hand plane blade angle

[Jim in Wis]

Does anyone know what the angle is supposed to be on the cutting blade of a hand plane? I was going to take the blade over to a friend with a machine shop to sharpen. He can put it in a precision grinder, but I just know he'll ask me what angle to set it at. Thanks
Jim S.

 

[Jim in Wis]

Thanks - I would have thought the back side was supposed to be flat but they are showing a slight angle there too. It's a 9 inch long plane, I don't know what it would be called.

 

[amguttin]

.20-.25

 

[trainer]

9" long would probably be a #4 smooth plane. It's the most common size.
you don't bevel the back side. It just gets a pass on the stone as the first step to flatten the back and remove any nicks, and as the final step to remove the thin "wire" edge .

A plane is something that you should sharpen before it gets dull.
Just follow the bevel that is there

 

[Angelfire]

As said before, it all depends on what kind of plane it is and it's planned usage. Some are designed for shallow angles and others, more steep. If it's a No. 4, I'd probably just go around 20-25 degrees and then throw on a 2degree microbevel.

 

[Nowater]

You can get a metal guide that holds the blade for less that $15. Set it for a 25 degree angle. Flatten the back of the blade first. If the back is not flat the blade is not sharp. You can use fine and extra fine grit silicon carbide paper for an adbrasive. Google scary sharp and watch you tube. Now you can add another skill to your arsenal.

 

[mrbreezeet1]

I personally think 20* is too low, l would go 25-30.

9" long would probably be a #4 smooth plane. It's the most common size.
you don't bevel the back side. It just gets a pass on the stone as the first step to flatten the back and remove any nicks, and as the final step to remove the thin "wire" edge .

A plane is something that you should sharpen before it gets dull.
Just follow the bevel that is there