Rob you’re my hero! I loved that you said “it’s your plane…”. I think a lot of woodworkers get taught a technique. Obviously they respect their instructor so that’s the “right way”. We forget the goal: enjoy woodworking and be proud of what we make. Want to cut dovetails? The way to cut them is to remove the stuff that shouldn’t be there. Use Rob’s method, use Paul sellers method, use your teeth. It doesn’t matter. No matter who’s technique you follow you’ll get the job done. Are there advantages? Sure. But we should never say someone is wrong. In my shop I’m never wrong. Remember, there are no rules. Just lessons learned. 😊
Got to respect a good teacher when his closing argument is "ultimately, it's your plane, do whatever you want." Thinking that wisdom comes from having raised a couple dozen kids...... and working with adults for a living. 😉 Thanks for the refresher course. Best of luck in the new year.
Hi Rob. I saw the live show 1/7/23. You mentioned Super Dave who is quite super. But do you know there was a US comedian who performed under the name Super Dave Osborn who recently passed? The difference was he performed stunts like jumping cars over busses which always failed in spectacular ways.
My OCD mandates that I set it over a void or a kickstand. I am a plan enthusiast, however not a pro. Love the Cosman videos and the PHP. Very respectful and humble!
Re: Question #4, I went through about three no. 4 size planes trying to restore them. The first two were junk to begin with and were cheap, so I looked at it as a learning experience. Tearing them down, cleaning, flattening the soles, sides and frogs, and working the irons all taught me a whole lot about how and why they work. I spent probably 8-10 hours with those planes, plus another couple on an old no. 5 that was a good one (just needed some TLC). I don't regret any of the time or money I spent on them. The knowledge is invaluable. That said, my favorite plane is the high-end no. 5 i bought next, which needed almost no prep. So, I think it's worth learning to restore old tools, just to gain the knowledge and experience. But certainly no critical.
I went through that sharpening video recently (several times) and practiced on some planes that were given to me that are over 100 years old. I have to say that it paid off big time. I have been working on a repair to the molding of a dining room buffet table for a friend. Having a very sharp pair of planes made the early shaping of the new wood easy and quite enjoyable. My chisels have also benefitted from what I learned sharpening my plane blades. I can't sharpen the blade in 32 seconds, but it doesn't take very long at all. Thanks for these videos that you put out. I have learned a ton.
With regard to the blade/iron thickness. I have Stanley planes and I was wondering whether or not the mouth of the Stanley will accommodate the thicker blades without any modifications?
It’s devastating that us in the states can’t get a handplane from you! When you mentioned that you do the prep in a previous video I went straight your website credit card in hand.. what a blow! I cannot get a hand plane functioning correctly. Maybe it’s bad luck but the wood river plane I purchased (and returned to rockler which they checked and didn’t blame me one bit) it wasn’t 90° and I’m doing this mostly for a shooting board. I’m contemplating getting a lie-Nielsen hoping that it’ll require far less “tuning” would you say that’s the case? Or do I have to travel to Canada and smuggle one of your wood rivers back to the states lol?
Your bench has a space for putting tools being used in between tasks into. Unfortunately it‘s full of wood blocks and other stuff. You might set your plane even on a woolen blanket, that your sharpened blade isn‘t damaged. You may do as you like, but doing youtube videos you might give some good advise to people when teaching as kind of social responsibility.
Peter Sellers says exactly the same thing about planes - there's no valid reason to set them down on their side. I used to spend hours flattening the backs of plane blades until I heard of the Charlesworth method & tried it.
The only proper way to store a hand plane is upside down putting the full weight on the tote and iron. Proceed to dump all chisels on-top of the exposed blade to ensure compliance of tool. Taste for sharpness.
Like anything in life, you need to find a mentor to help you along. MUST be someone you trust and are willing to follow blind until you find YOUR way. Rob is the mentor. Advice backed by MANY years of common sense woodworking. Words WE can trust! !! !!!
Does your 32 seconds to sharp also work with diamond stones? The Charlesworth thing as well? Theory wise, it seems like they should. But, I'm a beginner sharpener and have much to learn.
I set the sole of my plane down much to the absolute disgust and abject horror of my 77-year-old father who is an old-school carpenter & joiner. We have had some intense discussions on the subject I can tell you! LOL.
Hi Rob. I want to try hand planing with a shooting board. Im on a fixed income and cant afford a $350 hand plane. Are there any for under $100 that you could recommend?
Paul Sellers suggests that the reason people were taught to lay the plane on its side is because school shop teachers didn't want to spend all their time fixing blades that got nicked because a careless 12-year-old plunked the plane blade down on a screwdriver. As Mr. Sellers says, we're adults, and we know how to be careful.
Hi Rob, thanks for noting that on a new blade you need to do the ruler method with a 1000 grit first. I have not seen any other presenter mention this. It is something I discovered by looking at the blade under magnification. I could see the machining scratches carrying through right to the edge after using the ruler. I took your advice from other videos and got my first 51/2 today. I am in Ireland so decided to go with a Clifton. I am actually shocked at the difference between my Stanley 5 and this one. After sharpening the blade, I tested it on some old oak boards that were glued together, so grain in all directions. The result was like nothing I have ever seen, absolutely flawless finish. Thanks so much for all your advice
Excellent information, gives opinion and reasons for why he does it the way he does, but doesn't preach ... it's up to you to decide whether you do it the suggested way or another ... fantastic 👍
3:47 I have to disagree with your answer to #3. The real answer is, "Yes it does unless you use our super secret proprietary magic wax which can be purchased exclusively on our website."
I think most people have a problem with keeping the back of the blade flat. It actually takes a lot of care and knowledge - and experience from trial and errors to keep the back flat. Ruler shim on sharpening in good if cannot keep the back flat. If you have no problem keeping the back flat, then probably better to keep the back flat and keep track of only one bevel.
I’m not sure what you mean by this. There is no bevel on the back to “keep track of.” You simply don’t bother with flattening the back of the blade, and instead use the ruler to save time. I don’t have to think “gee, I wonder what angle I put on the back?” Before I sharpen. I just use the ruler.
Hi Rob , enjoyed the video, every video is a learning day and a dull day if you haven't learnt some thing new. I'm just into my sixties and returning to woodworking. I learned in a woodworking course to sharpen chisels and plane irons the old way. No mention of keeping your stone flat though. Diamond stones have come along since. What is your opinion on the best, water ,oil or diamond . I see you preferer a water stone. I dont have anything against them myself , they were good enough for our forefathers after all. You might have covered some thing on choice and care in previous videos, but as I relatively new to your channel I might have missed it. If you haven't, maybe you could do one? Keep up the good work.
Great little video. You touched on an important and yet very overlooked point about the Charlesworth Ruler Trick, the fact the flat back blades are susceptible to to cupped or bulging sharpening stones. Hobbyists may not be concerned about taking 2 hours to flatten a back, but it matters if there is anything less than a perfectly flat stone.
Definitely go with the new. The good old ones don't even come cheap anymore. I know its cool but time effort (in case you know what you are doing) and eventually putting a thicker replacement blade will cost way over.
Yeah covered in the sharpening videos, allows him to keep elbows straight and move from the shoulders to reduce risk of changing the sharpening angle as he sharpens. But check out the videos for a full and better explanation. I think the video might be called 30 seconds to sharp or something along those lines
The saddest thing about getting back into woodworking and having to replace all my tools is being retired and on fixed income very tight budget for anything not food or living cost
I've been trying to accumulate some quality tools getting ready for retirement, but piddly crap like brakes for my car keeps getting in the way. Still, I'm coming to think it's possible to get a good set up without spending a fortune. There are places it makes sense to splurge. A Trend diamond plate and Shapton glass stone make my old contractor-grade Stanleys just as sharp as my Lie Nielsen, and while a sharp iron isn't *everything*, it's by far the biggest thing. I am still ogling a Lie Nielsen jointer, but I doubt one would be nearly as helpful as a Cosman dovetail saw. Rex Kruger does a lot of videos about woodworking on a budget, and if you're an old fart like me, Paul Sellers makes an awful lot of sense. As much as I admire Rob's precision, I'm not doing this for a living, and I think it makes sense to takes some ideas from each of these guys, then relax and have fun.
It’s worth noting that the ruler trick allows you to service blades that are more twisted or otherwise not perfectly flat since you’re only dealing with the edge instead of the whole iron. I know it’s easy to say to just send stuff back a get a new one. But that isn’t cost or hassle free.
Rob, I just bought a WoodRiver V3 No. 5-1/2 Bench Hand Plane and the lever cap keeps coming loose. It moves back with the chip breaker when I retract the blade, but it slides on the chip breaker when I move the blade forward (into the wood). The cap screw isn't setting flat on the lever cap either, the lever cap is sloped downward towards the tip of the blade. So as the lever cap slides rearward it loosens quickly to the point it has fallen off in my hand while attempting to square the blade with the sole of the plane. Woodriver sent me a replacement lever cap, but it is no different than my original. I went into a local Woodcraft and two of their new V3 No. 5-1/2 Bench Hand Planes were showing varying degrees of the same issue. I contacted Woodriver Tech support and was told some movement is normal, but I can't even get the blade set to use it before the lever cap has loosened to the point of not holding the blade or even just coming off. They suggested that I contact you regarding this issue??? Any Ideas or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. All the Best, Chuck
Curious if you've put a back bevel on your lie nielson blades? The Charlesworth trick should only be used for old out of flat blades it's sacrilege to do to it to a new blade. Odd that you advocate using it on a brand new blade out of the box. But thats like, my opinion man ha.
Yes I use the ruler trick on all my blades, and my blades are all new. To get a sharp edge you must address both sides of a blade, either with the ruler trick or flattening the back. No blade comes dead flat from the factory. Premium blades, such as Lie Nelson have been ground really well, but they ate not as flat as they can be, and the flatter they are the sharper they will be so you have to address the back of blades. I choose to address the back with the ruler trick as it saves so much time
Is it possible that the reason my woodshop teacher insisted on our putting the plane down on its side (and you got a 'swat' on your fanny if you didn't - yes...I know I am dating myself to "way back when" ) was that with five or six classes of 30 boys (as it was "way back then") using the plane the blades got dull very quickly (and the class bully had great fun wandering around turning planes onto their bases...until he got caught and got five big ones on his fanny from the shop teacher)? That was a lot of sharpening for the teacher, and anything that the kept the blade from dulling in any way was plus.
Why don’t you use the bench pit (I don’t know how to call it in english, it’s called Banklade in German) to put your plane in? So you can put it down parallel to the ground without the blade touching.
Magnus, i tried “Banklade” in a German translator and it did not like it. You may be talking about what we call a tool tray? Either way set you plane down however you like
I have watch several to many of your videos and others. Maybe I have missed it but how much pressure should I be applying? Squish peeled banana, grape, apple… having a tough time sharpening. Am I pressing too hard?
Funny, until I saw a couple videos by people saying to set the plane down on it's side to keep from hurting the blade, I never even considered it. I set mine down on the sole every time, and consider the chance to catch my finger on the blade if it's on the side to be the number one reason not to do it. Agree completely with every reason you gave for setting on the sole. Also, the only time I pick up the plane after a cut is when it's a really long board like 3 or 4 feet or so. Then you have to walk back to the start point so it makes sense to pick up the plane and carry it back. I figured over the years I may have wasted a whole two minutes dulling the blade by keeping it on the wood all the time.
Hand sharpening a plane blade the Cosman style is easy...learned how to do it after watching Rob both live at wood shows and via UA-cam...it's a game changer. If I can do it, anybody can.
Thanks for the well done videos Rob, I have followed you for a few months now and have to comment on your exceptional presentation skills. You sir are a pleasure to watch. Stan S
HAHAHAHAHA "So dull you gotta get someone to help you push it" Hilarious! Thanks for the new vid. It makes my day to get that notification. Thanks for what you do for the vets too. There's gotta be a hockey rink in heaven with your name on it.
I understand your frustration with Question #1. I have seen people say never set your plane on the workbench sole down and then put it into a plane till with a wood base. I have never figured the difference if you are careful.
SO what are the holes on the left side of your plane mate. Noticed it in one of your previous videos. Did I miss a video when ya did it or am I seeing something that isn't there lol :) Thanks for the information mate.
Im a planing newbie, so this is very helpful. In terms of question 2, for newbies is it right to say what is obvious to seasoned planers, and that is if you leave the plane engaged on the back stroke, you would need to make sure the blade passes all the way back to before the beginning of the workpiece, right? If you start cutting forward again before the blade has cleared the front of the workpiece, you are probably un-flattening your board instead of flattening it. Is that right?
Went back and reviewed your "how to sharpen plane blade 2020". So if I understand correctly there is no need to polish the entire back of the plane blade, if the blade is already flat or concave(slight hollow ground)...you can use the Dave C. method. Correct?. If it is not flat either flatten it or get a new blade?
You understand correctly. You only need to flatten the back to where the chip breaker sits. Beyond the chip breaker it really doesn't matter. You can polish it if you wish, but it won't make any difference to how well the blade performs.
Larry you are correct, and Jim gave a perfect explanation. The beauty of the ruler trick is you do not have to spend hours flattening the back of the blade. Flat only counts at the cutting edge and thats what the ruler trick does. You do have to prep a new blade as I show in the sharpening video by doing the ruler trick on a course stone until you have a wee flat spot along the cutting edge (about 5 min of work) then do ruler trick on the 16k stone (or whatever us you highest grit stone) and get it highly polished (another 5 min for first time prep) them after that its 3-5 seconds on the ruler trick and you are good to go
The secondary bevel is on the coarse stone (1000 grit) which will make a jagged cut we need to remove those 1000 grit scratches and replace them with 16K scratches which is essentially polishing. I only need to do this to the cutting edge so by raising up a little beyond what we did on the secondary I am polishing such a tiny strip it will be done in 10 seconds
Rob can I use paste wax?? I can't seem to find the lip balm stick that you use Where do you buy yours?? Thanks for your knowledge I really enjoy your teachings Your videos have helped me greatly
I started by using just a small candle. You can buy wax blocks from almost anywhere. Here in Aussie Henry Eckert tools sell three wax blocks for under AUD $10. I have been using one for about 2 years and still have half left so in effect a lifetime of wax for a cheap price. :)
Since my bench gets many other uses and is thus not a good place to set a plane, I keep a small piece of the rubber stuff for lining tool drawers close by to set a plane on.
I think dragging the plane back sort of sharpens the blade, problem is it sharpens it at a slightly higher angle than the bed, really hard to tell if that makes a difference, it feels to me like it does a bit.
Planing a board is like a meditation to me. Picking up the plane every stroke disrupts the “flow” of it for me. Any affect of t has on dulling a blade is going to be so small as to not matter. And when you can sharpen it back to perfection in less than a minute who cares? It’s not even something that is significant enough for the woodworking community to be spending so much time pontificating about. It just doesn’t matter. Do what you want.
The 32 seconds to sharp addresses that with Rob’s gear. He uses a diamond plate 300grit to flatten the 16000grit stone. Flip the diamond plate to the 1000grit side and create/maintain the secondary bevel(10sec). Move to the 16000 stone and create the tertiary bevel(10sec) then 3sec per corner. Flip the blade and remove the burr with the ruler trick. Back in the plane and back to work. Btw, Rob’s technique is for the gear he recommends…I use it and love the gear. You can follow Rob’s technique with other gear but what Rob uses is really a great setup.
I don’t believe so. You need a perfectly flat surface larger than the plane. I usually use a piece of float glass on my flat work bench, with sandpaper glued on with spray contact adhesive. Sandpaper can be removed and the glass cleaned with a solvent as you move up through the grits, or if the glass is big enough you can glue the different grits beside each other. This will also save you burning out your trend plate!
No I would not. You need a bigger surface such as a table saw top, big piece of thick MDF or a piece of granite tile, the flattest one you can find. Adhere sandpaper to the surfaces and work through several grits to flatten your sole
I have a naive question! I get how a jointer is able to produce a flat surface since the outfeed table is a bit higher than the indeed side. But with the hand plane, the entire sole is a single surface, and the blade protrudes from it - so on a super basic level, it still seems like magic that one could ever really get a perfectly flat surface since the blade is removing the reference surface for the part of the sole behind the cut. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I believe it works, but I’m puzzled why. Love your work and channel and all you do for vets!!
I think the length of the sole means the blade lifts above low spots and bites into the high spots. At a point, when there are no more high spots, the plane takes off a uniform strip.
It has to do with the size of the plane. Longer planes essentially ignore the low spots, where a smaller plane would fall into them, and not be effective.
On a motorized planer, I think the cutting blades are perfectly level with the outfeed table, right? On a hand plane, the cutting iron sits below both. However, it only protrudes by a thousandth or two. The plane body bends by a thousandth over the length of the sole.
The other piece you’re missing is that a hand plane isn’t exactly like jointer regarding how it flattens. there is a limit to how long a board can be to have a hand plane flatten it like a jointer. If you had a six foot (2 meter) long board that looked like a gentle smile and you were hand jointing the edge with a plane, even a number 7 is going to ride that curve. You fix boards like this by working each side independently and taking partial strikes. Eventually it’s flat enough to run the whole board. But in general when you flatten by hand you don’t simply run the plane along the board the way you run a board along a big power jointer. You work the high spot, whether it’s on the edges or in the middle, until it’s flattish and then you can use a long soled plane the run the whole board.
If you liked this video then check out Robs Hand Plane basics Playlist here:ua-cam.com/play/PLqUOljnY0d9foFZY0OpBFiYNsefYhffsb.html
Rob you’re my hero! I loved that you said “it’s your plane…”. I think a lot of woodworkers get taught a technique. Obviously they respect their instructor so that’s the “right way”. We forget the goal: enjoy woodworking and be proud of what we make. Want to cut dovetails? The way to cut them is to remove the stuff that shouldn’t be there. Use Rob’s method, use Paul sellers method, use your teeth. It doesn’t matter. No matter who’s technique you follow you’ll get the job done. Are there advantages? Sure. But we should never say someone is wrong. In my shop I’m never wrong. Remember, there are no rules. Just lessons learned. 😊
Well said..
Got to respect a good teacher when his closing argument is "ultimately, it's your plane, do whatever you want." Thinking that wisdom comes from having raised a couple dozen kids...... and working with adults for a living. 😉 Thanks for the refresher course. Best of luck in the new year.
Happy new year to you and yours
Hi Rob. I saw the live show 1/7/23. You mentioned Super Dave who is quite super. But do you know there was a US comedian who performed under the name Super Dave Osborn who recently passed? The difference was he performed stunts like jumping cars over busses which always failed in spectacular ways.
My OCD mandates that I set it over a void or a kickstand. I am a plan enthusiast, however not a pro. Love the Cosman videos and the PHP. Very respectful and humble!
That works fine
Re: Question #4, I went through about three no. 4 size planes trying to restore them. The first two were junk to begin with and were cheap, so I looked at it as a learning experience. Tearing them down, cleaning, flattening the soles, sides and frogs, and working the irons all taught me a whole lot about how and why they work. I spent probably 8-10 hours with those planes, plus another couple on an old no. 5 that was a good one (just needed some TLC). I don't regret any of the time or money I spent on them. The knowledge is invaluable.
That said, my favorite plane is the high-end no. 5 i bought next, which needed almost no prep. So, I think it's worth learning to restore old tools, just to gain the knowledge and experience. But certainly no critical.
Always good info and refreshers. OK, now for a smart a** comment: Are the Canadian barber shops closed?
I think Rob may be going through a midlife crisis. 😂
Havent you heard that the Canadian barbers are on strike!!!!
I went through that sharpening video recently (several times) and practiced on some planes that were given to me that are over 100 years old. I have to say that it paid off big time. I have been working on a repair to the molding of a dining room buffet table for a friend. Having a very sharp pair of planes made the early shaping of the new wood easy and quite enjoyable. My chisels have also benefitted from what I learned sharpening my plane blades. I can't sharpen the blade in 32 seconds, but it doesn't take very long at all. Thanks for these videos that you put out. I have learned a ton.
Thats great. I love it when I hear folks have success sharpening
Always love a new Rob Cosman video!
And that's why we make them !
That time when you somehow grab the kid's glue stick instead of the wax stick....😅
That would not be fun !!!!!
That was my thought, too! 🤣
Valuable information, especially for a beginner, which I am. Thank you and all the best. Sincerely, your admirer.
Go watch my how to sharpen a plane blade (32 seconds to sharp) it will help a lot
Sometimes when using a shooting board for end grain it feels like I hit a brick wall, then next pass is fine. How do you avoid that?
I could answer better if I was watching you but my reaction is your blade is out too far; too heavy of a bite
With regard to the blade/iron thickness. I have Stanley planes and I was wondering whether or not the mouth of the Stanley will accommodate the thicker blades without any modifications?
It’s devastating that us in the states can’t get a handplane from you! When you mentioned that you do the prep in a previous video I went straight your website credit card in hand.. what a blow! I cannot get a hand plane functioning correctly. Maybe it’s bad luck but the wood river plane I purchased (and returned to rockler which they checked and didn’t blame me one bit) it wasn’t 90° and I’m doing this mostly for a shooting board. I’m contemplating getting a lie-Nielsen hoping that it’ll require far less “tuning” would you say that’s the case? Or do I have to travel to Canada and smuggle one of your wood rivers back to the states lol?
Your bench has a space for putting tools being used in between tasks into. Unfortunately it‘s full of wood blocks and other stuff. You might set your plane even on a woolen blanket, that your sharpened blade isn‘t damaged. You may do as you like, but doing youtube videos you might give some good advise to people when teaching as kind of social responsibility.
Peter Sellers says exactly the same thing about planes - there's no valid reason to set them down on their side.
I used to spend hours flattening the backs of plane blades until I heard of the Charlesworth method & tried it.
Could u please do a video of trouble shooting ur plane based on the kind of shavings thats Produced. Thanks
My opinion…Not your plane, not your problem! Do what you want. It’s yours!
I agree
Here's another question: do you remove the shaving after every stroke, and if so, why?
The only proper way to store a hand plane is upside down putting the full weight on the tote and iron. Proceed to dump all chisels on-top of the exposed blade to ensure compliance of tool. Taste for sharpness.
Interesting method you have
Like anything in life, you need to find a mentor to help you along. MUST be someone you trust and are willing to follow blind until you find YOUR way. Rob is the mentor.
Advice backed by MANY years of common sense woodworking. Words WE can trust! !! !!!
Thank you so much. And I agree with your advise
The only rules that matter are the ones that you find useful. All else is opinion.
Does your 32 seconds to sharp also work with diamond stones? The Charlesworth thing as well? Theory wise, it seems like they should. But, I'm a beginner sharpener and have much to learn.
Yes. In fact I recommend using a 1000 grit diamond stone as your course stone. See my how to sharpen a plane blade video (AKA: 32 seconds to sharp)
I set the sole of my plane down much to the absolute disgust and abject horror of my 77-year-old father who is an old-school carpenter & joiner. We have had some intense discussions on the subject I can tell you! LOL.
Yes I bet you have.....WHo wins most of the time?
Hi Rob. I want to try hand planing with a shooting board. Im on a fixed income and cant afford a $350 hand plane. Are there any for under $100 that you could recommend?
If you know what you’re doing you can revive an old Stanley. That usually requires a new blade and chip breaker.
Paul Sellers suggests that the reason people were taught to lay the plane on its side is because school shop teachers didn't want to spend all their time fixing blades that got nicked because a careless 12-year-old plunked the plane blade down on a screwdriver. As Mr. Sellers says, we're adults, and we know how to be careful.
Yes thats what I think is why too
Hi Rob, thanks for noting that on a new blade you need to do the ruler method with a 1000 grit first. I have not seen any other presenter mention this. It is something I discovered by looking at the blade under magnification. I could see the machining scratches carrying through right to the edge after using the ruler.
I took your advice from other videos and got my first 51/2 today. I am in Ireland so decided to go with a Clifton.
I am actually shocked at the difference between my Stanley 5 and this one. After sharpening the blade, I tested it on some old oak boards that were glued together, so grain in all directions. The result was like nothing I have ever seen, absolutely flawless finish.
Thanks so much for all your advice
Excellent information, gives opinion and reasons for why he does it the way he does, but doesn't preach ... it's up to you to decide whether you do it the suggested way or another ... fantastic 👍
Thanks for watching
3:47 I have to disagree with your answer to #3. The real answer is, "Yes it does unless you use our super secret proprietary magic wax which can be purchased exclusively on our website."
Thanks for watching and commenting
I think most people have a problem with keeping the back of the blade flat. It actually takes a lot of care and knowledge - and experience from trial and errors to keep the back flat. Ruler shim on sharpening in good if cannot keep the back flat. If you have no problem keeping the back flat, then probably better to keep the back flat and keep track of only one bevel.
I’m not sure what you mean by this. There is no bevel on the back to “keep track of.” You simply don’t bother with flattening the back of the blade, and instead use the ruler to save time. I don’t have to think “gee, I wonder what angle I put on the back?” Before I sharpen. I just use the ruler.
Hi Rob , enjoyed the video, every video is a learning day and a dull day if you haven't learnt some thing new. I'm just into my sixties and returning to woodworking. I learned in a woodworking course to sharpen chisels and plane irons the old way. No mention of keeping your stone flat though. Diamond stones have come along since. What is your opinion on the best, water ,oil or diamond . I see you preferer a water stone. I dont have anything against them myself , they were good enough for our forefathers after all. You might have covered some thing on choice and care in previous videos, but as I relatively new to your channel I might have missed it. If you haven't, maybe you could do one? Keep up the good work.
Great little video. You touched on an important and yet very overlooked point about the Charlesworth Ruler Trick, the fact the flat back blades are susceptible to to cupped or bulging sharpening stones. Hobbyists may not be concerned about taking 2 hours to flatten a back, but it matters if there is anything less than a perfectly flat stone.
Definitely go with the new. The good old ones don't even come cheap anymore. I know its cool but time effort (in case you know what you are doing) and eventually putting a thicker replacement blade will cost way over.
Can you recommend a good beginning hand plane? Thanks.
'Jesus Saves'
5-1/2 Woodriver. It will cover 85% of your planing needs. We have several videos about this subject you should watch
David Charlesworth what an inspiration thanks for carrying his torch
David is tremendously missed
Hi Rob, your sharpening station, it looks like your stones are about knee height. Can you confirm please?
Yeah covered in the sharpening videos, allows him to keep elbows straight and move from the shoulders to reduce risk of changing the sharpening angle as he sharpens. But check out the videos for a full and better explanation.
I think the video might be called 30 seconds to sharp or something along those lines
m.ua-cam.com/video/okLIEoz00v0/v-deo.html
Somewhere between Knee and mid thigh, depending on the length of your arms
The saddest thing about getting back into woodworking and having to replace all my tools is being retired and on fixed income very tight budget for anything not food or living cost
I've been trying to accumulate some quality tools getting ready for retirement, but piddly crap like brakes for my car keeps getting in the way. Still, I'm coming to think it's possible to get a good set up without spending a fortune. There are places it makes sense to splurge. A Trend diamond plate and Shapton glass stone make my old contractor-grade Stanleys just as sharp as my Lie Nielsen, and while a sharp iron isn't *everything*, it's by far the biggest thing. I am still ogling a Lie Nielsen jointer, but I doubt one would be nearly as helpful as a Cosman dovetail saw. Rex Kruger does a lot of videos about woodworking on a budget, and if you're an old fart like me, Paul Sellers makes an awful lot of sense. As much as I admire Rob's precision, I'm not doing this for a living, and I think it makes sense to takes some ideas from each of these guys, then relax and have fun.
You dont need a ton. Just save and buy a little at a time and be careful about your selection
Very helpful. Thank you.
I think David Charlesworth said on a 3-inch-wide stone, the ruler trick introduces a back bevel of 2/3 of a degree
sounds about right
It’s worth noting that the ruler trick allows you to service blades that are more twisted or otherwise not perfectly flat since you’re only dealing with the edge instead of the whole iron.
I know it’s easy to say to just send stuff back a get a new one. But that isn’t cost or hassle free.
Rob, I just bought a WoodRiver V3 No. 5-1/2 Bench Hand Plane and the lever cap keeps coming loose. It moves back with the chip breaker when I retract the blade, but it slides on the chip breaker when I move the blade forward (into the wood). The cap screw isn't setting flat on the lever cap either, the lever cap is sloped downward towards the tip of the blade. So as the lever cap slides rearward it loosens quickly to the point it has fallen off in my hand while attempting to square the blade with the sole of the plane. Woodriver sent me a replacement lever cap, but it is no different than my original. I went into a local Woodcraft and two of their new V3 No. 5-1/2 Bench Hand Planes were showing varying degrees of the same issue. I contacted Woodriver Tech support and was told some movement is normal, but I can't even get the blade set to use it before the lever cap has loosened to the point of not holding the blade or even just coming off. They suggested that I contact you regarding this issue??? Any Ideas or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
All the Best, Chuck
Hey Chuck, send an email to support@robcosman.com and ask for Jake.
Curious if you've put a back bevel on your lie nielson blades?
The Charlesworth trick should only be used for old out of flat blades it's sacrilege to do to it to a new blade.
Odd that you advocate using it on a brand new blade out of the box.
But thats like, my opinion man ha.
Yes I use the ruler trick on all my blades, and my blades are all new. To get a sharp edge you must address both sides of a blade, either with the ruler trick or flattening the back. No blade comes dead flat from the factory. Premium blades, such as Lie Nelson have been ground really well, but they ate not as flat as they can be, and the flatter they are the sharper they will be so you have to address the back of blades. I choose to address the back with the ruler trick as it saves so much time
Is it possible that the reason my woodshop teacher insisted on our putting the plane down on its side (and you got a 'swat' on your fanny if you didn't - yes...I know I am dating myself to "way back when" ) was that with five or six classes of 30 boys (as it was "way back then") using the plane the blades got dull very quickly (and the class bully had great fun wandering around turning planes onto their bases...until he got caught and got five big ones on his fanny from the shop teacher)? That was a lot of sharpening for the teacher, and anything that the kept the blade from dulling in any way was plus.
Could very well be the reason
Why don’t you use the bench pit (I don’t know how to call it in english, it’s called Banklade in German) to put your plane in? So you can put it down parallel to the ground without the blade touching.
Magnus, i tried “Banklade” in a German translator and it did not like it. You may be talking about what we call a tool tray? Either way set you plane down however you like
I have watch several to many of your videos and others. Maybe I have missed it but how much pressure should I be applying? Squish peeled banana, grape, apple… having a tough time sharpening. Am I pressing too hard?
Probably, seems the number one issue folks in my classes have.
Funny, until I saw a couple videos by people saying to set the plane down on it's side to keep from hurting the blade, I never even considered it. I set mine down on the sole every time, and consider the chance to catch my finger on the blade if it's on the side to be the number one reason not to do it. Agree completely with every reason you gave for setting on the sole.
Also, the only time I pick up the plane after a cut is when it's a really long board like 3 or 4 feet or so. Then you have to walk back to the start point so it makes sense to pick up the plane and carry it back. I figured over the years I may have wasted a whole two minutes dulling the blade by keeping it on the wood all the time.
I agree with you
Hand sharpening a plane blade the Cosman style is easy...learned how to do it after watching Rob both live at wood shows and via UA-cam...it's a game changer. If I can do it, anybody can.
Thanks so much for sharing
Thanks for the well done videos Rob, I have followed you for a few months now and have to comment on your exceptional presentation skills. You sir are a pleasure to watch. Stan S
Thanks Stan. You keep watching and we will keep making videos
Question: why are their holes on your favorite no . 5 1/2 WR? Is it for a shooting board handle?
Yep, I’m the works and every time Jake’s modifies the prototype my plane gets another hole! Kids!
Also; with the old vs. new , an old bedrock can fetch over 100.00, so you're already up there in price.
Exactley
HAHAHAHAHA "So dull you gotta get someone to help you push it" Hilarious! Thanks for the new vid. It makes my day to get that notification. Thanks for what you do for the vets too. There's gotta be a hockey rink in heaven with your name on it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Instead of wax on the sole I use GT85 spray. Just a bit and spread it with a cloth. Lubricates also the rest of the plane - and smells good.
I have never heard of that, I will look it up
I understand your frustration with Question #1. I have seen people say never set your plane on the workbench sole down and then put it into a plane till with a wood base. I have never figured the difference if you are careful.
I have had folks at wood shows reach across my bench grab my plane and set it on its side without even asking to touch my plane!!!
SO what are the holes on the left side of your plane mate. Noticed it in one of your previous videos. Did I miss a video when ya did it or am I seeing something that isn't there lol :) Thanks for the information mate.
Shooting handle in the works. Every mod to the prototype means another hole!
Im a planing newbie, so this is very helpful. In terms of question 2, for newbies is it right to say what is obvious to seasoned planers, and that is if you leave the plane engaged on the back stroke, you would need to make sure the blade passes all the way back to before the beginning of the workpiece, right? If you start cutting forward again before the blade has cleared the front of the workpiece, you are probably un-flattening your board instead of flattening it. Is that right?
Yes. Unless your trying to correct the edge or surface, always start with the blade behind the board.
What’s the thickness of the steel rule for using the Charlesworth back bevel trick? Thanks 🙏🏻
As thin as you can get. Doesnet matter as long as you use the same ruler all the time
Went back and reviewed your "how to sharpen plane blade 2020". So if I understand correctly there is no need to polish the entire back of the plane blade, if the blade is already flat or concave(slight hollow ground)...you can use the Dave C. method. Correct?. If it is not flat either flatten it or get a new blade?
You understand correctly. You only need to flatten the back to where the chip breaker sits. Beyond the chip breaker it really doesn't matter. You can polish it if you wish, but it won't make any difference to how well the blade performs.
Larry you are correct, and Jim gave a perfect explanation. The beauty of the ruler trick is you do not have to spend hours flattening the back of the blade. Flat only counts at the cutting edge and thats what the ruler trick does. You do have to prep a new blade as I show in the sharpening video by doing the ruler trick on a course stone until you have a wee flat spot along the cutting edge (about 5 min of work) then do ruler trick on the 16k stone (or whatever us you highest grit stone) and get it highly polished (another 5 min for first time prep) them after that its 3-5 seconds on the ruler trick and you are good to go
Why not stop at just the secondary bevel? Is the purpose of the tertiary bevel just to keep subsequent sharpening sessions to minimal time.
The secondary bevel is on the coarse stone (1000 grit) which will make a jagged cut we need to remove those 1000 grit scratches and replace them with 16K scratches which is essentially polishing. I only need to do this to the cutting edge so by raising up a little beyond what we did on the secondary I am polishing such a tiny strip it will be done in 10 seconds
Rob can I use paste wax??
I can't seem to find the lip balm stick that you use
Where do you buy yours??
Thanks for your knowledge
I really enjoy your teachings
Your videos have helped me greatly
I started by using just a small candle. You can buy wax blocks from almost anywhere. Here in Aussie Henry Eckert tools sell three wax blocks for under AUD $10. I have been using one for about 2 years and still have half left so in effect a lifetime of wax for a cheap price. :)
We sell the wax I use on our website. Paraffin wax will also work. Try some inexpensive tea candles from the budget store
Thank you
Another great video by a master!
Thanks Ryan
Since my bench gets many other uses and is thus not a good place to set a plane, I keep a small piece of the rubber stuff for lining tool drawers close by to set a plane on.
Great idea
Me too
I think dragging the plane back sort of sharpens the blade, problem is it sharpens it at a slightly higher angle than the bed, really hard to tell if that makes a difference, it feels to me like it does a bit.
It could get a bit of s burnish kind of like stropping
Planing a board is like a meditation to me. Picking up the plane every stroke disrupts the “flow” of it for me.
Any affect of t has on dulling a blade is going to be so small as to not matter. And when you can sharpen it back to perfection in less than a minute who cares? It’s not even something that is significant enough for the woodworking community to be spending so much time pontificating about. It just doesn’t matter. Do what you want.
Thanks Rob. You made a comment about cupped stones. Any thoughts about doing a video on flattening stones?
The 32 seconds to sharp addresses that with Rob’s gear. He uses a diamond plate 300grit to flatten the 16000grit stone. Flip the diamond plate to the 1000grit side and create/maintain the secondary bevel(10sec). Move to the 16000 stone and create the tertiary bevel(10sec) then 3sec per corner. Flip the blade and remove the burr with the ruler trick. Back in the plane and back to work. Btw, Rob’s technique is for the gear he recommends…I use it and love the gear. You can follow Rob’s technique with other gear but what Rob uses is really a great setup.
Shawn said everything I was going to say
I learned from the best
Check out the lettuce! Good for you Mr. Cosman!
Thanks for watching and commenting
Can I use my trend diamond plate to flatten the bottom of my 5½ woodriver?
I don’t believe so. You need a perfectly flat surface larger than the plane. I usually use a piece of float glass on my flat work bench, with sandpaper glued on with spray contact adhesive.
Sandpaper can be removed and the glass cleaned with a solvent as you move up through the grits, or if the glass is big enough you can glue the different grits beside each other.
This will also save you burning out your trend plate!
No I would not. You need a bigger surface such as a table saw top, big piece of thick MDF or a piece of granite tile, the flattest one you can find. Adhere sandpaper to the surfaces and work through several grits to flatten your sole
Are you doing a tribute to Mr. Charlesworth with your haircut?
much respect.
Thats sounds good to me. Of course David looked a lot better than me in long hair
I have a naive question! I get how a jointer is able to produce a flat surface since the outfeed table is a bit higher than the indeed side. But with the hand plane, the entire sole is a single surface, and the blade protrudes from it - so on a super basic level, it still seems like magic that one could ever really get a perfectly flat surface since the blade is removing the reference surface for the part of the sole behind the cut. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I believe it works, but I’m puzzled why. Love your work and channel and all you do for vets!!
I think the length of the sole means the blade lifts above low spots and bites into the high spots. At a point, when there are no more high spots, the plane takes off a uniform strip.
Robert Bamford's comment has the answer
It has to do with the size of the plane. Longer planes essentially ignore the low spots, where a smaller plane would fall into them, and not be effective.
On a motorized planer, I think the cutting blades are perfectly level with the outfeed table, right? On a hand plane, the cutting iron sits below both. However, it only protrudes by a thousandth or two. The plane body bends by a thousandth over the length of the sole.
The other piece you’re missing is that a hand plane isn’t exactly like jointer regarding how it flattens.
there is a limit to how long a board can be to have a hand plane flatten it like a jointer.
If you had a six foot (2 meter) long board that looked like a gentle smile and you were hand jointing the edge with a plane, even a number 7 is going to ride that curve.
You fix boards like this by working each side independently and taking partial strikes. Eventually it’s flat enough to run the whole board. But in general when you flatten by hand you don’t simply run the plane along the board the way you run a board along a big power jointer.
You work the high spot, whether it’s on the edges or in the middle, until it’s flattish and then you can use a long soled plane the run the whole board.
Thx Rob, an excellent tutorial👍
Thanks for watching and commenting
Top of the muffin to ya senior cosman
Sam to ya
Thanks for the info/review.
Thanks for commenting
That wax is good stuff!
Wax is wonderful stuff on a plane
What are the holes in the side of Robs plane?
Saw the answer down in the comments sorry for redundant comment.
Good...saves me answering again !
Great Video as always!👍🏻
Thanks again! Call Luther please
Thank you so much Rob
Thank you for watching and commenting
Nice!!!
Thanks
Very good
Very Happy New Year