Hand Plane setup, sharpening & how to plane properly - in person course

[Cabinetman]

Finally found the vid, just hope the link works. Yes I know it’s long 31mins but I can almost guarantee you will be impressed. Well I was. Ian

 

[user 29368]

Tried planing the maple against a stop clamped to my bench this afternoon. I got there after some more trial and error.
Pencil lines helped.

Ordered some more sandpaper, have work to do on the soles of my planes.

It's all starting to make sense now I've been thinking about everything properly.

Thanks everyone.

 

[Cabinetman]

Brilliant, your off, the world's your lobster (decent woodwork) Ian

 

[Ttrees]

Tried planing the maple against a stop clamped to my bench this afternoon. I got there after some more trial and error.
Pencil lines helped.

View attachment 125720
View attachment 125721
Ordered some more sandpaper, have work to do on the soles of my planes.

It's all starting to make sense now I've been thinking about everything properly.

Thanks everyone.

I recommend not going near the planes with sandpaper, as that is a trap for the
newcomers.
You can plane a straight edge(s) very precisely with near any plane.
No point in going near that unless you can match the likes of Lie Nielsen.
Plenty of terrible videos from all the gurus out there,lapping on large surfaces, most of which might very well destroy a plane should it be of any length.
Not necessary, and not as simple as it might appear, ask yourself why no feeler gauges and surface plate are proving this in the end!

Your methodology for holding the work is a good one IMO
and it will make one aware straight away that the work won't sit well with a hump in the middle.

 

[Ttrees]

Finally found the vid, just hope the link works. Yes I know it’s long 31mins but I can almost guarantee you will be impressed. Well I was. Ian

Great workholding methods for sure, but more suited to planing the very roughest of stock, which some of that stuff was not.
Certainly not a video suited in regards of good methodology in terms of accurate planing
but the video was mostly demonstrating the bench, so I suppose I might be asking for much.
Had a watch of another video he has knocking about, which doesn't hold a candle to Cosman's video IMO.
Why?
Consideration of the thickness, which side sits better (the concave side)
getting that face flat and not a shaving more than necessary, which is in near every case of youtubes,
No beveling of edges, no cross grain planing needed, only corner to corner, but not blowing out the very edge which should remain nice and crisp!

That is your easiest indication of how flat the work is, when it's sitting loosely on the bench, no shadow lines or visual feelers of any thickness should be allowed pass, and beyond that Charlesworth's videos can be learned from.
No cleaning up with your hand, that only takes one swipe with a long bit of timber
when the bench and timber is flat.

Working cross grain looks to me a method for wider stock than you can reach easily, ie to the other side of the bench,
should the work not be able to be swapped over end for end.

 

[Jacob]

Finally found the vid, just hope the link works. Yes I know it’s long 31mins but I can almost guarantee you will be impressed. Well I was. Ian

I watched the whole thing which is very rare for me! I usually turn off a few minutes after the banjo ends and they say "Welcome to my Sharp"!
Nicholsons book shows a bench with a vice ("bench screw") and a single large stop ("bench hook") and an array of pinholes in the apron ("side board") but non on top.
So Siemsen's show is another thing altogether but interesting.
Can't say I'm overly tempted to follow his path, not least because I've already got the vice and a very similar single planing stop.
I already plane a lot just sitting loose on the top, up against the planing stop - you have to shift wider boards a touch as you go so they don't spin off, but is fast and easy. Sometimes put a screw or nail in the bench as a stop, or various other wheezes and wangles. It's always handy to have loads of offcuts around so you van bodge something up if necessary.

Re ArtieFufkin and plane soles. They almost certainly don't need sanding - it's just a fad with the modern sharpeners. But if you do - wet n dry is best - used 80 grit wetted down with white spirit on a flat surface - I use my planer bed. It's flatter than any other set-up and is fast. Go to and fro with the plane against a straightish edge scrap piece so that the grinding marks are straight up and down the length and not across. Thats all you need to do - it's a bit snatchy when you use it at first but the scratches soon get blunted and low friction. No need for finer grits or polishing.

 

[Cabinetman]

Great workholding methods for sure, but more suited to planing the very roughest of stock, which some of that stuff was not.
Certainly not a video suited in regards of good methodology in terms of accurate planing
but the video was mostly demonstrating the bench, so I suppose I might be asking for much.
Had a watch of another video he has knocking about, which doesn't hold a candle to Cosman's video IMO.

Thanks for watching it and, each to our own, but he does demonstrate extremely well how to plane against a stop and the way it trains You to plane properly.
" not a video suited in regards of good methodology in terms of accurate planing " I must disagree it will help people to plane properly, If somebody is still putting their wood in the vice to plane it all the time, or between the jaws on a tail vice, I recommend that they try planing against a stop, it will soon show up their bad habits. It’s simple enough it just takes a little practice.
I still recommend this video to all woodworkers, I feel sure you will learn something - probably something unexpected.
Just so you know he doesn’t actually advocate not having a vice and he says as much in the video, he just demonstrates allsorts of different holding methods. Ian

 

[Cabinetman]

I watched the whole thing which is very rare for me! I usually turn off a few minutes after the banjo ends and they say "Welcome to my Sharp"!

Yep, he’s the only one I can stand, I know he’s a yank but for a nice change he doesn’t waffle on, it’s straight in to the good stuff, and he does know what he’s talking about.

 

[Ttrees]

Thanks for watching it and, each to our own, but he does demonstrate extremely well how to plane against a stop and the way it trains You to plane properly.
" not a video suited in regards of good methodology in terms of accurate planing " I must disagree it will help people to plane properly, If somebody is still putting their wood in the vice to plane it all the time, or between the jaws on a tail vice, I recommend that they try planing against a stop, it will soon show up their bad habits. It’s simple enough it just takes a little practice.
I still recommend this video to all woodworkers, I feel sure you will learn something - probably something unexpected.
Just so you know he doesn’t actually advocate not having a vice and he says as much in the video, he just demonstrates allsorts of different holding methods. Ian

I've watched it a few times, and had a rewatch,
My reasons I outlined in the last post which I added in a paragraph.

Edit: I should outline this video is also what I'm talking about

Tom

 

[Cabinetman]

I've watched it a few times, and had a rewatch,
My reasons I outlined in the last post which I added in a paragraph.

Tom

Yes thank you, I enjoyed that I hadn’t seen that one before, a good demonstration of how to flatten a board. And @ArtieFufkin he demonstrates in the first minute that action of using the finger on you left hand over the side of the plane to keep your plane square to the edge, shame he had it in the vice that time. Ian

 

[Ttrees]

Looks like Artie's got the hang of it,
Strange to see some folks will happily be planing on a bump, or a hollow when just a few shavings are needed to flatten it and stop the work deflecting.
(which is most likely the case in most instances, where folks get the idea of the tool being out being flat)
Had a look for another Cosman video, many there, but not even worth a mention. nothing at all compared to the one I seen years ago.

 

[user 29368]

I recommend not going near the planes with sandpaper,

My 4/12 isn't quite flat, I have a large sheet of float glass and feeler gauges, I'm confident about sorting it out quite quickly.
I have flattened the number 4, very pleased with how that has come out.

However I am less keen to work on my 5 1/2. What would you do with a number 5 that has a high heal? The last 2 inches rise up, enough that pressing down on the heal lifts the toe. It'll need a lot of work, I'm not sure it's worth it.

 

[Jacob]

My 4/12 isn't quite flat, I have a large sheet of float glass and feeler gauges, I'm confident about sorting it out quite quickly.
I have flattened the number 4, very pleased with how that has come out.

However I am less keen to work on my 5 1/2. What would you do with a number 5 that has a high heal? The last 2 inches rise up, enough that pressing down on the heal lifts the toe. It'll need a lot of work, I'm not sure it's worth it.

Coarse wet n dry, very wet on your glass, is fast. No glue just keep it well flooded. Pool on the glass, drop paper on it, pour more on top. No need for feeler gauges you can see where you've been.
PS the glass or other flat surface needs to be big enough so that you can drop on it one whole sheet of wet n dry with room around it, 2 sheets end to end for a long plane like a 7. Move the plain (and a wooden lath straightedge) around to use the whole area and keep the scratches for and aft straight

 

[Sgian Dubh]

If you want to understand handplanes and handplaning, you should learn to understand the material first. Get a good reference book on wood " Cut and Dried" comes to mind.

I appreciate the endorsement for my book. Many thanks.

I find it heartening to see that since my earlier intervention rather bemoaning the bickering that developed in the earlier stages of this thread that it seems to have turned to a more positive tone with discussion and information I suspect ArtieFufkin has been able to employ in developing knowledge and skills in plane set up and use. Slainte.

 

[user 29368]

Finally found the vid, just hope the link works. Yes I know it’s long 31mins but I can almost guarantee you will be impressed. Well I was. Ian

That's an impressive video.
I realise the stop I used is probably too thick and would prevent the work peice from riding up at the back if I was using too much force.
In the other video linked to here he has an adjustable peice of ply wood on the end of the bench that can be raised or lowered as stop when required.
I'll add that to my bench soon.

 

[Adam W.]

Finally found the vid, just hope the link works. Yes I know it’s long 31mins but I can almost guarantee you will be impressed. Well I was. Ian

Tut!

He puts his plane down on its edge not the sole.

 

[Cabinetman]

Tut!

He puts his plane down on its edge not the sole.

Don’t start!

 

[Jacob]

.....
I realise the stop I used is probably too thick and would prevent the work peice from riding up at the back if I was using too much force.

I think that is "over thinking" it! Any stop will do, more or less.

 

[user 29368]

I think that is "over thinking" it! Any stop will do, more or less.

I agree.
But I'm going to add one anyway. Will be useful for playing down thiner pieces. Like guitar neck blanks which are typically 19 or 20mm thick.

 

[D_W]

Don’t start!

I wonder what kind of push sticks or blocks he uses.