How to Sharpen a Molding Plane Iron Or Combination Iron

How to freehand sharpen: • How to Sharpen Freehand
Sharpening tools I use: www.woodbywright.com/tool-sug...
Video on sharpening system: • The Best Sharpening Sy...
How to sharpen molding plane irons and combination plane irons.
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[@mx_nana_banana]

you’ve done a good job moulding this channel.

[@Rocketninja200]

He sure is a fine stropping lad isn't he.

[@frattman]

I've got a couple dozen of these old molding planes I've acquired, a blessed free day to sharpen them uninterrupted, and now, the knowledge to do it. I love it when things work out like that :)

[@michaelm748]

I have quite a few combination and molding planes but I have never used them as I have never learned how to sharpen them. THANKS James! You information and instruction, as usual is brilliant.

[@andrewcodelka5158]

Thanks again, James! One trick I like for these complex molders (got it from Shannon Rogers) is once you have the iron perfectly sharp and profiled, cut the profile into a piece or wood or even mdf. then you take the negative profile that is now cut into the wood and charge it with honing compound and voila, instant custom strop. Since these irons aren't used that often, if you strop them prior to use, you might be able to go a very long time before having to resharpen them - if ever!

[@rawr2u190]

From the thumbnail, I thought you were gonna build a PC for a sec. Oh this is so interesting, especially the one with the multiple surfaces.

[@mikesuckling8652]

I’ve occasionally used a figure of eight motion when sharpening especially chisels. Very therapeutic

[@XyerDark]

I'd say one thing that can be done is to keep a reference of the various profiles by putting some graphite or really anything coloring that can be put on the flat side and then use it as a stamp on some notebook or piece of paper in your toolbox, that way you will always have a point of reference if you think after years of sharpening you have overdone one part.

[@Hansenomics]

There is nothing like a sharp dressed iron.

[@ronaldwhite1238]

Thanks for this video. I was planning on asking about this in the next live I attended.

[@AllanMacMillan]

You've got all the details ironed out for this combination of sharpening methods.

[@justplanebob105]

I've watch your videos and many others but sharpening my spoon gouges are enough to cause an anxiety attack. Oddly enough, when I sharpened all my curved No. 45 irons, I had no problems with anxiety at all. Go figure. I really like the different methods you show. Thanks so much.

[@ssrattus]

A cutting edge video.

[@iainmcculloch5807]

Looking sharp as always. It's plane to see.

[@professor62]

You make it look sooo easy!! Hahaha Thanks for this video. Very helpful.

[@mimikay3224]

Perfect timing James. Planned to sharpen bei moolding plane today and now I know what to do.

[@JohnGonzalezFL]

The timing of this video could not be better for me… I just picked up a Stanley 45 from CIHI and was wondering about how to sharpen the cutters. Thanks for such a great channel!

[@cbryantbear6498]

Thank you James!

[@thomasalton2804]

Thanks. Now I understand how these irons are sharpened.

[@orellinvvardengra6775]

As soon as you had mentioned the folks that use power tools for sharpening my buddy popped into my head. Me and him have different views on things but not in the way of butting heads. He will say "Hey, you should get this power tool it will makes x faster" I give him the little reminder that my space is limited and I am not particularly fond of making a lot of noise.

[@marcbarash6045]

Thanks James

[@michaelgreen429]

Thanks for another great video.

[@Fusion_Woodworking]

Sharpen before use, less stressful.

[@waynehollard]

Excellent timing, today I got my hands on a Stanley No45 with quite a few cutters in need of some tlc, thanks

[@andrewbrimmer1797]

Great video Sir

[@MCsCreations]

Really fantastic tips, James! Thanks a bunch! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@LicheLordofUndead]

I like learning how to do sharpening even if I don't have that tool yet, I like the idea of creating a profile in the more complex blades and using lapping compound

[@DetroitSicilian]

So glad you shared this. It is much easier than what I was going to attempt.

[@lydiarol7892]

Thanks James, someone gave me a litter of (30) moulding planes and I am fixing them a pair at the time. Sharpening is not my superpower but maybe this will help.

[@johnford7847]

Excellent video. But it makes me realize that the Shakers had the right idea - no ornate trim. :) Thank you.

[@kennethnielsen3864]

Thanks for sharing.

[@berniesosin777]

Anyone else's OCD playing up because he didn't actually use the molding plane 😮

[@makenchips]

If you put shipping tape on the back of your sandpaper it will last 10 times longer doing the sharpening is he did always do it dry! Don't forget to clean your paper off when you're done you can use it over and over and over!

[@hassanal-mosawi4235]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@dpmeyer4867]

thanks

[@Orxenhorf]

With the half-round or round-over cutters you can run them along the edge of a board then use that same board to wrap your sandpaper around. They're also the cutters you're more likely to use and need to sharpen more often.

[@paco_vazquez]

Thanks James! You kept it simple somehow 😂

[@SimonWillig]

Yeah, James is always Wright

[@magicworldbyjorg]

,a cool video keep up the great content.. Thank you……

[@Kar0n]

I use a Japanese diamond cone file to sharpen my bread knife. I would use this method for plane irons

[@ianpearse4480]

“I tawt I taw a puddy tat! I did, I did taw a puddy tat!

[@tatehogan5685]

How do you maintain your strops? I find myself getting a bunch of built up compound that then comes off in chunks leaving bare spots on the leather. Hoping your keen intellect will help me sharpen my skills...

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I use a card scraper every so often to scrape off the compound and then apply new.

[@Rocketninja200]

Great video as always. Question.... Can raised panels be made with a combination plane?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Sure. It is not the easiest but the 55 has irons setup for it.

[@ovewalter]

Thanks for a informativ video! I have a old moulding plane with a notch in the egg and need to grind about one milimeter to get rid of that. But how do I keep the profile right? It is easy to remove to much in some areas.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

It is not easy at all for that you would basically end up reprofiling it. The answer to that is to extend the iron out of the mouth and mark it with a sharpie to match the shape of the wooden body. And then you grind it back to that sharpie mark.

[@Kliest3]

Recently picked up a stanley 45 from an antique store. Would a burnishing rod work similar to the sandpaper on a dowel for the coves?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Sure. Put the sand paper on that and go to town.

[@robertberger8642]

Hm. James, I thought you were a bigger fan of wave-shaped sharpeners?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I like them for standard gouges but they are very few where this actually fits them well.

[@JackFright]

Thanks, James. This is helpful. Would a 50 be better for making picture frames or should I chase down a set of the wooden moulding planes when I get into that?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

80% of the work I do a 50 is all you need.

[@JackFright]

@@WoodByWrightHowTo Okay, thanks. I'll put that on the list. Plenty of things to grab before it :D

[@angazi1341]

Aloha

[@nicholascook9584]

Would it be possible to use a file the help with the sharpening process if they are very fine

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Some of them are soft enough you can use a file but you need to be careful not to take off too much material. File takes a lot off very fast.

[@stuartansell9461]

You're a sharp one, ain't ya!

[@pettere8429]

Would getting the moulding plane soft enough to sharpen with a file make sense?

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

Some of them are.

[@davidlynn7161]

Comment down below.

[@chagildoi]

Comment

[@LuckySawdust]

I hear what you are saying about 'power tools' -- but I tried a hard felt wheel with polishing compound for honing my chisels, plane irons, etc -- I still have a DMT plate, but ... if I have electricity, I go straight from the coarse DMT plate to the polishing compound. Shaving sharp, every time, in under a minute.

[@alvagoldbook2]

Graham Blackburn suggests that the easy way to sharpen molding plane irons like this is to just sharpen the back of the iron.

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

You got to work a couple times but it's a lot of work to do that. It takes far less time to sharpen the devil.

[@berniesosin777]

Anyone else's OCD playing up because James didn't use the molding plane 😮

[@WoodByWrightHowTo]

I Shot footage of using all of them. But it made the video too long and I had to crop out a lot of other stuff as well.

[@berniesosin777]

Thanks for the reply. Fair enough. I think the kid inside my wanted to see it working.

[@jwydubak9673]

Comment down below.