# Curious about Corrugated Bottom Planes



## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I bought a Plane with a Corrugated Bottom and was just wondering if it will restrict my use. I don’t know much about Planes and I guess the 1st thing I need to do learn how to sharpen it, but I bought it specifically for use with a “Shooting Board”. 
Can I use this Corrugated Bottom Plane with a Shooting Board to straighten out miters?


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

It is my understanding that corrugated bottom was to cut down on drag- I see no reason that it would not work for stated use. I am interested in response from those that know!!!


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

mike1950 said:


> It is my understanding that corrugated bottom was to cut down on drag- I see no reason that it would not work for stated use. I am interested in response from those that know!!!


Thanks Mike, I didn't realize that was corrugated until after I bought it and Hope I don't have to buy another one. :laughing:


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## john sayles (May 27, 2013)

Let's get the corrugated sole question out of the way first. There is absolutely no evidence that a corrugated sole results in reduced drag.
(it was, most likely, a marketing gimmick)

A paraffin waxed sole beats a corrugated sole any day if friction is a real concern.

To answer your main point: the portion of the sole which makes contact with the chute wall on your shooting board is a tiny strip just outboard of the mouth, running the length of the plane. You are fine with a corrugated sole.


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

john sayles said:


> Let's get the corrugated sole question out of the way first. There is absolutely no evidence that a corrugated sole results in reduced drag.
> (it was, most likely, a marketing gimmick)
> 
> A paraffin waxed sole beats a corrugated sole any day if friction is a real concern.
> ...


John, I agree it probably was just a gimmick to sell more planes. Sure makes for less area to flatten though. :yes:


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Sleeper said:


> Thanks Mike, I didn't realize that was corrugated until after I bought it and Hope I don't have to buy another one. :laughing:


Don't feel bad I just bought a 5 that turned out to be corrugated - but at 9.95 I cannot complain...........


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## john sayles (May 27, 2013)

mike1950 said:


> Sure makes for less area to flatten though. :yes:


Agreed!
(btw Mike - hope my post didn't seem directed at you -- it wasn't)


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## Wema826 (Jul 22, 2012)

john sayles said:


> Let's get the corrugated sole question out of the way first. There is absolutely no evidence that a corrugated sole results in reduced drag.
> (it was, most likely, a marketing gimmick)
> 
> A paraffin waxed sole beats a corrugated sole any day if friction is a real concern.


Agreed mostly, I dont find any friction difference between the two. when both are waxed. I would like to add that lapping or flattening a corrugated sole is a little quicker then a non corrugated sole since there is less material that is being removed due to the corrugations. and to be honest. when flattening as long as the toe, mouth and heal are all coplaner and flat there is minimal benifit to the entire sole being coplaner meaning if you have a small low spot that is not in the front edge of the toe or near the mouth or on the heal you should be fine. just keep it waxed and enjoy the whisper thin shavings. (the kiddo's love 'em)!


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

mike1950 said:


> John, I agree it probably was just a gimmick to sell more planes. Sure makes for less area to flatten though. :yes:


 :huh: OK I’m just getting over the fact that I have to learn how to sharpen the iron and now there is a new factor here.
What is flattening and how often do I have to do that?


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Sleeper said:


> What is flattening and how often do I have to do that?


The biggest difference I have observed with corrugated soles is that for my eyes it is not as easy to sight the blade as with a smooth sole. Something about the corrugations makes it more difficult to see the edge of the blade as easily for my eyes as a smooth sole.

I am presuming you have a vintage plane. These were famous for the soles of the plane not being flat.

I have a couple of dozen vintage hand bench planes and have restored perhaps another 6 or 8.

So far I have needed to flatten the soles on all of the planes. Some more than others.

Some were not flat out of the factory. Most have concave soles due to wear over time. This is expected. Many of these planes have decades of hard use.

Flattening and lapping means the same - getting the sole flat. Wema826 mentioned the most important area to be flat which is the toe and around the mouth. This only needs to be done once.

For example, I have experienced that if the leading edge of the mouth is not flat, the shavings will not be consistent thickness.

I use a granite slab as my flat reference surface. I flatten the sole first with 80 grit, then 100 grit. I do not go above 120 grit. 

Mark the toe area to the exit of the mouth with indelible pen so you can tell when this area is flat. You can stop when this area is flat.

You mentioned wanting to use this plane on a shooting board.

After you flatten the sole you want to check the sides to see if they are 90 deg to the sole. My vintage planes are almost never 90 deg to the sole.

For my shooting board, I use a Veritas Low Angle Smoother, which does have sides which are 90 deg.

You can sand the sides to get them 90 deg to the sole, but you will need some sort of jig to hold the sole at 90 deg to the sanding surface.

The corrugated sole will work the same as a smooth sole for planing or use in a shooting board.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Thanks Dave and yes it is a vintage plane. The Veritas Low Angle Smoother sure is a beautiful plane but way too expensive for me and that’s why I turned to eBay. Only now you really have me worried and this is exactly why I try to stay away from planes. :shifty:

Anyway I guess now I’ll have to buy a granite slab


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Looks like a decent user plane. The blade has been sharpened a lot, but should still work for your shooting board.

If you want to dedicate this for shooting board use, you can glue a piece of wood on the side, then rip this square on the table saw. It will make the side thicker, but you can account for this in the shooting board design.

Woodcraft sell granite slabs they call them granite surface plates.

Any flat surface will work. You can use the table saw top. Just wipe up the top afterwards to clean off any abrasive particles.

I will flatten the sole and sharpen the blade for you if you want to send the plane to me.


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## Fred Hargis (Apr 28, 2012)

A lot of guys use their table saw table to flatten those. Granted, its probably not machinist accurate, but it's almost certainly suitable. There are fellow who will grind them flat as well, I had one done that way and it was far superior to what I did myself. When he grinds them, he also does the sides insuring they are 90º to the soul. That looks like a #6 (?), the charge would be about $60 (+shipping both ways) for it.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

*How big a surface do I need to flatten a plane?*

I found some granite cutting board trivets on eBay approximately 11 ½” sq.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Sleeper said:


> I found some granite cutting board trivets on eBay approximately 11 ½” sq.


That will work for your No 5 plane which has about 14in long sole. Just need to keep pressure on the part of the plane on the granite, not difficult.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

It is a No6 and I don’t know but the blade looks better than any blade I ever sharpened. LOL :laughing:


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Just a bit of clarity. The corrugated soles should have less friction as there is technically less surface contact. However....in practice it is likely a negligible amount.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

A No. 6 has a longer sole about 18in, I think the 11 1/2in granite is a bit too short. Just use the table saw top.

The blade edge looks better than most of my restorations, but I bet this is dull. :yes:


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## Tom King (Nov 22, 2013)

I use a granite surface plate, and wet-or-dry sandpaper to flatten a plane sole. It's an important step especially for smoothing planes.
I've done all my metal planes, but probably only really helps take a fraction of a thousandths shaving with a smoother or jointer. With a Jack or Fore set up for, and used for, their intended purposes, you're really taking off thicker shavings anyway, so it's really not necessary. You can find all sorts of videos on youtube about plane sole flattening.


The corrugated sole was really just a marketing gimmick, even way back then, to make a plane "more desirable", and hence be able to charge a little more for it. Modern testing has shown that it really makes no difference in the performance of the plane.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

I was just thinking that maybe I should use my old 605 Bedrock as my shooting plane instead of this new one. 

I was going to fix the 605 up last year, but got overwhelmed with other higher priority stuff and it ended up in a box still unassembled. It needs a new blade and handle.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Sleeper said:


> I was just thinking that maybe I should use my old 605 Bedrock as my shooting plane instead of this new one.
> 
> I was going to fix the 605 up last year, but got overwhelmed with other higher priority stuff and it ended up in a box still unassembled. It needs a new blade and handle.


I think you would find the 605 easier to use on a shooting board. :thumbsup:

You do not need the longer sole of the No. 6, and likely do not need the wider blade.

Not easy to see why it needs a new blade.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Dave Paine said:


> I think you would find the 605 easier to use on a shooting board. :thumbsup:
> 
> You do not need the longer sole of the No. 6, and likely do not need the wider blade.
> 
> Not easy to see why it needs a new blade.


 I can’t remember why I needed a new blade at the moment and will have to pull it out to see. I only remember asking about the blade last year and looking into LeeValley to see if they had one. Heck I may even bought one and forgot about it. :smile:
I’ll look for it in a bit and take a photo if I can. But meanwhile I have this photo although you can’t really see the blade:









Oh I forgot until I just saw the SARGENT and rembered that some of the parts got mixed up with another plane that I lost.


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

john sayles said:


> Agreed!
> (btw Mike - hope my post didn't seem directed at you -- it wasn't)


Absolutely no offence taken- I think we agree :thumbsup:


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## acowboy (Nov 20, 2013)

I came across this at lowes by accident...is real good for lapping a sole, http://www.lowes.com/pd_37137-74035...ble+threshold+plate&facetInfo=#BVRRWidgetIDec
Price is right just bring a good straight edge to check for straightness,
did not bring mine but they had a lot of them and let me use one..


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

OK here is the blade for the 605. I think the reason I wanted a new blade was that this one is bent up and I needed time to learn how to sharpen it. :shifty:


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Sleeper said:


> OK here is the blade for the 605. I think the reason I wanted a new blade was that this one is bent up and I needed time to learn how to sharpen it. :shifty:


The familiar rust shadow from decades of being connected to the cap iron. :icon_smile:

I have seen a number of these in my restorations.

Happy to sharpen the blade for you. It should fit in a small USPS Flat Rate box. Send me a PM if interested and I will provide my address.


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## nbo10 (Jan 26, 2011)

Sleeper said:


> Anyway I guess now I’ll have to buy a granite slab



Call the local countertop stores they throw out scrapes. You can get good size chunks. Be sure to check for flatness; They aren't guaranteed to be flat.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I have a special place for corrugated bottom planes - likely because it was all my mentor owned. Are they better?.... eh probably not. Are there any drawbacks to them?... an emphatic no. 

One thing to point out though - forgive me if someone else already did - but in the picture of the rust halo indicates that the chip breaker lived on the wrong side of the iron for a long time. :smile:


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

firemedic said:


> .......... but in the picture of the rust halo indicates that the chip breaker lived on the wrong side of the iron for a long time. :smile:


:huh: I'm not sure what that means. Does it ever change positions? :confused1:


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## punkin611 (Sep 17, 2013)

Sleeper said:


> I bought a Plane with a Corrugated Bottom and was just wondering if it will restrict my use. I don’t know much about Planes and I guess the 1st thing I need to do learn how to sharpen it, but I bought it specifically for use with a “Shooting Board”.
> Can I use this Corrugated Bottom Plane with a Shooting Board to straighten out miters?


I don't think you can use a cardboard plane on end grain.:laughing:----Sure you can!


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Sleeper said:


> :huh: I'm not sure what that means. Does it ever change positions? :confused1:


Now and again, a plane passes onto a new owner who does not appreciate, or mis-understands how a plane is put together and gets the blade backwards, as in the bevel on the same side as the cap iron.

I have restored a few planes where the blade was reversed, like yours.

This means the plane was not cutting well for a previous owner. 

Not a problem to correct. The rust halo may not be easy to remove completely, but it is easy to have the blade bevel down when connected to the cap iron.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Ok so if I understand this correctly, my blade was upside down?
That was probably my doing because I once tried to straighten out the blade and I wasn't sure how it went back together. :blush:


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

punkin611 said:


> I don't think you can use a cardboard plane on end grain.:laughing:----Sure you can!


 LOL, you know they had the Plane listed on eBay as a “Corrugated Bottom” and I had no idea what that was until after I bought it and saw that there were more photos of it. 
So I now know that the “bottom” is the sole, but is “Corrugated” a correct term?


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Sleeper said:


> Ok so if I understand this correctly, my blade was upside down?
> That was probably my doing because I once tried to straighten out the blade and I wasn't sure how it went back together. :blush:


The picture of it with the chip breaker has it installed correctly - but it was wrong when you got it - ie the rust outline of the chip breaker is on the wrong side of the iron.




Sleeper said:


> LOL, you know they had the Plane listed on eBay as a &#147;Corrugated Bottom&#148; and I had no idea what that was until after I bought it and saw that there were more photos of it.
> So I now know that the &#147;bottom&#148; is the sole, but is &#147;Corrugated&#148; a correct term?


Yes, corrugated is the correct term. They are differentiated with the letter C for this reason. The castings do not have a C on them but old catalogs have them listed with a C. So a standard Stanley Jack would be referred as a #5 where as a corrugated version would be denoted as a #5C.


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

acowboy said:


> I came across this at lowes by accident...is real good for lapping a sole, http://www.lowes.com/pd_37137-74035-M70143658DHSX1L_0__?productId=3556700&Ntt=marble+threshold+plate&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNtt%3Dmarble%2Bthreshold%2Bplate&facetInfo=#BVRRWidgetIDec
> Price is right just bring a good straight edge to check for straightness,
> did not bring mine but they had a lot of them and let me use one..


I just got back from Lowe's after buying 36-in x 4-in Natural Marble Threshold Tile for $17.97. 









I looked at the one for $8 and they only had 2 with one broke in half. The other had a corner broke off, but when I borrowed a straight edge from the tool department, I found it wasn't flat.
Then when I looked at the other ones for $18, it wasn't until the third one that I found flat so I bought it.

I am a little worried about it breaking and might have to build a box for it. I'm still looking for sandpaper and may have to order a roll of the internet because they only have 8x11 sheets.


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

Sleeper, if the tile doesn't work well, wait until January or February and buy this:
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2004864/7535/granite-surface-plate-9-x-12-x-2-a-grade.aspx 

I remember getting one for myself around my birthday one year and then noting that it went on sale again each following year around the same time for some reason.

PM Chris Curl re sandpaper, sometimes he gets some from his employer that he sells for cheap.


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## Tom King (Nov 22, 2013)

The sandpaper doesn't have to be in one piece-of course just don't let it overlap. I use regular wet-or-dry on a granite surface plate, just held in place by water splashed on the stone. See if it will stay in place on that threshold. It might, like on the surface plate, but you may have to stick it down with spray adhesive. Hopefully, it'll stay in place with just water because that really does make it simple to switch grits.

I start with 400 to see what you have to start with, and have to go backwards about half the time until you get to some grit that doesn't take all day.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*good old Harbor Fright has roll paper*



Sleeper said:


> I'm still looking for sandpaper and may have to order a roll of the internet because they only have 8x11 sheets.


Lots of different grits too. :yes:

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=sandpaper+roll


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## Sleeper (Mar 24, 2009)

Tom King said:


> The sandpaper doesn't have to be in one piece-of course just don't let it overlap. I use regular wet-or-dry on a granite surface plate, just held in place by water splashed on the stone. See if it will stay in place on that threshold. It might, like on the surface plate, but you may have to stick it down with spray adhesive. Hopefully, it'll stay in place with just water because that really does make it simple to switch grits.
> 
> I start with 400 to see what you have to start with, and have to go backwards about half the time until you get to some grit that doesn't take all day.


Thanks Tom, I was wondering about that. I thought I saw someone on YouTube doing just that, but I got tired of looking and fell asleep. :sleep1::laughing:



woodnthings said:


> Lots of different grits too. :yes:
> 
> http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=sandpaper+roll


Bill, I don't know why I didn't think of HF. I almost went there too looking for a new Hand Truck wheel, but couldn't wait to get home and check out the marble threshold. :smile:


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