🔩 8. Maintenance & Storage

“A handplane, like any tool, thrives on care. Not just sharpness, but ritual.”

Barnaby the Owl

📖 Jonas and the Forgotten Plane

It had been three months since Jonas last used his jointer plane. Work and winter had crept in, and his unheated shop stood quiet. When he returned on a bright spring morning, his fingers found rust along the mouth and the blade. He winced—not because the damage was bad, but because he knew it could have been avoided.

This chapter is about how you care for your planes—not only to prevent rust or dullness, but to turn tool maintenance into a rhythm, a ritual as central as the cut itself.

🪒 1. Blade Care & Sharpening Routine

“If it isn’t sharp, it isn’t a handplane—it’s a scraper with delusions.”

✨ Daily Use Tips:

• Strop the iron every 30 minutes of planing.
• Use green chromium oxide compound on leather.
• Touch up bevels with 8,000+ grit stones between major sessions.

🔧 Deep Sharpening (Monthly or As Needed):

• Re-establish bevels (25°–30°) with a coarse stone.
• Flatten the back to a mirror polish.
• Hone a micro-bevel for longevity.
• Maintain a camber on jack or jointer blades.

🧠 Jonas’ Trick: Keep a honing guide pre-set for each plane’s angle—saves time, prevents guesswork.

🧽 2. Cleaning & Lubricating

“Friction is the enemy. Wax is your ally.”

🧴 After Each Use:

• Wipe down the blade and body with a lightly oiled rag (use camellia oil or jojoba).
• Lubricate the sole with paraffin wax, candle stubs, or Renaissance wax for smoother strokes.

🧼 Weekly:

• Clean any gunk buildup, especially on the mouth, adjusters, and under the lever cap.
• Remove the blade and wipe the chipbreaker/frog area.
• Reapply wax to handles and tote as needed.

✅ Avoid: WD-40 as a long-term protectant. Use it only for removing rust.

🌫️ 3. Rust Prevention

“Rust is a slow thief. And it loves stillness.”

Strategies:

• Store with silica gel packs or rust-inhibitor papers (VPI).
• Use plane socks or waxed canvas wraps.
• Avoid leaving planes on cast iron tables—they become rust magnets.
• In humid climates, consider a dehumidifier in your tool chest or cabinet.

💡 Jonas’ Lesson: He built a simple wooden till inside his chest. Every plane rests on wood, not steel. Since then? No rust.

🪚 4. Storage: Safe, Dry & Ready

“Your storage isn’t passive—it’s protective.”

Ideal Storage Tips:

• Vertical storage in a plane till, blade retracted.
• Keep irons retracted to avoid chipping and warping.
• Don’t stack planes—store individually.
• For long-term storage (seasonal/work break), coat with wax or light oil and wrap in cloth.

Optional Additions:

• Cork-lined cubbies
• Magnetic blade protectors
• Custom-fit slots for each plane

🧰 5. Repair & Part Replacement

“Wood planes forgive. Iron planes endure. Both deserve love when worn.”

🕰️ Jonas’ Seasonal Checklist:

🔚 Final Thoughts

“A handplane doesn’t live in the moment you use it. It lives in every moment between.”

Jonas now ends each day with his maintenance ritual. A strop, a wipe, a pass of wax—and a quiet moment with his tools. He swears that ever since he made the habit, his planes cut better. But maybe it’s just that he does.

Caring for your plane is caring for your craft. And like all good care, it rewards you every time you return.