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Veritas Bevel-Up Bench Planes - Getting Started
Removing the Rust Preventative & Sharpening the Blade
We’ve put together some helpful information to get you started. Although this will be of particular benefit to beginning woodworkers, we hope those with more experience will find something of value here too.
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 toe piece) 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 torqueing 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.
If you’ll be using your plane exclusively for shooting or jointing, you can proceed to sharpening the bevel.
We recommend using a honing guide because it quickly provides accurate, repeatable results. The 25° bevel blade that came with your plane provides a 37° cutting angle, which is ideal for end grain work in soft to medium-hard woods. For harder material, you may need to hone a 30° micro-bevel for better edge retention. When smoothing hardwoods, a 35° micro-bevel can help reduce tearout.
If your plane will be used on stock wider than the blade, you’ll need to round the blade’s corners or add a slight curvature across the cutting edge to prevent the blade from digging in at the edges. Some woodworkers do both.
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Cambering the Blade
Camber the blade on a medium grit stone by applying pressure first to the outside corners of the blade, then to positions either side of center, and finally to the center of the blade itself. The numbers in the photo indicate the locations of these points.
Use about 15 strokes at positions one and two, 10 at three and four, and 5 strokes at position five. Repeat this process when using your polishing stone.
How to Round the Corner 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.
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From: $44.50
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From: $89.00
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$79.00
