Hey everyone! I'm an amateur woodworker starting to dive deeper into hand tools. I recently got my hands on a Stanley #4 (Type 11) that's in pretty good shape, but I'm curious about how flat the base should really be for it to perform well. I haven't found any plate glass to use with sandpaper yet. Would MDF with sandpaper work, or is a Lee Valley granite block overkill? What's the best approach here? How flat does flat really need to be?
3 Answers
I just flattened a No. 5 on a granite chopping board using 180 grit sandpaper. MDF can work if it's thick enough—it definitely gets the job done! According to Paul Sellers, it doesn’t have to be perfectly flat; it just needs to be reasonably close.
I think you want it flat enough that you can't rock a ruler or slide a piece of paper underneath anywhere on the surface.
A decent stone tile or countertop will suffice for flatness. I find MDF to be a bit too flexible. When the mouth, toe, and heel of the plane are coplanar, that's usually flat enough. Many people on the internet go overboard on this—your skills will matter more than having a perfectly flat sole.
Right? Don't get too caught up in achieving absolute perfection!
Totally agree! I've lapped my planes and found that your technique really plays a big role in the quality of your work.