# How to precisely trim ends of thick boards?



## tibi (5 Oct 2021)

Hello, 

I am preparing myself to build my first workbench. I will be using mostly hand tools and maybe help myself with a benchtop planer. 

I can now hand plane all 4 sides pretty well, but I have problem with ends. I have built a shooting board now, but have found out that trimming 120x45 mm ends on a shooting board would be a chore. 

Can you recommend me a technique how to get thick ends square without a shooting board? 

I can saw to the pencil line, but not to a knife line. The joints will be mortises and tenons, so I will use a shoulder plane to clean the shoulders. However there will be exposed ends on workbench top and bottoms of the legs as well. 

I also know the knife wall method, but it would be very tedious to do 8 knife walls on each of 39 boards would be very tedious.

Thank you very much.


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## Ttrees (5 Oct 2021)

I wouldn't plan on the gluing up going so accurately, so would do it after the lamination is finished.
No point in doing it twice.

Tom


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## xraymtb (5 Oct 2021)

As he says, glue them up first as aligned as you can but without overly stressing it. When the bench is done mark across with a straight edge and cut it off in one go. Chances are you’ll never get them laminated perfectly lined up anyway


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## johnnyb (5 Oct 2021)

I would glue the top then trim(as suggested) I would take a 2 step approach so cut off rough an 1/8 to a teenth away then set up a 1/2 inch router with a bush or a bearing on the cutter. failing that it's the same only with a plane!


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## Cabinetman (5 Oct 2021)

Then just plane it, from both ends to prevent tear out, or cramp a sacrificial bit of wood to it. 
Would a router work on 45mm thick ends?


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## tibi (5 Oct 2021)

Thank you very much for your advice. What is a common way to trim ends of a single thick board? A block plane? There is not enough registration area, so I always tip the plane one way or the other when doing it with a bigger plane.


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## Ttrees (5 Oct 2021)

Not that I've actually done this yet, but I plan on using a fine panel saw I sharpened for the job, 
and using a plane afterwards.
I'll be putting end caps on, so won't be standing up the top to plane it,
If I have trouble with what you say using whatever plane for the job, I wouldn't be afraid of
clamping a pair of nicely prepared sticks for the job, and using that for support.
You might decide to use them for alignment either side when gluing anyway, 
which should most definitely be the plan.
I was trying to get away with maximizing thickness using one face of my bench, and didn't surface the underside, which cost me loosing thickness in the end.
I didn't get to it in time and the glue had decided to set, couldn't budge it.

This is the only thing you want to be concerned with, and not aligning ends at the same time.

Tom


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## Jacob (5 Oct 2021)

39 seems a lot of components? I can only count 11 in my bench.
Shooting boards are only for small stuff and aren't essential even for that.
Do the board ends need planing flat anyway?
The usual way with through tenons is to leave them long until job is finished and then saw closer and plane flush with any old plane. Ditto with 'horns'.


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## tibi (5 Oct 2021)

Jacob said:


> 39 seems a lot of components? I can only count 11 in my bench.
> Shooting boards are only for small stuff and aren't essential even for that.
> Do the board ends need planing flat anyway?
> The usual way with through tenons is to leave them long until job is finished and then saw closer and plane flush with any old plane. Ditto with 'horns'.


Jacob, 

I will have everything laminated. Top is made of 15 boards, each leg of 3 boards, 6 stretchers of 2 boards, I want a massive workbench that will not move under any heavy planing.


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## paulrbarnard (5 Oct 2021)

tibi said:


> Jacob,
> 
> I will have everything laminated. Top is made of 15 boards, each leg of 3 boards, 6 stretchers of 2 boards, I want a massive workbench that will not move under any heavy planing.


Consider removable weight. I have a shelf on my bench containing several bags of sand. It adds a lot of mass but can be removed if I have to move house. That’s happened four times with this bench, once internationally…


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## johnnyb (5 Oct 2021)

1/2 inch router with a new worktop cutter will leave it nice. and squareness and straightness is upto whoever sets it up! if your Bush isn't concentric don't swivel the router around! also add tape for a fine final skim and back up the back end.


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## johnnyb (5 Oct 2021)

Great technique for breadboard ends as well( if that's what you mean)


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## Inspector (5 Oct 2021)

Might be one of the times to buy, beg, borrow, a track saw and cut from both sides. Then there would be a lot less clean up with the hand planes. The other thing to consider is that if the end is not going to have some kind of vice attached does it really matter if it isn't perfect? Functionally a chainsaw cut would work as well as one laser straight and perpendicular if it isn't a functional surface. You also have the option of pulling out a plane and taking a few licks off when the mood strikes until you reach the level of perfection you want while still being able to use the bench.
Pete


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## Jacob (5 Oct 2021)

tibi said:


> Jacob,
> 
> I will have everything laminated. Top is made of 15 boards, each leg of 3 boards, 6 stretchers of 2 boards, I want a massive workbench that will not move under any heavy planing.


I'm just dropping a few hints in case you have a change of plan. My very ordinary bench couldn't possibly move under heavy planing. Recount - 12 pieces of wood not 11!


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## Orraloon (6 Oct 2021)

Like others have said trim the ends after the laminating is done. Top of my bench was cut to length with a circular saw using a strait edge clamped to the top. I also think the massive bench gets a bit over done. You do need a bit of mass but the stiffness to resist wracking is more good design than sheer weight of timber. Wood is quite expensive these days so no need to use twice as much as is really required. Another factor in building a bench is the build itself. Do you have the ability to get it done. I saw one build where the guy had to rig up a boat winch just to lift the top. 
Regards
John


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## Fergie 307 (6 Oct 2021)

I would just clamp a straight edge to it the necessary distance from the edge and run a router across using a long enough worktop trimming bit. I find an aluminium level works well, only have to clamp each end as it's stiff enough not to bow in the middle. And clamp a bit of scrap on the far end so the router doesn't tear out a chunk from the far edge of your last board.


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## 6x4 (6 Oct 2021)

tibi said:


> Thank you very much for your advice. What is a common way to trim ends of a single thick board? A block plane? There is not enough registration area, so I always tip the plane one way or the other when doing it with a bigger plane.


To answer this in isolation, I would shoot up to about 22mm thickness on a board and for thicker than that I DO have enough registration with the toe of the plane. Are you holding the plane low down, on the casting, that may help keep the sole registered with downward pressure. Also, as always comes up, is it sharp enough? 
A standard no 4 or will do the job, a low angle jack will do the same job and a little cleaner, a block plane may not have the mass to help you through thicker stuff.


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