Sharpening Handbook

Wood Plane

Image to the right shows nomenclature used in this outline. It shows a bevel up blade, but the ideas are the same for a bevel down blade (only the blade is flipped over before inserting into the plane).

Notes are also available on a different web page for Micro / Secondary Bevels.

Values shown in the table below are for the Cutting Angle and the Relief Angle. As the Bed Angle is based on the plane body you are using, these are not shown. Additionally, the Front Bevel and Back Bevel can be easily determined from the Cutting Angle and the Relief Angle. To calculate these angles, use the following formulas :

Front Bevel = Cutting Angle - Bed Angle
Back Bevel = Bed Angle - Relief Angle

General Guidelines
Type	Cutting Angle	Relief Angle	Notes
Bench Planes - General Purpose - Soft Woods - Low Angle	32° 27° 32°	-- -- 10°	Cutting ange could be as low as 30°. When working wood wider than the blade, crown the cutting edge or round the corners (or both). Using a 10° relief angle is especially useful for Low Angle and Bevel Down planes.
Blind Nailer	n/a	n/a	You will need to consult someone far more experienced than I. Leonard Lee's book is a good place to start.
Block Planes - Bevel Down - General Purpose - Soft Woods - End Grain	35° 32° 27° 45°	10° -- -- --	FYI : often, no cap iron is needed. Name comes from dressing of butcher blocks. Using a 10° relief angle is especially useful for Low Angle and Bevel Down planes.
Bullnose Planes	35°	--	Sharpen square across the front.
Jack Planes	35°	--	Jack Planes generally have a greater amount of camber on the blade. TM 9-867 Maintenance and Care of Hand Tools recommends that the end of the blade project ¹/₁₆" beyond the edge corners.
Jointer / Trying Planes	35°	--
Moulding Planes	n/a	n/a	Lap the face of the cutter. For re-sharpening or re-profiling the edge, you will need to consult someone far smarter than I.
Rabbet Planes	35°	--	Sharpen square across the front.
Scrub Planes	35°	--	Highly curve the cutting edge. Radius it no more than 2x the width, though it could go as small as 1x.
Shoulder Planes	35°	--	Sharpen square across the front.
Smoothing Planes	35°	--	Crown the cutting edge ¹/₃₂" to ¹/₁₆".
Spoke Shaves	n/a	n/a	You will need to consult someone wiser than I. (Leonard Lee's The Complete Guide to Sharpening is a good place to start.)

Notes & Comments

Information regarding Grindstones

Grind Profiles (exaggerated)

Scandi grind - This bevel shape is commonly achieved when using flat stones for sharpening.

Grind with micro-bevel - Many woodworkers introduce a very small micro bevel into their sharpening process. (Additional notes are also available on a different web page for Micro / Secondary Bevels.)

Concave grind - This is the grind achieved when using round grindstones (e.g., on a Tormek), though the concavity is quite small, especially on such a small grinding surface width.

A number of woodworkers will use such a grind for the shaping of the edge and preliminary sharpening. This makes the final sharpening and honing on flat stones easier as there is an easy way to ensure it is properly aligned using the two reference surfaces. (The picture is certainly exaggerated for the amount of concavity.)

Convex grind - This grind is not recommended for the planes.

Chris Gochnour outlined the sharpening process that he follows in this excellent article on Fine Woodworking. The embedded video is nice in that it shows how quickly he can resharpen a plane blade (the whole video is 6:32).

Flattening the back is really critical for the overall sharpness. There is a good video about that below.

Relief Angle Notes :
- A relief angle helps keep the force behind the cutting edge aligned with the movement of the plane (i.e., more in alignment with the surface of the wood than tangential to it).
- This is especially true for bevel down plane blades.
- This is also true for low angle planes.
Additional notes on Primary and Secondary Bevels is on the Chisel page.

A great general reference is the U.S. War Department's TM 9-867 Maintenance and Care of Hand Tools. Setup of the plane for various uses is nicely done.

Tormek Live Sharpening Class - Part 3 - Chisels, plane irons & Tormek grinding wheels

Sebastien and Wolfgang offer some great tips on the sharpening of chisels & plane irons using the various Tormek grinding wheels, including the use of the diamond wheels.

At 00:46, there is a great explanation of sharpening a tool with a radiused end using the SE-77 Square Edge Jig.

At 00:52, there is a great explanation of how to use the MB-100 Multi Base.

The biggest sharpening mistake woodworkers make (And why...)

... a video about flattening the back.

Fine Tune a Back Iron

from Christopher Schwarz on Vimeo

Educational Video on “Influence of the Cap-iron on Hand Plane”

from giant Cypress on Vimeo

Tormek SE-76 Square Edge Jig

Using the SE-77 Jig to Camber a Plane Blade on the Tormek Sharpener

New radical camber grinding jig - from Tormek

Tormek SVH-60 Straight Edge Jig

(no longer sold)

Tormek AngleMaster WM-200

Tormek is a copyrighted logo of Tormek AB. Its presentation on this site is used to help the user quickly understand when specific Tormek tools, jigs, or setting are being used. For specific information regarding Tormek AB, or its products, please refer to the www.Tormek.com.

About this site Remember : The goal of sharpening is to produce sharp tools, and these tools can injure you if mishandled. Safety measures should be followed to protect yourself and those in your shop. Be sure to read and follow all instructions from the manufacturer, and and utilize proper safety equipment. Never consume alcohol or anything that could impair your judgement before sharpening tools, or using sharp tools. Comments can be sent via eMail to me at SharpeningHandbook@Gmail.com.