The handful of you who witnessed the incident during the Midwest Woodworking wood sale already know that my block plane spontaneously disassembled while I was using it to check out some 8/4 incense cedar, with the various components flying out of my hand and scattering themselves across the concrete floor.
Surprisingly enough, I couldn’t find any signs of damage afterwards. There was a nick in the front adjusting knob, but that may have been there already. Anyway, once I got home I decided that it deserved the full spa treatment after an experience like that.
I disassembled it as far as I could, lightly went over the sole and sides with some 400-grit silicon carbide paper to remove any incipient rust, then cleaned everything with soap and water. After everything was good and dry, I sprayed the bare iron surfaces with Boeshield T-9.* Once that was dry, I wiped it all down with a cotton cloth to remove the excess.
Then it was just a matter of putting all the pieces back together in the correct order, honing the blade, and verifying that I hadn’t screwed something up and it still worked. Speaking of honing, I’ve been experimenting with some freehand honing techniques recently, and while the jury is still out, one thing I’ve decided to permanently add to the regimen is a final stropping. I bought a couple of Genuine Horse Butt strops from Joel Moskowitz, and—as he advises—use the rough side of the leather with some micro-fine stropping compound.
I suspect that the slight round-over produced by the stropping acts sort of like a micro-bevel, and helps toughen the edge. The net result is that the edge seems to last a bit longer between sharpenings.
–Steve Schafer
*I’ve also used TopCote (now apparently called GlideCote). Boeshield has gotten better reviews with regard to preventing rust; TopCote is less messy to use.
It is good to hear that even Lie Nielsen has the same problem as my wooddriver. It is the Indian, not the arrow seems true.
Hmm, freehand sharpening. Such a delicious course either to be served as a starter, main course, desert or all of the above..
Something that I tried and am liking is going from my last stone to a courser grit stropping then the fine green stuff. I’ve been going from 1200 diamond to the red rouge stuff then green from Lee Valley. It seemed to be too big of a jump from the diamond to the green. Before I was going 1200 diamond to 2 grades of Hard Arkansas then green stuff but this is working quicker for me.
Doh! the black stuff, not the red
Try CRC 3-36 as a rust preventative. It took Best Value in a shootout with many other products, performing best on cast iron (table saw top) and tool steel. That was in the July/August 2012 Fine Woodworking. It’s a light petroleum product with a nice smell. My Jojoba oil is now officially retired.
I second the recommendation for CRC 3-36. Excellent stuff.
Watching that fall and hearing the sad sound of metal hitting the floor was as close as I came to crying on Saturday (despite suffering crushed toes, massive bruises on my right thigh and a bloody shin). Glad the plane is OK!
You do realize that it was all your fault, right? I mean, you’re standing there on top of that stack of boards, towering over me; even without the red hair, it was the intimidation factor that made me drop the plane. 😉
And let me make it clear to all that Megan was NOT in the line of fire; the injuries she’s referring to were inflicted in other incidents.
It’s always my fault. Sigh.
Megan,
Were you hit by it?….Hope your doing better.
Oh no — I was far away. I was helping out at the Midwest sale; hard to avoid bruises and the like when lifting heavy lumber for several hours. Nothing a little ibuprofen didn’t fix…and perhaps an adult beverage or two afterward.
We’re any sort of adult beverage involved in any of this?