Reply To: Flattening longer plane soles
I’ve flattened the sole of my #5 and my #5 1/2 using 80, 180 and 320 grit sandpaper in roll firm on a piece of 14 mm thick plate glass. The measures of this glass are 115 x 15 cm. I,ve checked later with a feeler gauge (0.05 cm) and the gauge didn’t pass under the sole.
I’ve controlled carefully the pressure over the plane, mounted completely but with the blade retracted, and i’ve used only the forward stroke. You must try not to hold the plane too strong because you cant flex the sole or even break the glass.
I tried to do this using an offcut of kitchen counter, but it wasn’t flat and the sole ended with a concave shape.
I’ve uploaded three pics of the process. The grid on the sole allows to control your progress. It’s a slow and, tedious process and the sandpaper wears quickly, but the results are great.
By the way: I apologize for the MDF top of the bench (LOL), but it was made from offcuts for the garden shed. In fact, we could call him “the Paul Sellers-inspired Frankenstein bench” (LOL).
