The longest and heaviest of the bench planes, the No. 8 will flatten and true like no other. It is capable of precise joints and perfect flatness of large areas.
Iron tools are cast from Ductile Iron, a very strong alloy that will take a lot of abuse. We use Manganese Bronze for the Bronze bodies. These castings are fully stress relieved, a process that removes inherent stresses and ensures that the tool will remain flat and true.
The blade is A-2 cryogenically treated Tool Steel, hardened to Rockwell 60-62 and double tempered. Our heat treating technique ensures that the blade will take and hold a very fine edge for a long time. After heat treating, the blade is fully surface ground on the top, back, and cutting edge, giving a smooth, flat surface that will take a mirror finish very quickly. The thick blade provides solid chatter-free cutting. The cap is Manganese Bronze.
The soles of Iron planes are surface ground flat and square; the Bronze planes are lapped to a tolerance of .0015". Depending on how much use your tool gets, an occasional light sanding with 320 grit or finer wet/dry paper on a flat surface will keep the sole in as-new condition. Tools with Iron bodies should be kept lightly oiled or waxed to prevent rust. We recommend jojoba Oil, a vegetable oil based product. It is non-toxic, odor-free and easy to use. Also, in our shop, we use a fine abrasive handblock to remove any light surface oxide from tool bodies and blades. Jojoba Oil and abrasive handblocks are available from us.
A light oiling on the threaded rod, the Brass adjuster nut and the lateral blade adjustment lever will keep them moving freely. Many people like the patina that Bronze gets with age and use, but if you wish to keep the finish bright, a little brass polish is in order. The Cherry knob and handle are finished with wiping varnish and should require no maintenance.
