maybe even a weeooo-weeooo 😅
Why do you place it on its edge?
I personally do not place the plane on it's edge or side because it's really inconvenient. But the answer is simple - the plane blade protrudes so slightly and you almost always have dust and shavings on the bench top, so damage of the blade or even a contact with a bench top hardly possible. But if the contact will happened the bench top is of wood either as was written earlier.
I am not a wood worker, BUT, enjoyed watching an artist/craftsman share his knowledge, I do enjoy sharpening my kitchen knives.
Rob, I know you hear this a lot. You have improved my planning techniques 100 fold on your sharpening techniques. It has set me back a lot of funds, but it was worth it. I’ve been using water stones for 30 years. Shapton stones are by far the best. Thank you again.
My name is John. This TH-cam is my wife’s. Lol
Whomever would like to Learn the Craft of Woodworking; Rob is one Great Teacher to Learn From.
i met him in Toronto, Great Teacher.
I'm a pro and imo this is an excellent explanation of "sharp" and how to get there inexpensively, quickly and consistently. Thanks Rob
I recently moved from my dmt diamond stones to shapton stones. This made possible because Rob's basic diamond plate is an affordable lapping option (so I bought it). I tried lapping ceramic stones with my coarse diamond plate, but the lack of the relief channels made it stick like glue to the shapton stones. There are woodworkers whose skill far exceeds mine who get great results with diamond stones, but I was always a bit frustrated with them. I believe ceramic stones cut faster. But a huge advantage (for me), and one that I have not seen mentioned, is the clear visibility of the swarf on the light coloured shapton stones. This gives me much better feedback on whether I am putting even pressure on the blade. As a first pass I still prefer the 1000 grit shapton to the fine side of the cosman diamond plate. Somehow the feel of ceramic stones just suits me much better, probably totally subjective.
As always, exceptional.
Your clarity of explanation is a real talent in itself.
Grateful thanks
Francis Cawley
Rob, great video, as usual.
I know you know this, but the way you explained grit may confuse some folks. Grit number is the number of wires, or spaces minus 1(hold up 4 fingers, there are 3 spaces between them), per LINEAR inch in one direction and the same number of wires/spaces perpendicular to that woven or welded into a grid. So 120 grit screen would have about 14,400 wires and 14,161 holes per square inch. Taking the thickness of the wire into consideration, theoretically, the particles are much smaller than 1/120th of an inch. But industry specifications can muddy the waters as, depending on the standard referenced, the particle sizes vary widely in what's actually on the paper, or in the stone/wheel, etc.
I didn't know the following part but found it while double checking to make sure my information was accurate. I learn something in the process, so this day is a win!! This is copied and pasted from a 3M Abrasives tech talk release:
"ANSI B74.12 specifies that to be considered a 100 grit abrasive all the material must pass through a standard 70 screen with a maximum of 20% of the material being retained on a standard 100 screen. This means that up to 20 percent of the material is larger (more coarse) than the standard 100 screen opening while, at least 80% is smaller (finer) than the standard 100 screen opening."
This is why old timers like me often look for well used sandpaper for certain tasks, as the big particles are mostly gone and the finer ones remain. Careful with those edges that weren't worn though.... haha! I have a way-too-large box of used, but not destroyed sandpaper in the shop. I have to admit, it's not sorted, so I'm forced to dig for just the right one occasionally.....
Another bit of useless trivia? Perhaps......
It's japanese grit, not Ansi. 16000 could be close to 1µm particle size
Brilliantly executed. Precision without compromise. Time management for no excuse. Results the best achievable with a constant expectation. Thank you for your dedicated service so others may live freely without the sacrifice you continue to make. You are Quite the Professional.
Over the years I have made many of my own planes along with their irons. Everything that you say both here and in your sharpening video rings True. Thanks for the perceptive views about sharpening.
I very much appreciate your teaching method and for demonstrating methods for precision. Further, thanks for your dedication and service to our veterans. Very recently I encountered your videos and will be watching at least the ones most relevant to my projects.
I have a Shapton 16000 from Rob. I’ve been using it for 4 years now as a hobbyist that puts 300-400 hours a year into hand tool woodworking. I sharpen a lot, and the Shapton still has plenty of thickness for a few more years worth of use.
It always makes my day to see a new Rob Cosman video. Good to see a sharpening refresher too.
Thanks for watching
@@RobCosmanWoodworking Always my friend. Thank YOU for sharing and for the great work you do with our vets.
Hi Rob, Yet another great video. I would like to say what a wonferful workshop you have. No doubt the product of many years of hard work. Years ago I also had a large workshop like your own. Retired now with much smaller shop. Keep up the good work Rob. Yours Ricky
Best and most useful sharpening instruction for everyday use in the workshop. Thanks for that and greetings from Germany, Ulf.
Great timing - I've just joined a new shared shop space, and all the planes and chisels are dull as butter knives. Good refresher on how I should go about sharpening them up!
As an aside, I get a kick out of people commenting on your hair. I have a similar hairstyle at the moment - not sure if it makes me a better woodworker, but if it's good for David Charlesworth and Rob Cosman, I don't think it'll hurt my results in any case!
It absolutely helps with your sharpening!!!!!!
Thanks Rob. Ne woodworker here. Really taking what you say about sharpness to heart. I've ben trying freehand but on old sweetheart blades and with sandpaper and cheap water stones. I'm finding the whole process very frustrating and disheartening. I've heard you loud and clear now. No more fooling around with old thin blades. And I need to step up to Shapton GS. Pay now, and don't cry later.
Good plan. You need to get a modern replacement blade for you vintage plane, its the best upgrade you can do. Not only will it cut better its tons easier to sharpen. Make sure its correctly sized for your vintage plane
@@RobCosmanWoodworking Thanks for the reply and the encouragement. Any idea when your revival blades will be back in stock to use in old Bailey planes?
You have made it about as simple as it can get. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂
Glad you found it useful
Great video Rob, do you just use water on the stones?
Your sharpening methods are the only ones that worked for me. Using tools that are Cosman sharp have changed my outlook on hand tools.
Sharp tools makes all the difference
Thank you Rob! I enjoy your style of teaching and explaining. I am restoring an old Stanley Bailey plane from 1904 and your videos have been so helpful. I was about to ask a question and you answered it as I kept watching! Save your questions for the end folks! *Question*: Is there ever a chance you need to re-flatten the bottom of a plane? I have a Diamond stone and was about to go to town but it dawned on me maybe the hand planes are similar to the way a joiner works? Thanks for everything!
Rob, this is a truly EXCELLENT video! It’s THE BEST overview I have seen. Great job, great teacher. My only question is: past, conventional wisdom says you must go through ALL the various stages of grits to get the best edge. So why is it that we can go from 1K to 16K and skip all intermediate grips? I KNOW it obviously works, but my question is why? Why can we skip all those intermediate grits? Thank you!
with flat stones, the 1k straightens the edge, a straight edge sitting on a flat stone means contact from one side to the other. Under magnification, the 1k edge has some serrations caused by the 1k abrasive bits. The job of the 16k "flat" stone is to merely replace the 1k serrations with 16k serrations. Because the straightened edge has complete contact across the stone there is very little metal to remove. This help?
@@RobCosmanWoodworkingSure does! Thanks so much for responding, Rob.
I do like your explanation Rob. It is always clear. Thank you very much.
It's refreshing to see someone who gets sharpening and teaches it so well. There are many videos on YT showing sharpening of plane blades, chisels, and hunting and kitchen knives. Many lead us to believe we need to spend 10, 20, even 30 minutes to sharpen a blade. The object is to sharpen the blade quickly and get back to woodworking or food prep. If it takes more than a minute or 2, we're wasting time! I can sharpen my set of 5 kitchen knives in 2 minutes, and a plane or chisel in a minute or 2. That last bit of "scary sharpness" takes the longest, and is totally useless because it's gone the instant the blade hits the wood.
Amazing knowledge ,people with such indepth knowledge can explain to us so lucidity and there are very few people remaing to to that in this ever increasing CNC culture.Thank you so much Sir,keep the flame burning.
You put a lot of effort into this video, Rob. Well done. I have used a very similar method with Shapton stones for years with incredible results.
Thanks for sharing
Rob I 100 percent agree with you I switched totally to Shapton stones totally worth the money all my tools are sharpened to 16000 grit
The best 34 minutes ever to explain 32 seconds to sharpening. Thanks Rob.
Thanks for watching
Hi Rob...one more amazing video about how efective a sharp blade can be...intersting the blade against snakewood ...in Brazil we have a wood called Garapa...it's a hardwood with a lot of silica inside ...this wood can dull a blade or plug cutters very quickly...so some wood with silica and resign are very bad to work...
Thanks for help us in every new video
Absolutely. There a a couple of woods known for silica deposits that will dull a blade in a heartbeat
It’s simply amazing that sharpening a plane blade can be so efficient.
No kidding, get this gear and try this method. It’s the best! Wish I learned it a long time ago.
Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like you are getting sharp blades and thin shavings
Thank you Rob. Probably the best sharpening video on TH-cam.
Your method reminds me of Sergeants Time training we used to do in the US Army 20 years ago. You'd be a damn good NCO, Rob.
Great video. I stand behind rob’s method. The trend diamond 300/1000 is worth the investment. Hoping to get a glass 16,000 soon , but the shapton ceramic 12,000 also does a really good job.
You real be amazed at the surface improvement you get with 16k
What do you guys think of stropping 16k? I use up to 8k CBN on my knives and then strop to 16k on a leather strop. Wondering if any of you guys have compared?
I strop for a final hone and to set the burrs straight on my knives. Theoretically I think it should be similar to that ruler trick, but all done with pull strokes. The abrasive combined with leather might give finer results? I just know knife enthusiasts and barbers like their strops, as do I!
You and your family stay safe in the storm Lee.
I've been using a Veritas sharpening guide as I didn't think I could hold an angle well enough.
I've also been frustrated attempting to flatten the first 3/8" of the backs of plane blades & even starting with an extra coarse DMT stone, it took forever.
The Veritas guide is fine for producing a squared off 25° primary bevel & a micro bevel but though sharper than they used to be, my plane blades still didn't produce those perfect looking, 0.001" shavings 0 more like 0.005"...
Having watched this & the "32 seconds to sharp" video, I gave it a try, having purchased a Shapton 16,000 grit stone (I already had DMT from 300, through to 1,000 grit).
Yep, I managed to get four, 2 3/8" blades to cut just like your does, though a new, thicker blade took 20 minutes with the Charlseworth ruler method & 1,000 grit to get a clean edge all the way across, despite it being much recommended as flat ground (definitely thicker in the middle, just like every original Stanley blade I've owned).
I'm now a lot more confident I can do everything except creating an accurate 25° by hand.
Now to sort out all the other planes I have collected over the years...
Rob, I love the teaching, and frankly, I've been watching you for years. I want to be able to do the freehand method you espouse, but when I've tried it in the past, I just tend to screw everything up. Part of the difficulty for me stems from what I think are two issues: 1. it can be difficult to know if you're dead on the face, or if you're just a hair high or low. You might know, but I don't feel like I know. I want to be sure I'm on the flat, but it's just not that clear, to my mind. 2. My bench is not low and I don't have a "low" place in my shop. Is it important enough to build or buy a table? As I say, I try this from time to time but always end up creating more work for myself. I can imagine getting this figured out if I could attend a workshop, but I don't honestly have time/money for that currently. Your thoughts?
And thanks again for an awesome channel, willingness to share knowledge, and respect for those who serve.
Best thing I ever learned to "kick start" my wood working, was when I started to watch your videos and understood what you're preaching. I had a good stock of gifted purple heart that had me disheartened, it was so hard to plane, thought it was my old, used, cheap plane I'd managed to find and that I'd have to resort to using sandpaper to deal with it and when I first found your channel, it was a bit more than I was ready for, but thankfully I found you again about 10 months later and the brain/soul/mind was ready and now I easily deal with that PH and I get a finished surface I can apply a finish to. Just recently ordered a WR 5 1/2 plane and 16k stone, waiting very impatiently for it to arrive, very curious to see how it performs compared and what the blade is like with the 16k stone. Also ordered a new WR blade for my old N0.4 Record I'm currently using to see if the blade (metal and thickness) takes it to another level as the stock doesn't seem to hold an edge very long.
Sharpness is the absolute key, if you don't understand that and having someplace always setup, close to hand to make it a quick and easy process, you'll only get frustrated running your tools way past when you should, because sharpening is such a PITA.
Well said. Glad you rediscovered us. Now go plane some purple heart ( its not a fun wood to plane - i don’t like it)
I'd be inclined to go for an electric planer wound right back to just skim that stuff to 95%, come back with hand to clean up that final pass or three. Purple heart is pretty rough on blades, gotta be careful you don't get it too warm either, or it'll weep resin that clags up your edges.
@@masondegaulle5731 I'd prefer to either not work with the PH or go for a dental visit than use a power planer, I absolutely hate the sound of them, actually don't like power tools in the least, hence why I use only hand tools (will admit to having an electric cordless drill because haven't found any hand powered ones yet and can't afford one new, yet).
Also, practicing on the PH, I'll definitely learn to sharpen and keep a sharp blade, so when I go to "easier" woods, they'll be a breeze.
@@lynxg4641 The term "Glutton for Punishment" comes to mind 😂
Good luck, I'm sure you'll make something beautiful from it. 👍
good video, good title too. In the real world means a lot. learning the most efficient method of sharpening to achieve the most accurate work you can get with your tool and the best finished surface on your wood.
We agree
Great video as usual Rob! I used this exact method on some 1890s Siegley planes I inherited that had not been sharpened (likely) since the early 1900's. In mere minutes, they were cutting like new. Fast, easy, sharp!
Thanks for sharing. Its so fun to plane with a sharp iron
I totally get the pros for freehand sharpening to get back to a sharp edge. But I have difficulties finding the angle and keeping it consistent from one stone/plate to the next, and do don't get as great results as implied by the video. Also, every few rounds (maybe once a day), i like to go back to a jig (my case the veritas MkII) to keep the bevel at its designated angle and perpendicalar to the side of the blade
I hear you. With minimal practice most folks can achieve holding the proper angle for 10 seconds per stone. You could try our angle trainer which is designed to help you build muscle memory for the angles. Most beginners don’t raise the blade up enough. They try to make to small of a move between stones. In the end you certainly can do my method with a jig it just slows the process down a bit
When these debates occur in the shop, I always take the position that the best system is the one you'll actually use.
Great tutorial. Thank you.
I think the most valuable piece of advice is setting up a permanent sharpening station that's always ready to go. Otherwise, you're just making sharpening more of a "process" that many people will tend to avoid. Beyond the actual sharpening techniques, "quick and easy" is the key to always working sharp. That said, I need to practice what I preach. lol
You are right on target. Sharpening needs to be quick and easy so you wont delay it
I’m guilty too.
Prolly 5 minutes just to round up sharpening equipment.
I just got a TSPROFF knife sharpening system. I also got a good set of CBN plates ranging from 240-8,000 grit. I got this setup for knives of all sorts, but they make a scissor/chisel adapter for the system. This system will keep your angles precise with laser like precision.
I'm buying my 1st hand plane. My mind is all made up, partially due to the woodriver #4 1/2 being on sale for $180. I'm going for their wheel marking gauge too, on sale for only $30 bucks! Including shipping it's all less than their #4 1/2 not on sale.
I really want that #5 1/2 but it's not on sale and running $300...
Rob, I know you are a big fan of wood river planes, however; my question is what determines a high-quality plane? I see a lot of planes at various price points, and I currently use a Stanley #4 but I am looking to get into a #5 or 5 1/2 with a little more heft and smoothing abilities. I have seen quality price points from 150.00 up to 300.00. As a hand tool professional, and what I consider one of the most trustworthy youtuber's what truly determines a quality plane aside from the blade steel.
Using original blades on Stanleys, the chief thing I have had trouble with was getting the plane properly fettled. If the blade is flat front to back and side to side, then the only source of irregularity that can cause vibration is a frog where the surface or surfaces are not flat. I have only had one standard blade that ever presented a really serious vibration problem, and it was bowed front to back, and could not be properly fixed in place by the lever cap. The lever cap can also cause problems if it is too tight. That said, your 30 seconds really works, with or without using the Charlesworth ruler trick.
This. Also not doing the ruler trick, I've combined a bit of Robs and Paul Sellers sharpening styles together, it works wonderfully.
I much prefer and always recommend a modern thick blade to replace the original blade in vintage plans. Its the best upgrade you can do. Helps with sharpening, improved wear, and eliminates vibration
@@RobCosmanWoodworking I have a couple of new Wood River planes with thicker blades. They are really nice planes. I also have some old Type 11 Stanleys that would need to be modified before I could use a thick blade. I found that out the hard way when I bought a Hock to replace the original on a little no. 4. The mouth was too narrow for the blade, which still rests in the drawer with other spares and "maybe I could restore" pieces. So, that little no. 4 started me thinking about what the solutions were when Stanley made those planes. Those old carpenters and furniture makers would have either altered the planes or just shifted to a better brand. So the thin blades had to work properly. They do, but they are fussier setting up. Thick blades are easier to live with.
@theeddorian, besides the frog, there can be one other source of resonant vibration when cutting that I have not seen discussed, and that is the cap iron. Of the many of those of all ages that have come my way, very few are shaped adequately to the degree necessary. Most folks understand the need to have no gap at the meeting of sharp end to the blade, but take for granted that the arch will be pressing flat on the blade and holding it firmly to the frog. Not so, with many of them! The lever cap simply does not exert enough pressure to flex and press that down if it does not already lie in a plane with the sharp end, on the back of the iron, nor would you be able to make any adjustments if it was exerting such pressure.
Some I have seen are bent way out of whack, the better to ensure contact at the sharp end. The lever cap pressure, which is often applied very closely to the iron's cutting edge and cantilevered slightly past where the primary bevel of the iron reaches the frog, is actually applying a bending force to the blade, trying to make it arch up slightly. The whole assembly becomes a resonant system! All the best.
@@leehaelters6182 I've only noted very mild vibration in any of the planes I restored, and as I mentioned that was always cleaned up by being sure the frog and the seat of the frog were true. The worst vibration I ever encountered was a Record carriage plane, where the blade itself was both bowed and slightly twisted. The cap iron had been adjusted to a fair-thee-well by previous owners, trying to fix the vibration. It would create a surface like a power joiner. I replaced the blade, which fixed nearly all the problem. But I had to replace the cap iron, which had suffered extreme "adjustment" to fully clear it up. Now you can take a shaving of less than a thousandth.
Excellent video Rob, thanks 🙏
Hand plane over sanding every chance I can! Thanks Rob, awesome video. Side note, I stopped in at woodcraft in Woodridge, Il. Karl says hello and to get a haircut.
Thanks for the note. Tell Karl hi
The comparison between sand paper grit and finish, and then translating that info to the finish on a plane blade and how this will once again translate to the wood itself... The light bulb finally went on for me. After two years of practicing freehand sharpening, the 10 second rule also will be saving me a LOT of time lost on error in my process. Very good work finding the correct details to delve into, thanks Mr Cosman 🙏
Thats why we repeat these lessons in multiple ways as everyone receives info a different way. Glad it finally clicked for you, now go sharpen some blades
Hey Rob, Great explanation of the process of getting blades sharp. QUESTION: I inherited a Stanley No6 in excellent condition but I'm not sure how to assess the blade. It does cut (somewhat) but I need to go from low end sharp to making it my shooting plane. Can you please tell me with what grit you would reccommend to start, and how far to go with it. I'm gonna be 80 in a couple of months so the idea of investing in a costly system makes little sense. Please give me your thoughts. I appreciate the material that I have seen on your channel over the years but this No6 has practical AND sentimental value plus assigning it to s shooting board is special too. Thanks man. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Rob. I appreciate that direct information.
Thanks for watching
You always do the best job of explaining the concept. Curious about your thoughts on strops...
Easy, no need! 32 seconds give flawless performance, why do anything else.
I was going to ask same question. Thanks guys 👍🏽
The two single things that improved my work the most: 1 - I started buying better quality tools. Narex Richter and quality Japanese chisels, and a Wood River 5 1/2
2 - actually sharpening properly. I'm getting such clean surface conditions now, on a block with a square corner, I've actually cut myself handling the wood. If you've ever cut yourself on a square piece of ash, you know you're doing it right, LOL. (Plus it's not a completed project till you bleed on it)
Thanks Rob, you're my hero.
Thats a sharpness test I don’t recommend, but sounds like to are a sharpening guru now!
thanks for this very educational. I guess I would ask what this all means in the context of finishes that only want you to go to like 220 or 120 like osmo and rubio respectively? how do concepts like grain popping apply to this? Maybe more to the point does having wood this smooth effect your finishing options and if so how?
Hi Rob, another great video, please keep them coming. I wondered if you had ever concidered selling the shapton pond to keep all the mess in one place and the shapton field holder that safety stores three stones and allows you to sharpen on one side.
Finally do you recommend purchasing the diamond plate 1000/300 over the shapton 1000 stone taking into account that I was planning to purchase the shapton 500 and 1000 grit stone and the shapton flattening plate?
We tested the pond and for my sharpening method its not advised and its very expensive - not worth it in my opinion. Same for the holder, i don’t see that its needed, an unnecessary expense
Yes I recommend the 1000/300 diamond over the Shapton 500. They are both approximately the same micron abrasives but you don’t have to flatten the diamond stone
@@RobCosmanWoodworkinghi Rob, thank you for getting back to me. I was watching your live scraper sharpening episode on the 16th sep. Your two shapton stones are sitting in the shapton pond that doesn't work for you and you don't recommend.
I'm confused!!
So, at 16,000, stropping is counter-productive, right?
Short answer - Yes. Long answer, 16k stone has abrasive particles of .92 microns if you are stropping with the green rouge (which is typical) you are at the same abrasive side so there is no difference between the two. You can increase to a 30k stone or a comparable rouge but you only get a 1-2 % surface improvement so cost is not worth the benefit
@@RobCosmanWoodworkingand @rmp3636
Das war eine gute Frage und eine gute Antwort darauf. Die perfekte Ergänzung zum Video. Danke euch 👍
Thanks rob, considering moving over to your method and off my dirty oil stone. I really stuggle getting a consistent primany bevel of the grinding wheer. Can you please do a video on this? And how you get the 25 degrees, straight and square. Cheers
We already have several youtube videos on that subject. Check this one out: th-cam.com/video/tyNbsuTE2ds/w-d-xo.htmlsi=dF49YCZRIRt3upmB
Rob can you tell me what type of wax you use on plane soles?
Your video make me want to sharpen the blades of my 4 bench and 1 block plane now! I'll be back in 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
That's what I am talking about !
Amazingly helpful thank you
Thank you for the video!
Now I feel that disassembling the plane and adjusting it back is what brakes the workflow, not the sharpening itself.
You have to do whatever reduces the entire sharpening process down so its not a pain and you wont delay sharpening
I felt the same way about disassembly and reassembly when sharpening, but been watching again and again some Robs (and one other handtool youtuber) videos regarding plane maintenance and whatnot. Now, I don't mind it, it starts to come naturally to me and does not slow the workflow (at least not much).
Can you recommend a 5 1/5 plane? I'm a hobbyist working on 3/4" to 1/8" wood. Intarsia, projects for the house, scroll sawing projects for sale (not so much) and Christmas gifts for friends and neighborhood kids.
All metall workers and knife makers tell us to get to 16000 grit polish from 1000 grit you have to double the grit of the stone incrementally and use a 2000, then 4k, and 8k stones before 16k. That makes the edge very smooth and more stable like a katana. Same thing in wood sanding. You don't jump from 80 grit to 300. I understand your method is quick, but I respectfully believe if you added at least a 2000 grit stone and perhaps an 8k before 16k (which doesn't sharpen but polishes the blade), you will get much lasting blades. A 1000 grit sharpen metal is not very stable as it has larger micro teeth than a 2000. Perticularly if you use a diamond stone. You can replace that with 3M lapping papers that are much better quality and can go way beyond 16k. It will add 32 more seconds to your process, but you will get a mirror polish edge that lasts much longer on a 60 Rockwell A1 or A02 metal. I wonder if knife like sharp edge on a hande plane would cut the wood the same way. The back bevel that you add remides me of some Japanese knives that have a very small bevel on the back ( without a primary bevel) and it makes them very sharp. But the back bevel on those knives has much bigger angle than the front bevel.
One thing... you have fabulous hair. Great to see manly man like you rocking the mane :D (i have terribly thin hair, always had.. )
Thank you Sir, for this very detailed explanation on Sharpening. It can’t get better than this. Happy 😊 woodworking and keep updating us with more knowledge. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching
@@RobCosmanWoodworking
Also, the current hurricane path in the Atlantic shows it heading straight up to Grand Bay Canada for landfall. Stay save RC and family!
The lever cap edge fits the slot in the cap screw, no screwdriver needed. My uncle who was a pattern maker showed me this.
That's how you destroy the lever cap edge. A look at antique planes will tell what I'm talking about. Lever cap was not designed to be a screwdriver.
Great video as always Rob thanks for sharing
? Hi Rob, Great Channel. Would you put finish directly on a planed surface? Traditionally I would sand to 320-400 and then apply finish. Appreciate your thoughts.
Always! The look of planed vs sanded is convincing!
What's the brand of that wax stick you use? It seems a lot handier than having it in a jar.
Hello….. in your opinion what is the best brand chisels that will get sharp and move some wood ??? I seen a video earlier and the guy had a chisel and a red oak board, and he was cutting an 1/8 th” of wood like hot butter !!! Never seen a chisel to that extent before…..any suggestions on a great brand because I’m often needing a good chisel at times…. And the better and sharper we know is also quicker and better too. Please let me know….. thx…..Paul.. white, London, Ky.
Your 'rough' stone, looks like one of the Trend stones/plates. 300 and 1000 grits. I had one, and it was concave on both sides, so they wanted me to send it back. The replacement stone came, and it was concave on one side only. They haven't gotten back to me yet. You commented that your rough stone is CBN. Trend is diamond. CBN will handle any hardened metals, but not the softer metals. I do have an 8000 grit diamond plate from DMT. It does leave a burr that needs to be stropped off. I can get a good surface with it. The 16000 grit Shapton stone does not appear to leave any burr that needs to be stropped off. One question, and you kind of answered it, is the Shapton 30000 grit stone. Do you think it is worth it? Or is there just not enough improvement to make it worth it?
For the pine when you were cutting end grain with your chisel, I remember a video not long ago where you were cutting pine and suggested a 17 degree bevel. I was cutting dove tails in some very dry American Chestnut, and was getting huge tear out. I tried a trick I had seen for finish end grain cuts where you get it wet first, then make your finish/final cuts. No tear out when the end grain is dampened first. I have a pipe cleaner that I folded in 4s, and just a dip in the faucet and that is plenty.
We no longer recommend the Trend stone. The switch manufacturers and quality went down. We sourced our diamond stones from the same company Trend use to use and now sell them under our name so no its not a trend.
You are correct. I misspoke when I said CBN. They are monocrystaline man-made diamonds
Thanks!
Superb lesson as always!!!
Great video and great information
What's with the dissing of Robs long hair! It's gorgeous!
I haven't cut mine in about 10ish years, almost reaches my lower back :D
There you go!!!
Question: do you have a video showing how you built & affixed your sharpening station to your bench ? If not, could you please ? I know that cantilever takes a lot of force and that can reduce force transfer and that can alter consistency in sharpening
Yes we do. Its in our workbench playlist. Nothing special about it not really that much force on it
Hi Rob,
I have a sharpening question, but let me first give you some background information. I have a very old (probably early 1900's) bailey #5 plane, and it has the thinner style blade. I tried tuning it the best I could using your method with my 1200 diamond stone for the initial bevel, and a 4000 stone for the microbevel as that's currently the finest grit I have. I used the 1200 diamond stone to flatten the 4000 stone. I got decent results but not great, and cannot get the edge to edge very thin shavings that you routinely get. Thinking I deserve something better, I purchased a brand new Wood River 4 1/2, and tried the same sharpening process. I'm still developing my sharpening skills obviously, but I couldn't get much better results with the new hand plane. One symptom is my shavings are never the full width of the plane. So I'm wondering if this clue might help you identify what I'm doing wrong, and what I need to do in order to get the proper results. I understand that the 4000 stone will not give the same results as the 16000 stone, and I actually was about to order a shapton 16000 grit stone, but before I do, I want a little more assurance that my technique is good enough to deliver the results you get after I make that purchase. Any help and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
No one else on youtube shows their plane working so effortlessly.
Rob, I just ordered one of your diamond plates. I did go to the local Woodcraft store in Springfield, OR and told them about Trend and what had happened to their product. They were unaware that it had sold and the quality had gone so far down. I do like to support you and what you do. 2 side notes. I do like the idea of the dove tail lay out piece that you make, but I want one out of metal so I don't ruin it by laying out my likes with a knife. Also, if you can reply, when at the Woodcraft store, they told me that you used to use the 30,000 grit Shapton diamond plate, but you don't seem to use it any more. I am curious as to why. Thanks, hope you make it out here again some time....
Oh, I have mixed feelings about the handles on the Woodcraft/Woodriver plane handles. That extra curve in the lower handle puts a pressure point on the heel of my palm. Have to experiment some more, but I may make one that fits my hand better, eventually.....
i am Pretty Sure it was Probably the Kurumaku 30000;
in my humble opinion, there is no need for that 30k because the finish be achieve with a Strop Loaded with Chromium Oxide Paste at a Fraction of the Cost of the 30k.
The jeweler's rouge is supposed to be about 30,000 grit. There is a green compound that is supposed to be 60,000. I am not sure if there is any real benefit of stropping that high. I will say maybe on the stones, but more experimenting is needed. I was using the Shapton 30,000 grit stone, and Rob's White stone is the Shapton 16000.
Rod what plan are you using make model you have???
Rob, is there any consideration of removing the burr off of the flat side of the blade before moving to the 16k grit?
No, any burr from the 1000 will get removed on the 16k. Many times you can see the thin burr com off while sharpening on the 16k. And just to be sure when you do the ruler trick for 3 sec that will get the remaining 2%
Thank for teaching us to Sharpen effectively! I recently build a wine cabinet out of Barnwood directly from the plane.
Some pieces were so smooth I could see the reflection of my neighbors house a 100 yards away.
Hey can you pretty please make a guitar your skills could really help my building process specifically getting accurate fretboards and necks with hand tools only u can use a bandsaw ❤
Next, Rob is going to box braid pigtails.
Finally 🎉🎉🎉🎉😊
I can braid a box of pigtails too!
Proceeds to scour youtube for braiding lessons...
When using the 'Charlesworth ruler trick' is there any point in putting extra pressure on each edge of the back to help in creating a 'mini-camber'?
No. When doing the back with the ruler trick you are going for flat. If you want to put a “mini camber” on the edge that is done while holding the plane edge onto the stone as I show when on the 16k stone
Rob, this video is so well done in terms of the methodology about sharpening and good message about it. All valid points you make.
Everyone should watch this video at least once! Now we dont have to spend $20 to get the sharpening book from Lost Arts Press! It's all said here and better! Not saying it's not a decent book for sharpening. But I agree with you 100% that freehand sharpening is the way to go!
So, about shortening the time it takes to get back to planing: since our taste in books is similar, Rob, I know that you have seen reference to the Record Stay-Set cap iron of long ago. Years ago when my buddy Carl Spagnoli showed me his discovery of someone making and supplying an almost-copy of those, we bought a couple each. Wow, no screwing or unscrewing! The adjustments could keep their settings! Back to the task at hand lickety-split!
The machining was well enough, but after using them a bit I was disappointed at a major mistake in the design. To make it easy to insure a perfect, no-gap meeting of the edge of the cap-iron to the back of the blade, the maker had clamped it and milled the underside parallel to the mill table, but deeply enough so that the cap would tip down to the blade when installed. It is this tipping and non-parallelism to the blade that is the problem. The originals were parallel, and therefore could keep the tension of the lever cap constant. Mine introduced a constant variance of lever cap pressure as they advanced or retracted, and I stopped using them.
This seems to me to be right up your alley, Rob. You make so many fine tools, why don't you take a stab at those, and re-introduce them? All the best!
Send me a picture please
Rob, when it comes to new v old hand planes, if you were trying to keep expense down, would you drop a new blade in an old Stanley if it had a broken tote but was otherwise in fantastic condition, or would you just save the time and effort of cleaning and restoring the older hardware and go with a newer plane and just tune it up? Like say a wood river. V a Lie Nielson (I probably spelled that wrong).
If the oldie has sentimental value, fix it! If not, get a new one that allows you to get to work!
I saw many tool sharpening videos, but I never saw one promoting the system used with the razor blade - it gets dull, you change it fast and continue shaving.
Why don't woodworkers have a drawer with previously sharpened plane blades?
This way, when their plane blade needs sharpening, they do not stop to sharpen but just change the entire blade...sharpening could be then left for later.
On the same logic, In a factory, if a belt motor breaks, they do not stop and fix the motor, they just have a spare one close by the belt and they replace the bad one with a good one...
Results driven method, bam, done, back to woodworking.
Have a tormek it’s fast and you can shave with the blades and chisels when done .
I have a new slightly thicker blade for my old Stanley. The blade was supplied ground at 30 deg. Would you recommend me to regrind it to 25 deg and then use microbevels as you do, or should I sharpen at 30 deg with or without a microbevel?
Actually you can sharpen it at 30 degrees with micro bevels. You cust loose 5 degrees of area you could work with, which is not much. Grinding it to 25 degrees wont hurt it. Either 25 or 30 works fine but do micro bevels on whatever bevel angle you end up on
Thanks Rob, that's useful information.
Excellent video and I want your hair ❤
I was wondering if water is damaging to the diamond stone. I've always used a lapping fluid. Could lapping fluid be used on the Shapton stone as well?
Water on metal = rust if you are not careful, this is why petroleum products ("Lapping fluid")is recommended for diamond stones. However, since in our method you move from a diamond stone to a water stone you will contaminate the water stone with a petroleum product. It won't hurt the stone but now you are stuck using lapping fluid as a lubricant on your water stone and that stuff is expensive, water is much cheaper. Our recommended solution is use water on both but add a rust inhibitor additive to the water (we recommend Honerite Gold). If you dry off your diamond stone at the end of the day and set it on edge so any residue runs off of it, you will not have any rust with the inhibitor
I love your content. What are your thoughts on the new CPM Magnacut plane blades that are out?
We tested them and they are nice, we like them. Not a significant improvement over A2, but an incremental improvement. Our test found the edge lasting a little longer than A2 before dulling. That being said, i think any blade in the Rockwell hardness of 60-62 is fine. The differences at that level are minor. Its all about sharpening and resharpening at that point
Is that a sabot round at the end of your tool cabinet?
Yep, wounded Vet works here, retired tank commander Canadian Army. Strathcona.
@@RobCosmanWoodworking awesome 😎
How much longer will you grow your hair? Cool video.
Till our current imbecile in Ottawa is removed!
@@RobCosmanWoodworkingHa! We feel the same way in the States. What a world we are living in huh? Feels like a real time twilight zone.