How to Sharpen Planer Blades

A planer blade is a woodworking tool used to create a seamless planed surfaces on the wood. A plane uses muscle power to ensure that the cutting blade works as desired and as such, there is a need to understand how to sharpen the blade. 

It can also be powered by electricity, it is called a thickness power, and at this point, it’s used to flatten and design the wood to the desired shape.

Questions arise as to how many times one can sharpen the blade but this depends on the usage of the blade. There are two factors that one can put in place.

• The material that you intend to remove while sharpening the blade.
• Any other excess material that the blade may have as you begin.

Sharpening With sandpaper

When using sandpaper, there are several steps that one needs to think about and below is a step by step guide on how to go about.

Step 1: What is the reason for using sandpaper?

Ask yourself why you should use sandpaper. This is a contentious issue as to why one should use sandpaper for the plane, but the answer is simple.

The sandpaper is simple to use and less expensive than using other methods such as the use of diamond stones.

Again, the person sharpens the planer blade for a perfect job. It happens that the sandpaper produces the sharpest blades of all other methods.

Step 2: Materials

• Sand paper: Depending on the condition of the planer blade buy sandpaper with the grits that will sharpen correctly. This is available in the hardware shops. Mostly a fine grit paper which is black whether wet or dry will work well for the blade.
• Honing Compound: This is to be used for a final finish.

Step 3: A flat surface

It’s essential to have a flat surface like saw table to ensure that the sandpaper does not tear out quickly as you start the process of sharpening. To add the grip of the sandpaper, use an adhesive glue to fix it on the surface such that it is flat and smooth to give the desired finish.

Step 4: Availability of a Honing Guide

This ensures your safety and helps one to hold the blade as per the desired angle. It’s not desirable to use bare hands because it compromises your security.

Step 5: Start the Sharpening process

When sharpening, polish the backside in the first place. This is roughly a 1/2″. Depending on how the blade has been used starting with the lowest grit of 400, then 800 and use up to 2000 grit.

Step 6: Mark the bevel end for Honing Purposes

Since it is hard to know that you are honing at the desired angle, mark the bevel area with a felt pen. As you hone, the shiny area will appear at the tip, and you will be sure that you have sharpened at the right angle

Step 7: Honing the Micro Bevel

This is the last stage but very critical stage. When Honing the Micro Bevel, ensure you hone slightly steeper. The Micro Bevel should be the sharpest so that one can get the best finish on the wooden surfaces. Again, if you need to sharpen slightly while still working, this is the part that you can give another touch.

Step 8: Finishing

When the sharpening is over, you need to polish the blade using a honing compound. The compound resembles a heavy crayon. This one can be done using bare hands. Ensure you polish the bevel at the tip well while holding the blade at an angle.  The compound will dig into the MDF as you continue holding the blade and a perfect finish will be experienced.

People have different ways of sharpening a planer blade; it all depends on ones’ taste and comfort. Other methods of sharpening the blade include using of diamond stones. Once you are through with sharpening the blade, ensure that it is set at a desired angle before you start working with it.

This is for the sake of your safety and at the same time ensure that you get a perfect finish in the surfaces you are working on. In case you need to change the blade again, always unplug it from power, clean the surface with an oily cloth and replace with a new one. This will increase the lifespan of the planer and eventually cut costs.

Read more:

• Top 5 best benchtop planer
• Top 5 best hand planer