Sharpening Ibex plane blades

[Richard500]

You’re ok. I don’t have one of these, but the angle looks to be above 45 or so. Shallow planes are down at 20 or lower. If you make a sketch of the iron angle and the typical bevel angle, you’ll immediately see why there’s a difference. Very high angle planes are specialized, and you’re not likely to see one, but they’re more like scrapers, and their bevels can be anything. Long ago, when power planes, routers and sandpaper weren’t around, woodworkers had to really understand their tools, and optimize them carefully to get any work done at all!

[sunburst]

I was touching up the edge of one of my Ibex planes and decided to snap this shot. Hopefully it shows the slight hollow grind and the micro-bevel.

[Jonathan Ward]

I was touching up the edge of one of my Ibex planes and decided to snap this shot. Hopefully it shows the slight hollow grind and the micro-bevel.

John- How do you grind your curved plane blades on the Tormek? Do you use one of their fixtures, or freehand it?

Thanks!

[sunburst]

Freehand, but using a tool rest.

[Dick Hutchings]

I'm surprised I don't see a little shine at the other end of the grind. Are you using a holder on your stone or free hand or is this just off the Tormek and that's good enough?

[sunburst]

The main bevel is off the Tormek. That surface has been undisturbed long enough for a little tarnish to form. I can hone the micro-bevel quite a few times before having to grind the main bevel again. I was trying to get the micro-bevel to light up in the photo, so no real reflection coming from the main bevel. I sharpen the micro-bevel freehand on the stone.

[Parker135]

Just to follow up on Richard Hustings' question, when you do a micro bevel, you're only working the cutting edge at a slightly increased angle, correct? That would explain not seeing a shiny surface on the other edge.

[sunburst]

...when you do a micro bevel, you're only working the cutting edge at a slightly increased angle, correct?

That's correct. It was discussed earlier in this thread but I decided to post the picture because I had just touched up the edge on my Arkansas stone, carried the iron back to the bench and saw the shine of the bevel in the bench lamp. I figured it would help explain what it was we were talking about earlier.
Basically, it takes much less time and effort to hone a narrow bevel to full sharpness than to try to hone the whole width of the bevel. The main bevel is hollow ground and the micro-bevel is a very slightly steeper angle.