Sharpening Router Plane Irons

I would imagine that using the waterstones on the edge of your bench might be close to the best solution…sounds like that’s what you’ve been doing though…

Will you clarify what your “semi-reasonable but inconsistent” results are? I would think that if you find and feel the bevel on whatever medium you’re sharpening on and raise the iron a degree or so you could get a nice edge.

What grits have you been using?

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

use a stone. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to work.

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Hmm, I was just reading about this earlier today. The article isn’t specifically about how to sharpen router plan irons, but a few comments were made that you may find helpful.

http://blog.lostartpress.com/2007/11/17/Routers+Without+Cords+And+Without+Brand+Names.aspx

I polished the flat face of the tool on my waterstones … Then I trued up the bevel on a diamond stone and honed a micro-bevel on the waterstones. You can’t use honing guides to sharpen the L-shaped iron, but it’s easy work by hand.

Hope that helps.

-- Waylan Limberg, Warren PA

Good luck. This is not something I have tried.

-- Maplewood, MN

Thank you all for the help!

Dorje,
All I meant by “semi-reasonable but inconsistent” results is that I have had some success sharpening the irons, but haven’t been able to get them to the same level as my other plane irons or chisels… and, each time I go to it (maybe once every other month or so) the result ends up being different. Maybe I just need more practice.

Waylan,
Thanks for the link. I honestly think Christopher Schwarz was the one who piqued my interest in hand tools early on as a woodworker. Maybe I am putting too much emphasis on getting the blades to that “next Level” when I should be more concerned if they do the job or not.

Again, thanks for help!

Pete

-- p.

Man sometimes the answer is right there in front of you!
... I feel like a bit of an idiot.

For the last year or so I have been using the Veritas Mk II honing guide and its accessories which in turn has left my old clamp-style honing guide to collect dust in the bottom of a box. Last night while I was polishing a final edge on a new Hock blade for my No. 3 it hit me like a rock – All I had to do was clamp these L-shaped blades in the clamp, make a few adjustments using my protractor and “VIOLA” I had a ‘Jig’ to sharpen router plane blades with the same accuracy as my standard irons.

It’s hard to explain (especially at work) so I will photograph the process here in the next few days and post them for you all to take a look at.

Thanks again for all of the great suggestions and help!

Pete

-- p.

Looking forward to the pics…I can’t quite envision it yet…

I love that AHA kind of moment! Glad it hit you!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA