2021 -The Basket Maker's Catalog
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The time has arrived. After months of service and dozens of rims, your hand plane needs to be sharpened and tuned.
This simple method uses four different grits of wet/dry sandpaper and buffing compound on a leather strip. You should be able to find wet/dry sandpaper and red buffing compound at your local hardware store.
NOTE: We now stock the Stanley Handplane, ITEM # 8508E. The older 5GH1 Hand Plane is no longer available.
The how-to information below may be used for the newer Stanley Hand Plane - you'll notice a few differences that are noted.
When you sharpen your blade you are removing metal. The coarse grit sandpaper removes metal very fast, but it leaves scratches on the blade. Each successive finer grit also removes metal and leaves finer and finer scratches on the blade.
The buffing compound will polish the blade and eliminate almost all the scratches making your blade razor sharp. Photo to the right shows the blade after buffing. You'll need:
Loosen the screw and disassemble the hand plane.
Scrub the blade clean and remove any traces of the paper shims (if any). The paper shims are used to close the gap between the blade and the plane body.
Place a strip of the 220 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. Note: The wet/dry sandpaper comes in 9" x 11" sheets. I cut the sandpaper into narrower strips with scissors.
Hold the bevel of the plane against the sandpaper and pull the entire length of your strip.
The trick is keep the bevel flat against the sandpaper and apply gentle pressure as you pull. Do this four or five times.
Turn the blade over and with the bevel side up hold the tip against the sandpaper with the other end slightly raised. Now pull the entire length of the strip for four or five times. See photo below. This will put a micro bevel on the flat side of the blade.
Photo shows the blade in position for the micro bevel.
Note: Most people like to keep the back side of the blade flat. I have found the micro bevel works well for sharpening a blade for basket making. However, you can keep the back side flat if desired.
Repeat the above process using 320 grit, 400 grit and then 600 grit sandpaper.
Note: Wipe off any grit from the blade when you change to a new piece of sandpaper.
Rub some red buffing compound on a piece of leather.
Now hold the bevel of the plane against the leather and pull the entire length. Pull four or five times on the bevel and the back of the blade. Your blade should now be razor sharp.
Test the blade on a piece of newspaper. The blade should cut smoothly and cleanly.
Photo shows a very ragged cut. This blade needs to be sharpened.
Now that's better. The cut in the newspaper is nice and clean.
If the blade does not cut smoothly, repeat the above process again starting with the 220 grit sandpaper.
Photo shows the micro bevel on the back (flat) side of the blade.
The edge of the blade is razor sharp - be careful.
Stanley Plane 8508E: Reassemble the plane with the bevel of the blade facing UP. Skip forward to Continue here for either plane.
5GH1 Plane Only: Now to reassemble your hand plane starting with the paper shims on the blade.
I use one-up self-adhesive paper labels for the shims.
Cut four or five approximately 3/16" wide strips from a label.
5GH1 Plane Only: Stick the shims on the end of your blade - one on top of the other - just behind the bevel.
Perfect rims are easy every time using the steps above plus a little practice.
5GH1 Plane Only: Reassemble the plane with the bevel of the blade facing down.
Continue here for either plane: Place the plane on a flat surface with the tip of the blade touching the surface
Using a screwdriver gently tighten the screw until snug.
Test your plane by carving a scrap piece of rim material. I am using 3/8" half round reed. Most likely the blade is not in the correct position and either will not cut the rim or cuts too deeply.
To fix this, loosen the screw, hold the plane and adjust the blade until you can cut a thin shaving from your rim.
To make the blade cut deeper hold the plane and blade with one hand and tap on the blade. Tighten the screw and test the plane again. This is my preferred way to ease the blade down a little at a time until it cuts properly.
To make the plane cut less material slide it up into the plane. Tighten the screw and test the plane again.
It may take ten or more tries until the plane will cut a nice thin shaving from your rim. It is important that the screw is snug during each test.
Once your hand plane cuts a nice thin shaving, you are done! Your hand plane is now ready for dozens more rims.
Get your hand plane today and start making the perfect scarf joint for your basket rims.
Companion instruction: How to Make a Perfect Scarf Joint for Your Rims
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The 'eye' of an Egg Basket or Rib Construction Basket is used to tie the hoops together and give the ribs a place to rest.
These instructions show an easy way to tie the 'eye' found on many white oak egg baskets from Hart County and the Mammoth Cave area of Kentucky.
Measure and mark the half-way points of both the handle and rim hoops. The handle and rim will cross each other at these points with the handle on the outside of the rim.
Make sure the joint area on the handle is at the bottom of the basket.
Make an indentation with your basket awl on the inside of both the handle and the rim at the marked half-way points.
Place a #18 5/8" brass pin or nail in the indentation on the inside of the rim and, with a pair of pliers, squeeze the nail through the rim from the inside to the outside.
Notice that the head of the nail is being held by the 'jaws' of the pliers.
Stop when you feel the point of the nail on the outside of the rim. Repeat this on the other side of the rim.
Next, align the point of each nail with the indentation on the inside of the handle.
Squeeze the nail all the way through both rim and handle. Make sure you miss the pliers as the nail emerges. Do this for both nails.
Position the pliers on your nail and with a good squeeze the nail will bend. Again do this for both nails.
Notice that both the head and the point of the nail are touching the flat part of the jaw tips.
Bent nail on the outside of the handle.
Head of nail on the inside of the rim.
The following video shows lashing the 'eye' of an egg basket using a wet 4 foot piece of 1/2" flat reed.
