Planing beyond arms reach

Re: Planing beyond arms reach

woodburnbob


>I can do about as well pulling the knob (far side) as pushing the tote (near side), but can't plane (or bat) left-handed.

I haven't, but might also try, tilting the piece from horizontal to near vertical on the bench after ringing some kind of frame (like an easel). Like an elevated version of the panel saws at HomeDepot for cutting 4x8 plywood sheets.

Re: Planing beyond arms reach

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX


>The way you do it is to walk your plane rather than powering through with your arms/shoulder/etc. I've planed beams much more than six feet long with Japanese planes and obtained a shaving as long as the beam.

Pam

Re: Planing beyond arms reach

mikew


>Hi Bill,

I am assuming you mean across the width? Length is as Pam says, just walk along.

When I am doing a long and wide top, I tend to plane to a flat surface by planing diagonally. So I am alternating between pushing and pulling. But two foot wide top with a long plane is fairly easy by going along the grain.

Height of the planing surface should be lower as one gets wider--it increases your reach. So I also lower onto saw benches wide/long tops.

For final smoothing, the planes I use are set to take a fine shaving and for nearly all woods, I can go across, with and reversed to the grain.

To be honest, in all likelihood, it will be followed with a sanding block, which will flatten any very small problems introduced by the smoother.

And if I had a wide belt sander, I would probably use it. If I could stand the noise, anyway...

Take care, Mike

Re: Planing beyond arms reach

Dave Thompson


>Bill, I'm not sure I am visualizing the issue right. As Pam mentioned for long boards, I just walk it through. Of course, this happens every time someone edge joints a board. But I suspect that you already know this and are asking something different.

FWIW, Planing a 2'x4' at a 45 degree angle, results in a 2.8 foot reach at the most, which doesn't seem to difficult unless the bench is up high.

Re: Planing beyond arms reach

Warren in Lancaster, PA


>Thankfully we don't often have to plane something this large. Twenty four inches wide is near the limit of how far one can reach over for a long board. I usually plane the near side with a trying plane as wide as possible, and then turn the board end for end and plane against the grain with the trying plane set so there is no tearout. This planing in two directions leaves a visual dicontinuity. I usually climb on and finish up with a smoothing plane all in one direction prior to finishing. If the smoothing plane is set fine then there isn't much resistance, so it isn't too bad planing in an awkward position.

If the board is only 36 inches or so long, the board can be positioned with the near edge overhanging the bench top and the far side can be reached from in back of the end of the board. Your board may be too long for this.

walking and planing

bill tindall


>If you can walk a length while reaching to the far edge of a 24" top on a 32" bench you are a better man (of woman) than I. Or at least you have lots longer, stronger arms. Neanderthal?

The diagonal and then left handed worked adequately.

There will be hand sanding. This walnut top has some nice grain and curl so it needs to be just right. It goes on the Chester Co chest which is done but for the drawers. Bun feet came out well. Will post PIC when the top is on.

Re: walking and planing

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX


>Don't know about better men and women, but you only have to reach in one foot, not two feet. If you do this on a regular bench, you can turn it around. One of the big advantages of a planing beam is that you can address the item from two sides. Then the only trick is holding a two foot wide piece on a one foot beam.

Pam

read again

bill tindall


>I could turn it around for the other half but that would leave me planing that half in an unfavorable grain orientation.

Re: read again

Ted Shuck, Centennial, CO


>You just need to develop your off-hand planing skills. I am right handed, but probably do 1/3 of my finish planing left handed.

Regards,

Ted

Re: read again

Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX


>OK, my process is to use either a planing beam or a relatively small workbench (5+ X 2) that is accessible from all 4 sides. For a 4 X 2 piece, I'd place it horizontally on the bench and plane from end to end, in the same direction if the grain required. For those of you who use metal planes, this may be somewhat awkward if you're restricted by severe handedness. It's much easier to pull a plane over a long board, which can be done even for metal western planes.

It may well be that it will be easier to plane on a diagonal to the grain, but it will be difficult to make wide sweeps toward the middle. Again, pulling the plane makes it easier.

Pam

that worked

bill tindall


>And worked better with the nearly symmetrical wooden plane I made. Those Stanley things aren't very handy to grab backwards. I sure couldn't do much kneeling on it all scrunched up. Besides, my knees are delicate.