Highland Woodworking Blog

Beginning woodworkers can take the flat smooth surfaces on our hand planes and other metal tools for granted. And sometimes the seasoned woodworker can as well. Even with the highly accurate grinding and surfacing that occurs at our factory, it can still seem like a bit of a battle pushing some planes across the wood. At least when compared with the same settings, but adding just a quick swipe of paraffin on the sole. I always advise everyone who is trying the paraffin for the first time to make sure they don’t let the tool get away. The first time I used some paraffin, I thought I was going to send the tool flying off the end of the bench. Friction is the enemy. To this end, prevention of friction, or additional friction, is worth the effort. One thing that can certainly add friction is rust. I’m sure most of you have felt a piece of metal that has rusted. It is usually quite rough.

Most people know whether or not they live in an area where rust forms quickly. Many times the areas with elevated rust are near a body of water (ocean, lake, pond…), but high humidity alone will facilitate the formation of Mr. Rust. Obviously (or not so obviously), the bodies of planes made from bronze do not rust, even though the blade is still a potential target for rust. This is because rust is iron oxide. The metals used in most non-bronze planes, however,  are subject to rust. This includes the blade, which is made from steel. Woodworkers will try a multitude of procedures to ward off rust. In our show kits, we will put Jojoba oil onto a rag (Ed. note: camellia oil also works extremely well), and wipe a liberal amount onto all at-risk surfaces. This usually does an excellent job preventing rust formation.  Unfortunately, there can be the rare occasion where even this level of attention is lacking. When we opened up our show kit in Santa Ana California, the tools in the top-most crate were completely covered in rust, but only on the surface facing the lid. And I’m not talking about a few little specs of rust. It looked like the tools had been left out in the rain for weeks, if not months. This kit was in use in Santa Rosa just a week and three days earlier, with no rust. This can be scary, just how fast the heavy rust occurred. Initially we were in shock.

When we finally closed our gaping mouths, we got out our ultra-flat granite plate and a couple of maroon Scotch-brite pads. This combination provides enough abrasive to remove the rust quickly, while limiting the hard metal removal. We made sure to retract the blades, but leave them in the planes, under the same tension as when in use.  Next we applied controlled elbow grease.  I say controlled, since we made sure to keep consistent centralized pressure on whichever side of the plane we were working. If we put pressure onto one edge of plane’s side, there is good chance the flatness of that side would change. This is very similar to the procedure used when sharpening a blade in our honing guide. Centralized pressure results in a square shaped blade, while pressure towards the corners will conversely result in a camber. Strangely enough, even though the rust was covering complete sides of planes, since we’d applied the oil liberally, some of the rust would release when rubbed with a finger.

We worked all of the affected planes, until there was no active rust left. A by-product of rusting is metal staining. Even after the brownish-red active rust is gone, usually there will be some signs that rust was there. If the rust is on a surface long enough, it will also cause pitting in the metal. When the metal pits, it also tends to have rough edges around each pit. These rough areas have a tendency to abrade the wood, so it is unlikely a plane in this condition would provide a useful surface. Luckily, we only had one plane that showed any minimal signs of pitting. The lack of more widespread pitting is likely due to both the diligence shown when applying the oil when packing in Santa Rosa, as well as the short duration since the rust began.

So what can be learned from this? Most tools made from iron or an iron compound are at risk of rusting. Another thing, which in my mind is a bit more distressing, is just how quickly the rust formed. And this was on intentionally protected surfaces. If you live in an area, or take your tools to an area that is prime for rusting, elevate your protection measures. This could include wrapping the oiled tools in Ferro-wrap paper, which is treated with a compound inhibiting rust, or using a paste wax directly on the metal surfaces, or buying a dehumidifier for your tool storage area. Additionally some include desiccant packs in with their tools, to absorb moisture. (Ed. Note: We have found Zerust products are also a great solution: check out the drawer liner and the vapor capsules.)

Try some of these techniques to see what works best for you and your area and also check with some of the local long-time woodworkers, to see what they use.  Do whatever it takes to keep the tool’s surfaces smooth and rust free. You’ll see the difference.

I hope to see some of you at our upcoming events, listed on the Lie-Nielsen website.

Lee Laird has enjoyed woodworking for over 20 years. He is retired from the U.S.P.S. and works for Lie-Nielsen Toolworks as a show staff member, demonstrating tools and training customers.

This article is a continuation of a two part post. To read part one, click here.

Now it’s time to glue the pieces back together. I use standard yellow glue for my planes, and it works great.  Before applying glue, I use the dowels to line up the heel and toe on one of the side-pieces. I then draw a line against the core pieces, so I know where not to apply glue. Repeat the process on the opposite side. Get all of your clamps together, so you’re not scrambling around at crunch time. Now it’s time to apply the glue.  Apply a very thin layer of glue on all mating surfaces, making sure not to get into the non-glue area.  Remember, if you put too much glue on the pieces, you’ll struggle with all of the squeeze-out.  After applying the glue, push the dowels into place, so everything is aligned properly. It’s a good idea to remove the squeeze-out in the throat opening before it hardens. I use a small putty knife that I’ve ground to a point on one side, so it gets right into the corner. After applying your clamps, let it cure for a couple of hours, or even overnight. That way you’ll come back to it good and rested.

When the glue is cured, cut the dowels off flush with the body.  Now it’s time to drill the hole for the cross bar. I bought some 3/8” mild iron rod at the local big box store to use for my cross bar. It’s easy enough to cut and work with, using either a hack saw or a jig saw.  I use a scrap piece of hard wood when determining which drill bit matches best for the cross bar. After finding the right bit, I go to the drill press so I can drill the hole for the cross bar. To determine where to drill, find the intersection of the sole and the bed. Draw a light line up approx 1-25/32”, then approx 23/32” towards the bed. This is a decent approximation, which can be modified on future builds, if desired. Make sure you clamp the plane body to your drill press table. You don’t want it spinning around and either hurting you or damaging your project. On my planes,  I want the cross bar to slide into place with very slight friction. This is so I can remove it, and re-install it while working on the final build, so I can cut the body to shape without worrying about hitting the cross bar.  I drill completely through the first side (with the leftover triangular piece stuffed into its original opening) and about half way into the other side.  This method allows me to “hide” the cross bar entry point, if I wish, by plugging the entry hole.

Now it’s time to cut your plane into your desired shape. Remember, it’s a good idea to have the back of the plane iron at least slightly above the top edge, so it’s easier to set or adjust the iron. After cutting to shape, you can use rasps, files, chisels, sandpaper, and anything else you desire to finish your plane’s surface the way you like. Some prefer a very smooth outer surface, where others like it to have texture so it’s easier to hold onto. This is personal preference. I usually use a chisel to put a bevel on all edges, so they are both stronger and feel better to the hands.  If you don’t feel comfortable with this, sandpaper will knock off the edges, too. Now that the shaping is completed, you’ll need to make a wedge out of the left-over triangular piece.  The fitting process can take a while, but it is another skill learned.  Slide the cross bar into place, put the iron onto the bed and then put the wedge between the cross bar and the iron.  Tap the wedge with a little force, so the cross bar marks the wedge where it makes contact.  This will show you which portion is making contact, and which area is too low.  Use your preferred method to remove material from the area on the wedge where it made contact. Reinsert the wedge, and repeat until the wedge is showing signs of contact with the cross bar, all the way across, or at least on both edges. (If it is making contact on both edges, it will apply equal pressure across the iron) It’s a good idea to work the fitting until the wedge reaches down past the cross bar about an inch or an inch and a half. Remember to take the fitting process slowly, as you can always remove more, but it’s more difficult to add material to the wedge.

If all things have gone well, your iron will not show through the sole of your plane.  This may sound like a problem, but in actuality, it allows you to slowly work the plane until you have an extremely tight mouth. This is important, if you intend to take extremely fine shavings and work figured woods. To remove the excess wood, you can take fine shavings on a powered jointer, use a jointer plane, or even tape sandpaper down on a flat surface. Whichever way you choose, just work gradually, so you can sneak up on it.  When you get close, you can also use a small file to open up the mouth, so you are removing less material and don’t end up with too large of a mouth.

Now that you’ve completed all of the build and setup, there is one last thing to remember. Sharpen the iron so it is razor sharp.  Dull irons just don’t ever give good results. If you aren’t comfortable with sharpening, this video provides some great tips.

I hope to see some of you at our events across the country.  Feel free to come up and say hello.

Lee Laird has enjoyed woodworking for over 20 years. He is retired from the U.S.P.S. and works for Lie-Nielsen Toolworks as a show staff member, demonstrating tools and training customers.