I am looking for advice on how to fixture a wood plane in order to surface grind it’s bottom surface flat. The plane is about 20” long and has a very slight convex bow in it. I am guessing it is bowed .002” or so, haven’t measured it yet.
I was thinking we’d get a 1” thick plate as wide as the plane and about 14” long. Grind both sides parallel. Mount it to the plane using the holes that are used for the two handles. There is a single screw hole toward one end of the plane for a handle. There are two more screw holes side by side just behind center that hold another handle. Then for the part that would overhang we’d put a screw jack into the block to provide support.
Place the plane down on its bowed surface on the magnet and shim the two ends so it is as close to flat as possible. Grind the top of the fixture block parallel to bottom of the plane. Flip it over onto fixture block. Grind as much of plane bottom as we can over 15” travel carefully marking the stopping point height on DRO. Rotate the fixture 180 degrees on the magnet and slide the fixture forward and grind the remainder.
Does this seem reasonable? Is there a better fixture or method?
Yes, I know the best method would be to find someone with a longer grinder or to lap the bottom. But we don’t have a flat lapping plate nor do we have a longer grinder.
-Tom
I was thinking we’d get a 1” thick plate as wide as the plane and about 14” long. Grind both sides parallel. Mount it to the plane using the holes that are used for the two handles. There is a single screw hole toward one end of the plane for a handle. There are two more screw holes side by side just behind center that hold another handle. Then for the part that would overhang we’d put a screw jack into the block to provide support.
Place the plane down on its bowed surface on the magnet and shim the two ends so it is as close to flat as possible. Grind the top of the fixture block parallel to bottom of the plane. Flip it over onto fixture block. Grind as much of plane bottom as we can over 15” travel carefully marking the stopping point height on DRO. Rotate the fixture 180 degrees on the magnet and slide the fixture forward and grind the remainder.
Does this seem reasonable? Is there a better fixture or method?
Yes, I know the best method would be to find someone with a longer grinder or to lap the bottom. But we don’t have a flat lapping plate nor do we have a longer grinder.
-Tom