Plane iron question

Plane irons should be lapped dead flat and shiny on the back, so that the arris is nice and clean when the iron is honed. I use a surface plate and abrasive sheets (scary sharp) to lap mine.

-- The days are long and the years are short...

Thanks Myron. There is no problem with getting the flat and shiny part—- but it rocks from one end to the other – kind of like a bowed piece of lumber. That can’t be right.

Is this iron a lost cause or should I try to straighten it out.

I’m not sure I’m explaining this well and there is not a good way to picture it.

-- Like a bad penny, I keep coming back!

End to end? That’s weird, but I don’t know how much it would matter. The frog should hold it at the correct angle for the cutting end.

-- http://www.peteroxley.com -- http://north40studios.etsy.com --

Yep end to end. I was thinking I could put it into a vise and give it a couple of whacks with a dead blow hammer. But I may do more harm than good. I’d like to think that you are right and that once I put it back in the frog it should be ok. Sharp is what matters more I would hope.

-- Like a bad penny, I keep coming back!

arris |ˈaris|
noun Architecture
A sharp edge formed by the meeting of two flat or curved surfaces.
ORIGIN late 17th cent.: alteration of early modern French areste ‘sharp ridge,’ earlier form of arête .

Great word, Myron.
Betsy you’ll have your work cut out for you. The back of my rehab plane was dished. It wasn’t easy to get it lapped out. Might be time to entertain the notion of an upgrade to a Hock, Lie-Nielsen or Lee Valley iron. All three are thicker than the stock irons sold by Stanley with their planes. I have thought twice about quoting Patrick Leach's Blood and Gore page. I won’t. It’s copywritten. But it’s a fascinating and humorous read and well worth the time if you are a rehab plane person, or contemplating a “vintage” plane purchase.
The point that I was going to make was, be wary of getting an iron that would be too thick for the plane’s throat without filing. The Hock and Lee Valley irons are nice and should work without modification. And they will hold an edge longer than the chrome vanadium stock irons. WayneC pointed out that you can get a Hock iron cheaper at Craftsman Studio than at Hock’s website.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

On my Sargent, the iron was bent after it exits the back of the frog. Not sure if that was a feature of the original design, or some ham-handed modification by an owner. It had a fair curve and it still seems to work well as it seats in the frog without issues.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Shoot, I thought Myron just hit the wrong button on the keyboard!! Simple solution, when in doubt, buy a new iron. Even a Stanley.

-- Thos. Angle, Jordan Valley, Oregon

If the cap iron and lever cap straighten it out and lock it flat against the frog . . . don’t worry about it.

-- Paul, Texas