Stanley #8 Plane Sole Lapping

Stanley #8 Plane Sole Lapping

This is a video of me using sand paper mounted on a piece of granite to lap the sole of an old Stanley #8 plane. The plane dates from about 1891. We did not realize the cat was trying to get into the act until after we were done.

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• plane sole lapping
• plane lapping
• Stanley #8
• jointer
• joiner
• woodworking

[DARKWINDOW77]

Don't be misead by this boob, this ISN'T lapping. He has no idea how to do this roperly-

[jimkoepke]

@DARKWINDOW77 So where is the link to your video showing how to properly do the work?

Yes, there are a lot of fine points to tuning up a plane for peak performance.

I guess the dark window moniker is because you are in the dark about the

rest of the world.

With the responses I have received from the "experts who only comment but never show the way" it makes me wonder why anyone takes the time to share their knowledge.

There is always more than one way to lap a plane's sole.

[jimkoepke]

Some people like to mount a plane upside down so they can move the wood along the plane instead of the plane across the wood. For some work this allows better control.

I do this when cutting angled edges to match up for octagons and such.

A shooting board is also an easy to make and very useful tool to have with a plane.

jtk

[milamili007]

Very useful video!

I've tried working on my #8, and I think I put the sole in wind. I *think* I was doing what you do in the video (I hadn't watched you until now). The difference is that I used a long piece of MDF instead of granite, since I don't have a slab that long.

Any advice would be very appreciated. Thanks! 

[jimkoepke]

@milamili007

I bought the piece of granite as scrap from a monument maker for $25.

They is usually one or two monument makers where there is a cemetery.

Check your local phone book.

jtk

[jimkoepke]

@milamili007 I used a piece of wood before I used a piece of corian counter top before I got the hunk of granite.

What ever works.

jtk

[vance7274]

DARKWINDOW77... I've restored many planes... jointers... jacks... smoothers... blocks... I fettled the soles the same way as this gentleman... Klingspor abrasives and a granite surface. My planes are flat and my irons are incredibly sharp. I get outstanding results flattening and joining hardwoods and softwoods. Until I read your comment I just didn't know I was doing it wrong. Now all of us are waiting for YOU to post a video on You Tube showing US how to do it "roperly"... We're waiting, Pal.

[DARKWINDOW77]

Actually there is only one way to lap a plane sole. What you show here ain't it-Maybe you should take the time to educate yourself on how it's properly done before holding yourself up as someone folks should listen to. Unfortunately you're just yet one more boob who like many others on youtube puts up a video derived solely from the monkey see-monkey do school.

Too bad you haven't a clue...

[cor256]

@eddy23170

Not everyone is a rude dumb bastard like you, and if you watch the vid and use google, you might just learn something.

[TheOriginalPoet]

hiya Jim, good video. I recently picked up a No. 8 at flea market and spent about two hours doing the same thing on a flat piece of metal with 80 grit. I'm just starting to build ukulele's and needed something to true up the joints on the top and back half's and seen a guy doing this using a No. 8 and it worked fine. After tuning up the frog, sharpening the iron and working the cap, I finally got to use it tonight and boy did it work great, I need more practice, but that'll come. Mark