Do you know The Riddle of Steel?![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/random/maxresdefault_zps406bed73.jpg)
According to Doom it has something to do with flesh and snake cults. or something. You're wrong Thulsa! I know the
TRUE answer to the riddle of steel.
Behold it's glory! A 165 lb. granite plate.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_114326_zpsb25b050b.jpg)
It came via truck this morning. Delivered by a jolly elderly delivery man with a big white beard... hmm. I have been waiting for this thing to get back in stock for about 4 weeks. Machined flat from Grizzly $45 w/free shipping. crazy. I had to jump on that deal. Now I can flatten all those ancient blades and tools I have been collecting.
By ancient I mean WW2 era bench and hand planes I find at the flea market.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_131143_zps789badc4.jpg)
my collection of ancient and not so ancient woodworking artifacts!
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/random/conan-title_zps15e28d7e.jpg)
A Good flat Iron my friend straight and true! Forged in fires of antiquity by Crom himself. And so my journey began.
The first bench plane I found was this old Dunlap with 5Dbb scribed in the side of it. It had lots of pitting and plenty of high spots its not a Stanley but it was made in the same era
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_135302_zpscdd38ca4.jpg)
I started with 100grit then quickly realized that was going to cut it. So I moved onto 80grit.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_135926_zpsc7eb185b.jpg)
Sharpie was used to mark progress which was remarkably slow.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_135800_zps72b9e123.jpg)
After several hours and plenty of breaks I decided to make a trip to the hardware store and pick up some 60 grit. Work moved much faster.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_163858_zpse1d7abea.jpg)
Good enough for me.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_202130_zps2278ac1d.jpg)
I repeated the process with the cheap Harbor Freight plane I got on sale. It got good reviews. Though I did open about 7 packages to inspect till I found one that suited me. Didn't take much to flatten it.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_203924_zpsd083ec0f.jpg)
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_204051_zpsa2db6f48.jpg)
The last plane was this little plane with a cool step mechanism I found this past weekend for $9.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_211554_zps4d830702.jpg)
The blade says Keystone... hmm. research will be done.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_211618_zps3e489e30.jpg)
I shall paint you red.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_212023_zps05d64562.jpg)
And Im done for the day now that my hands and lungs are coated in a fine iron powder.
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/Star%20Swirl/20131226_214525_zps6578c7d2.jpg)
![Image](http://i1296.photobucket.com/albums/ag10/cmiller0034/random/14299bb_zps984caca6.jpg)