You Store Your Planes How?!?!?!- Question of the Week

15 Responses to “You Store Your Planes How?!?!?!- Question of the Week”

1. Wilbur Pan on April 24th, 2007 8:02 am

   One other difference is that the steel used for plane blades these days is probably a lot harder than the steel used for plane blades back when I was in junior high shop class. Today we have access to hard A2 steel plane blades, and my bet is that back then the planes in my junior high school shop had basic carbon steel blades, which were not as durable.

   But I agree — storing planes blade down is the way to go.

2. Steve MacLeod on April 24th, 2007 10:00 am

   I too store my planes blade down - and my shop teacher and Dad would have a fit except that I glued a +/- 1/4″ strip to the bench just back from where the nose of the plane rests. Therefore, the blade is “safe” and not resting on anything.

3. Jim Jones on April 24th, 2007 10:04 am

   I was in elementary school shop so long ago that planes hadn’t been invented. ;-)

   But seriously, why not retract the blade and store it any way you want? While working with the plane, put it on the bench either way, but down should be safe… unless you have a few loose screws lying around on the bench. ;-)

4. Herman on April 24th, 2007 1:43 pm

   Why do we always get caught up in how we handle our tools. If you wreck your tool putting down incorrectly you will learn your lesson for next time. Fine Woodworking teaches us alot of things regarding “ideal” shop practice that I still today don’t follow and, by observation of others, notice others are the same. Lets all get along and not get to religious regarding proper handling of our precious tools.

5. ALexander on April 24th, 2007 3:36 pm

   I would never put the plane bladedown due to the fact that if the plane moves that can cause damage. When one is controlling the motion there really is no issue, however, when the plane is moved thru e.g. vibration, that causes damage than accumulates. Let air touch the blade, not wood.

   Another thing is this: when two materials are always touching there is bound to be excess wear and tear!

6. Jaap on April 25th, 2007 12:46 pm

   Hi, I know both explanations and learnt in the past to store them sideways.
   So I did not bother how to put them.

   But recently I made some new doors in my shop. When making the final fit, while the (too heavy) doors were hanging, I used some block planes and profile planes. I soon found out that putting the planes with the blade on the concrete floor was not the best way to keep them sharp. I then thought : “Oh, That’s why I learnt to put them sideways. It will come from the old days when not all wood workers had nice benches, and you had to put your tools on whatever surface you had.(same for chisels: do not store them on the sharp edge, but rather with the edge floating above the surface)
   Does this make sense?

   Jaap, Mierlo, The Netherlands

7. Terry on April 25th, 2007 12:56 pm

   Hey Andreas everyone has different views on how to store planes. set it flat and that makes you an idiot, lay it on the side and run the risk of hurting your self or the edge by bumping it. well they are all wrong. only I do it the right way! Ok stop laughing. really the way I store mine is with a rubberized magnet on the bottom, you know like the the ones the drug store and bank gives you with a calendar to stick on the fridge but you throw it away instead. just cut it to fit your plane, stick it on and problem solved. you can store your plane how ever you want to now.

   oh yeah, has anyone else noticed that when you have a sliver in your finger your spouse calls it a splinter but when your spouse gets one its called a plank?

   well the box says speak your mind!!!

8. thewoodwhisperer on April 25th, 2007 3:08 pm

   lol. It does indeed say to speak your mind. You know, I just want to go on record as saying that my wife never gives me the proper amount of sympathy when I get a splinter (or a cut for that matter). She gives me that look that says, “See. Thats what you get for being a woodworker.”
   Ok, resume the hand plane debate. :)

9. Kaleo on April 25th, 2007 5:12 pm

   First of all you never put your plane blade side down on a finished piece that is just common sense.

   Second, if you put the plane blade side down, there in no way that the blade will loose it’s edge. The only way that that can happen is by use. If the plane sits there for a year, the blade will be as sharp as it was the day ou put it down.

   I agree there is nothing wrong with storing you planes blade down.

10. Jorge Monclova on April 26th, 2007 6:22 am

    In the Woodworking Online podcast #5 (Things They Didn’t Teach You in Shop Class” Doug Hicks talks about this topic. He basically explains what Mark said in his original answer. In case you are still worried that the blade will be damaged then he shows a shop made holder with basically a dado to fit the blade that looks very practical and easy to build.

11. Tom on April 26th, 2007 4:06 pm

    Never mind the planes, check out your homepage - did anyone tell you your hat is on backwards? Just kidding, Marc. Actually, there is another vodcast sponsored by a well-known wood crafts retailer where the fellow making comments either at the end or the beginning sets his plane down on it sole in a shelf.

12. Vic on April 26th, 2007 4:28 pm

    I usually work in shorts. I always rest the plane on my thigh. You get used to the pain and you get to chat up good looking nurses at the E.R.

13. Jason on April 27th, 2007 9:09 pm

    A guy demoing lei neilsen planes made the point that storing a plane on its side can knock the blade out of alignment. Although more than half the time I put it on it’s side. Old habits die hard…

14. Marc-Andre Cartier on April 28th, 2007 4:31 am

    As a professionnal furniture and cabinet maker, i keep my planes stored in their original boxes or blade down in a storage drawer. If I’m so scared of damaging the blade or slipping a finger next to it, I simply retract it! Don’t worry, steel is in fact much harder than wood and I’m more concerned about dropping the plane on the floor than siting it blade down on the bench.

15. Steve on November 14th, 2007 6:42 pm

    Speaking for all anal shop teachers, WE have to sharpen all those planes and chisels and are trying to get a bunch of 14 YO nose pickers to build good habits and take care of those tools. ;) If you lay it on the side in the tool cabinet, hopefully you will do the same when you set it on the bench.

    Steve

Got something to say?