woodbrains
Established Member
D_W":3j5h1v0w said:I think finishing from the plane is something that's never been suggested done by anyone other than hobbyists and the occasional period woodworker (there is someone in the states who does it commercially).
The overwhelming majority if commercial answers I've seen rely on safety (defined as not having to do something over) and uniformity.
It's interesting to me as a hobbyist because I'm sensitized to the dust of my favorite wood, but sensitivity is not so bad yet that I can't plane it. If I sand, and dust extraction isn't very good (so sanding anything by hand without downdraft would count here), I get symptoms like bronchitis for a while and need to use an inhaler.
Planing or scraping don't cause that.
Hello,
I suppose it depends on what you mean by commercially. For a one off piece maker, who does expensive work and who wants to enjoy working tools rather than electric sanders and extractors, then hand planes are actually very efficient. Commercial makers doing volume work and to a price, power sanding is effective, as enjoyment tends to be secondary to breaking stuff out without thinking, and so some degree without skill. Most makers I know do a combination of both, depending on what the job is and the mood that individual is in at the time. If the work is finish ready from the tool, it is pointless sanding. If a woodworker can plane to a finish, then he has the choice to do so or not, which is nice. I would hate to have to rely on sanding every time I made something. I try to get as close to a finish with planes, rather than aim to get finish ready. Scraping and sanding is minimised if I start with this idea. That said, I was not commercially successful. I might add not because of my working wood with planes!
Mike.