Removing the Rust Preventative & Sharpening the Blade

Before you put your new plane to work, there are a couple of key things to do. Removing the rust preventive and applying a surface treatment will ensure all the parts function smoothly and protect against moisture. Besides, the process of disassembling and cleaning the plane will help you become more familiar with it. And, of course, sharpening the blade is the first step towards getting it to cut beautifully.

What Should I Do First?

The plane should be completely disassembled. Clean the adjuster and all machined surfaces (don’t forget the area under the toepiece) 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.

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.

The next step is to hone the bevel. We recommend using a honing guide because it quickly provides accurate, repeatable results.

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.

Once the bevel is honed, it’s a good idea to remove any burr from the back of the blade with your finest sharpening medium.