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The blade looked odd with a 38deg hollow ground forming on it. I'll likely go ahead and finish it when I get back to it. I also invested in a shooting board from Tico Vogt (rather than try to make my own) to go along with the LN 62. Before it was built, I decided to have it modified for the Veritas Shooting plane. It is amazing for this use.

I purchased a site license for the new Luther video to show to my congregation for a Luther movie night - we do this every once in a while. The Luther movie with Joseph Fiennes and Sir Peterson Ustinov is one that I have used a few times for that, and every year with my confirmation class.

I have seen the new one - it's more of a docu-drama, but good. I know some of the experts who appeared in it.

Regards,

Larry

Sorry to be gone for a while. Busy... I did get the new jig for refreshing the stone and it did a perfect job- it actually looks new. I've sharpened all my chisels, but not my plan irons. I bought an extra blade for my LN 62 and started to grind it to a different angle than stock, but it looks kind of funky. Hoping I didn't wreck it. I am going to try Rob Cosman's sharpening approach for plane irons- a 1k diamond plate and 16k Shapton glass stone. I will likely use my Tormek mostly for lathe tools.

Thanks for all your help!

Enjoyed the Handplaning book...

Larry Becker

Larry and CB,

I see good ideas in each of your thoughts. Larry, I agree, do no harm. However, I would be tempted to try removing the grindstone with minimal force. Ideally, it might come off. If it does not, I would place your Tormek with the grindstone level and on top. Apply just a little penetrating oil. Add a few drops each day for a week and then try again. If this doesn't let you remove the grinding wheel, back off.

Regarding L-N and the secondary bevel: I have only good things to say about L-N. However, do keep in mind their recommended sharpening technique, well demonstrated in their fine you tubes. They recommend hand sharpening with water stones or abrasive paper stuck on granite. This works well, but would be labor intensive without secondary bevels. With a Tormek, the machine does the work, and secondary bevels offer no labor advantage.I don't think the wood being planed cares if the bevel angle planing it is primary or secondary.

In the L-N sharpening book is a photo of an eclipse jig with two pins added. These were custom added by them to work with the Tormek USB. I emailed them about this. Their response was that since the Tormek only went through 4000 grit, they opted to use water stones, ending with 8000 grit.

I have no definitive opinion on this. I will say that I believe a well sharpened, honed, and polished edge done with a Tormek seems adequate to me. (Incidentally, the honing compound breaks down; the 6000 grit designation is just an educated guess.) For the most exacting work, where one might want to polish the edge with an 8000 grit stone, the steel is being polished. Small scratches are being removed; the heavy lifting has already been done.

I would start with just a single bevel. I would not interject a secondary bevel until after you are very comfortable with the Tormek. At that point, you have a well developed point of reference.

Do keep us post, and don't be shy about questions.......Enjoy the 62!

Ken

That all makes sense, Ken. Thanks for the advice.

I got Christopher Schwarz's Handplane Essentials book via UPS today - All set to learn about "Coarse, Medium and Fine." Thanks for pushing me to get it. I've watched some of his videos and interviews on YouTube, and have a bit of a sense for what he's about - very much looking forward to the read. I breezed through the Wood Whisperer's book on Hybrid woodworking in a couple of hours on my iPad. Schwarz's book is a quite a bit heaver read (literally and figuratively). I wish he used color pics, though. Hand planes are beautiful things...

Larry

Hi, Ken,

I'm a Canon shooter myself - 35 years or so - now using a 5DmkIII and a decent collection of L-series primes and zooms, along with a Canon Cinema C100 mk II for video work that also uses interchangeable lenses - but I get the idea.

I haven't spent sufficient time studying the Tormek - I got it because I was trying to get serious about turning and actually did develop some proficiency at it - and sharpening the tools to do it. But I have to say I have never lubed anything on it, and am concerned that I may have ruined the beast. It seems ok, but I wonder what kind of drama getting the wheel off and replacing it with the new EZlock shaft would introduce in my life. My inclination is to leave it and continue to work as is.

I haven't unpacked the TT-50 yet, but since my Lie-Nielsen LA #62 plane and its extra two irons arrived today, I have reason to dress the wheel again. My first impression of the LN #62: I am not worthy... it is a piece of art and craftsmanship, and am looking forward to making it a part of my woodworking routine.

The literature that came enclosed with it suggests "up to a 5 degree secondary bevel" for this plane's irons. That puts my mind at ease. I see it's the same thing that's on their website.

I did register my Tormek earlier this week so I could download the new manual - I wanted to see the material on the new jigs. My Tormek is pre-serial number, so it took me a second or two to sort out how to register it.

I have to do quite a bit at work in the early part of this week - school start-up, computer troubleshooting (part of my role here), playing guitar at the school's chapel service, and the usual staff and council meetings, counselling, and so on that goes with the position - I plan to work on the irons later this week. I want to, as the material suggests, give the new blade some slight honing - on the leather wheel, I imagine?

Anyway, I'll post back on this topic how it goes.

Thanks!

Larry

Ken,

I DO plan to start with just the single bevel and NO cambering and use the plane as it comes - then add the cambering. The secondary bevel, I freely admit, is a new thing for me. I'll wait to do it and research it a bit. Christopher Schwarz's book is on the way.

I actually have a large CNC-milled baltic birch triangle for setting up my Festool MFT table. I have found it extremely accurate, and plan to use it for setting up a shooting board...

Larry

Thank you all for your welcome and advice!

I think that, with the upgrades I've made to my Supergrind 2000 (SE-77, TT-50, the US-105, and the turntable!), I've spent my limit on sharpening material for now, and will see how it goes. The new plane arrives later this week and I'll hone it up, try it out, add a secondary bevel (thanks for the helpful chart, Rich!), and start making shavings. I did order the additional irons for the L-N LA Jack, so I'll have some angle options to try out as well, and more sharpening to do.

I've also ordered Christopher Schwarz's Handplane Essentials book (hard cover, revised version) and The Wood Whisperer's Hybrid Woodworking book (it seemed fitting to get that as a digital download).

I find myself wanting to build a shooting board - that might be a project for the near future. Stumpy Nubs has some plans for one that I might get (http://www.stumpynubs.com/bench-hook.html ) I've always wanted to build one, but not just a simple one - and I've had concerns about getting the angles perfect. I think I can make it work ok.

Larry

Ken,
I agree - I'm not that dedicated to spend the nearly $500 for the SJ-250 and Ezylock, though it is interesting that they are available.

Coincidentally, I did also buy the new TT-50. I was never really good with the old version, but was ok with it. I was hoping I could get a smoother stone with it. I do typically make good use of the fine side of the stone grader.

I think I will experiment with grinding the bevel with the camber, and putting a secondary bevel, again with the camber, and see if I can reliably regrind and hone the secondary bevel, again, following the camber with the jig. I would worry that grinding a secondary bevel on a wet stone would undo the camber.

Oddly, I am right now finishing a planning meeting for a Reformation event we are hosting in October for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Someone suggested I dress up as Luther, and then the we're talking about a game of Pin the 95 Theses on Luther... I declined politely.

Larry

With just one machine, I can't really see swapping stones as being a time-efficient way of sharpening.

Welcome to the forum.

Does your Tormek have the EzyLock setup?  It makes stone swapping pretty quick and easy. 

Worth the upgrade if you need to change out stones very much... or to store, clean etc.  (I went for years banging the nut on and off with a wrench and hammer... the EzyLock is just a simple twist to loosen, and comes right off.  Love it).   

No, mine doesn't have it, but it looks like it could be added - but just saw that the Japanese stone is almost $400! Yikes!

So - asking again, couldn't the secondary bevel be cut on the regular stone that's been graded? Not as good, I'm sure, but...

Welcome to the forum, Larry.

For many years I reserved the last page of my journal for planned tool purchases. Your list of handplanes could have been copy-pasted from my wish list. Lie-Nielsen makes world class tools, and you have selected from among the pick of the litter.

I will state upfront that I have no personal hands on experience with any L-N planes. My wife and I have been very full time care givers for our grandchildren since 2005, and my workshop has become an occasional utility shop. However, I still have the interest. Do not feel sorry for me; since 1972 I have been the second owner of a very nice set of 1909 vintage Stanley Bedrock planes.

This also means that my plane sharpening experience is with thinner, carbon steel blades.

I like the new SE-77 square edge jig. For some reason, the marketing seems to focus on being able to adjust for squareness with chisels. In my opinion, where it really shines is with adjustable, controlled, repeatable camber for plane blades. Camber is what separates the cabinetmaker from the carpenter planing down a too tight door. "Camber" is not just one setting. A skilled cabinetmaker will vary the amount of camber depending on the function of the plane.

If you google "Charlesworth plane camber" you will find an excellent you tube on using the SE-77 jig done by David  Charlesworth, a world class English woodworker and teacher.

Another outstanding woodworker and writer is Christopher Schwarz. Chris writes a couple blogs. His Handplane Essentials has been a staple in my personal reference library for years. It should be an essential part of your library, also. The link at the bottom is for his revised edition. Chris is a woodworking historical scholar as well as a practicing woodworker. As a writer, his work is both readable and well founded. You will want to own his book(s) for both learning and reference.

I have all three of the square edge jigs Tormek has made over the years. The first jig is useful for sharpening large "pig sticker" mortising chisels. It will handle very thick chisels. For everything else, the SE-76 and SE-77 jigs have eclipsed it. I like the fixed 90º fence of the SE-76. In a perfect world, with a perfectly made chisel, a perfectly trued grinding wheel, and perfect hand technique, every chisel would be square. In our world, some "fiddliness" is just part of our sharpening technique. The square registration fence give us a head start.

For good plane work, it is worth careful study and practice with the camber adjustments of the SE-77. It is a versatile, well made tool, capable of refined edges. It does not have a one click button to restore everything to neutral. It is a tool for the thinking craftsman. Spend some time bevoming familiar with it; your time will be well rewarded. With it, you can control the camber for your desired thickness of shaving. Your planing technique will take a giant step forward.

Enjoy, and keep posting.

Ken



http://www.shopwoodworking.com/handplane-essentials-revised-and-expanded-hardcover

Hi, Ken, and thanks for the reply!

Back when the Wood shows used to come to California, I saw a L-N display booth and was completely taken with the craftsmanship and beauty, and visions of what I could accomplish with them flooded my head. Then the realities of a 60-70 hour/week job (Sr. Pastor of a Lutheran Church/School/Preschool) hit, along with raising a family - and my time for such things diminished. I have a fair collection of power tools, and have been bitten HARD by the Festool bug and use many of their tools regularly for home projects.

My current project is replacing all the old red oak in my kitchen cabinets with hard maple that sometimes has a bit of odd grain. It has been difficult to work that grain with power tools - though by upgrading my planer's head to a spiral helix configuration with carbide cutters, I was able to overcome much of the problem on the faces of the wood - but on the edges, even taking care and going slow I had issues. I even bought a Festool spiral blade power planer and, while it helped with much of the tearout, it introduced some other issues. My shop is fairly well equipped with other power tools (Delta Unisaw, Laguna band saw and 12" jointer/planer, and so on).

I happened upon a WoodWhisperer (I think - can't find it) video of the Lie-Nielsen low angle jack plane, and his description of how he used it with his power tools as a kind of hybrid woodworker, really caught my attention, and maybe describes the direction I'm heading in. I am headed in the direction of CNC routers, and upgraded my router table to a setup with 3 CNC stepper motors and is programmable for the height and distance from the fence, so I'm part-way there.  (EDIT: Here's the video link: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/tools/woodworking-hand-tools/handplane-need )

I did discover David Charlesworth's video on the SE-77 jig - and promptly went out and bought the jig.

I have been somewhat familiar with Christopher Schwarz, and actually have his book in my Amazon cart, trying to decide if I want paper or electronic (leaning for paper). I have an older version of Garrett Hack's The Handplane Book - it has some helpful info, but it seems more of a general overview of the subject.

I have one and 3/4 grandchildren (the 3/4 one is due in October), and am looking forward to that aspect of life, AND am enjoying doing projects with my two sons. They are now coming back to me for help with projects, though they weren't much interested growing up. But I've been working with wood in some fashion for 30 years as a hobby - I've picked up a few things

Thanks again for the reply and the suggestions!

Larry

Larry,

Indeed.  I outlined it on www.SharpeningHandbook.info.  I use the SJ stone for this.

Kind regards,
Rich

Thanks, Rich - I read through the part on planes - I wasn't fully aware that there were other stones available for the Tormek. Do you swap the wheels, or do you have a secondary (smaller?) Tormek for that?  With just one machine, I can't really see swapping stones as being a time-efficient way of sharpening. CAN one, in your opinion, do a secondary bevel on the regular SG-250 stone?

Honestly, I had not ever done a secondary bevel - but it really sounds like a good idea and I plan to implement it on my planes. Even with a slight camber, it should be possible to do with the SE-77.

Thanks again -

Larry

Hi - I've used my Tormek SuperGrind 2000 off and on over the past 15 years or so with some success, but have recently decided to delve back into the world of hand planes. I have a few - a LN low angle block plane, a LN chisel plane (the large one), a Record block plane, a cheapie Stanley #4, and I just ordered a LN #63 low angle jack plane - very excited about that!

To resurrect my SuperGrind 2000, I bought a SE-77 jig that's capable of cambering - which I had not heard of before - and also a new Tormek US-105 with the adjustment wheel (oh, and a turntable - cool!). I understand how the cambering works - interesting little swivel mechanism - though I do not know how much camber to put on the jack plane's iron for, say, flattening edges of boards (any suggestions?).

My main questions is how to put a secondary bevel on a plane iron with the Tormek SE-77. Is it a good idea? Or possible? Despite my budding plane collection, I'm pretty new at any serious sharpening. With the LN #62, I ordered 2 extra blades to put at different angles (per the LN web site: 25 degree standard use included, 33 for smoothing, 38 for wavy grain)for various uses). Sounds like a lot of fun! 

Any suggestions on secondary bevels would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Larry