Planing Methods

Re: Planing Methods

Curt

>Hi,

Ash is notoriously prone to tear out. The only thing I would have done differently that you is to plane at a slight angle to the grain as well as holding the plane at a slight angle to the direction of motion. When you begin to have tear out problems you really should switch to a scraper. There is plenty of info on this device. Hey, sanding is just planing on a micro level as well. Good luck.

Re: Planing Methods

Jim in Burlington

>I think squewing the plane is where it's at but you cetainly need to take a close look at grain patterns. Touching up your irons while flatening is a good idea. Keep the throat a little tighter can help with tearout. Scrub plane might be a nice find if it fits your budget.

Re: Planing Methods

Alan Hamilton

>Richard,

You have so far gotten good advice. One thing I can think of is to be sure you always plane "uphill," into the rising grain; DAMHIKT. On wood with unruly grain you may have to change directions several times as you plane from one end to the other. But not planing uphill will ensure you will get tear out.

One thing more: instead of using your jack and smooth planes first, try using your jack and then your jointer. Use the jack to knock off the high spots and then the jointer to get things perfectly flat. Because of its longer sole, a jointer more easily flattens a panel. When the panel is flat you can whip out your smoother. Smoothing is not the same as flattening; DAMHIKT again--and as always.

Alan

CI Planes?

Todd O. Cronkhite Native of Maine

>Richard,

What's a CI plane?

you've recieced some good advice, let us know how things go. Soon you'll be making Fine Furniture no doubt.

Todd O.

Re: CI Planes?

Richard Gillespie

>Thanks guys, I appreciate all the good advice. Though I have some wooden planes, I understand the use and tuning of the CI (cast iron) planes better.

Second (third) on the scraping

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>I made a stool for my wife from African mahogany, and was getting little divots of tearout continuously. It was the first time I used a cabinet scraper (Stanley No. 80, not too expensive), and I was amazed at how effectively it smoothed the wood without tearing it out.

Hand work is basically simple and learn-for-a-lifetime subtle at the same time - and a lot of the learning is by experience. That you were willing to try it, and that you were paying attention to what was happening, both show that you're being a good student.

Re: Planing Methods

Sgian Dubh

>Richard, some woods and/or individual planks are best planed perpendicular, or near perpendicular to the grain. The grain is weak across the grain and sharp planes will cut it quite cleanly. Only when you get near to your final flat size do you need to consider using a motion paralell or near paralell to the grain, and you can finish up with scrapers, sandpaper, etc..

In your situation where your plank was cupped I'd have got at it with a try plane (no. 7) planing from the high edges towards the centre, unless you had a handy scrub plane to knock off the obvious high spots quickly, followed again by a long plane to ride over the low spots. A smoothing plane set up coarse with a curved blade can sometimes be substituted for a scrub plane.

Once you'd got it something like flat you can switch to shorter planes and work with or across the grain as needed. Slainte.

You need more planes, wood planes that is..

Ed Snow

>I have always felt that when one plane doesn't work first resharpen it and if that fails go the the next plane in your bedding angle arsenal. I usually start with 45 and work up to 47, 50, 55, japanese plane at 43, then 60. If all of those fail then just plane it as nice as you can with what you have then go the scraper.

You can either build them or buy them, at one point I had two plane irons I switched out of different bodies which worked but since I have bought individual irons for all of them.

Ed, let's not overwhelm the poor lad

Bill Houghton, Sebastopol, CA

>Richard, you'll notice, if you lurk here regularly, that this community has a moderately wide range of passions. Ed's suggesting the Serious Planemeister approach, but you may or may not find yourself wanting to get into that for starters.

Re: Ed, let's not overwhelm the poor lad

Richard Gillespie

>Thanks for the input, I don't feel overwhelmed, just under financed at the present time. I'm retired and going to school for computer programing. I've chosen not to work so I can concentrate on the studies.

I have a collection of over 30 cast iron planes. With one exception, a low angle LV, they are all the standard 45 degree frog. I use CI planes because I understand them better than the few wood ones I have.

Re: Planing Methods

Charles

>Use a block plane, set very fine, for that first swipe to test grain direction.

I process all my stock with handplanes. I check grain direction first when I bring rough stock into the shop for a new project. I use lumber crayons to draw arrows on the board faces and edges indicating grain direction. I re-mark the board as I progress through the project, using chalk during the latter stages as it planes off easier.

You must keep tabs on grain direction at all times.