Hand Plane Myth
George VondriskaIs it OK to set a plane directly on its sole? Is that gonna mess up the plane iron? Or is this a woodworking myth? What does hand plane user Rob Johnstone have to say about this?
As young woodworkers coming up in the field George and Rob were both taught you should never set a plane directly on its sole. The iron projects beyond the sole so the theory is that you’ll touch the iron down on a surface and dull it.
Yes, the plane iron projects slightly past the sole of the plane. Lots of plane storage areas have a relief in them that prevents the iron from touching when the plane is set down. But is this necessary? Check out the video to see what George and Rob have to say about landing your planes.
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4 Responses to “Hand Plane Myth”
So George, I was, I was in I was in high school way before you and before that I was in junior high school. Mr. Harvey was my shop teacher and he told me never ever place your hand playing straight down on top of your wooden bench. So I, I got your Mr. Harvey and I've got Mr.
Mathis and subsequently, and after that Mr. Pasquiinelli who so that was junior high and high school woodworking who also told me never said. Planes down like this and they would go to I remember the the hand tool cabinet which was like the only tool cabinet in junior high the the holder for the planes was built such that there was a recess there so it would rest over that. Um, however, you are telling me today myth busted myth busted, yes, that's not the case. This is wood, and these things are designed to cut wood and so if you don't abuse it, you know, it's like drop it from here, put it down flat, nothing will happen.
It won't change the setting. It won't harm the iron. It'll be fine if, if, if your conscience tells you you need to put it on the side. There's no harm in that either. But in uh the kind of the dose of reality we're jokingly getting to the point of don't set them sold down on a cast iron table saw but in your day to day you're using the plane, you set it down using the plane set it on a wooden bench, um, and then the other thing that people might comment on here is.
Is the little bit that iron sticks out going to negatively affect my ash bench top and I'm gonna say no like I don't, not unless you're starting to slide it forward as long as it's just straight down and, and I would think too with a few thousands that iron is beyond the soul of the plane this um there's really very little that can go wrong here again is the key is like Rob said, um, we're we're landing this plane gently it's not a crash landing, um. So if you do that you're gonna be OK and we're really saying this to keep the our cards and letters from being sent to us. So in the end do whatever makes you happy, but recognizing that um Mr. Harvey, Mr. Mathis, and Mr.
Pasconelli were not quite 100% right. It is OK on a wooden surface to just set them so down. Sorry, Mr. Hardy.
Your analysis leaves out one consideration: how clean is the work or storage surface? If there is mineral grit present, or perhaps more likely, iron filings from sharpening operations, this threatens a sharp edge. I lay planes on their sides when at the bench, and I have a narrow strip of wood fastened to the top, back of the plane shelf that keeps the toe of the plane elevated a tad so the iron never touches the shelf top.
A good habit to set it on its side, so you don't have to consider the surface you're setting on, or the presence of foreign objects.
My shop teachers said the same thing. Later in life I spoke with my high school shop teacher and asked why again then knowing it was a myth. His response was loud are careless and if you train them right they won't set it down on a metallic or concrete surface. I was trained to always lay out on its side. I do that to this day and I'm 70 now.
If I don't lift the plane absolutly vertically and move it forward a little doesn't the plane cut the bench?