Removing the Rust Preventative and Sharpening the Blade

What Should I Do First?

The plane should be completely disassembled. Clean the adjuster and all machined surfaces with a rag dampened in solvent/degreaser. Old toothbrushes are also handy for this work.

To help protect against rust, apply a silicone-free surface treatment such as Boeshield T-9 or Veritas Tool Wax. Use a light machine oil on the adjuster. The plane can now be reassembled; be sure not to overtighten any screws by torquing them down too hard.

Applying tool wax.

How do I sharpen the blade?

First, polish the back of the blade, working your way up to the finest grit of your sharpening medium. The back has been lapped flat, so you are simply polishing this surface to the same degree that you will be honing the bevel.

Polishing the back of the blade.

The next step is to hone the bevel. We recommend using a honing guide because it quickly provides accurate, repeatable results. If you’ll be using your plane exclusively on stock narrower than the blade, you can proceed to sharpening the bevel.

The 25° bevel blade coupled with the 12° bed angle provides a 37° cutting angle. This is ideal for end-grain work in soft- to medium hard woods. For harder material, you may want to add a 5° micro-bevel for better edge retention.

If your plane will be used on surfaces wider than the blade, consider rounding the blade’s corners. Because the blade is only 1 1/4" wide, it’s difficult to add curvature across the cutting edge, as you might do for a larger plane.

Honing the bevel.

How to Round the Corners of the Blade

Round the corners before honing, using a diamond or oil stone. A water stone is too soft and will score. Start with the side of the blade resting on the stone, and draw the blade towards yourself in a sweeping motion. Repeat for the other corner.

Once the blade is sharp, it’s time to put your new plane to work.

Rounding the corners of the blade.