Hand Planing Links

[nimmaj]

Hello,

I'm mucking about trying to learn how to flatten boards by hand at the moment. Lots of fun.

Currently trying to flatten some shocking pine from B&Q and am struggling with all the various issues you can get! I've got a reasonably flat bench, am using a no7, 5 1/2 and a scrub plane.

There's lots of stuff out there (i've looked at DC's fantastic dvds/books, Garrett Hack's book, Philsville, Derek Cohen's website, Rob Cosmans dvds etc) that talk about how to flatten boards by hand. I'm looking for more links/good books to read.

I'm really after some fairly technical explanations about why specific techniques are encouraged. E.g. why plane diagonally early on - reduce tearout or is it to reduce wind or both? What should you do if your board is not very wide and it's not practical to plane diagonally?

It's almost like i'm after a fairly deep FAQ! I suppose i'm trying to find someone else's methods and algorithms written down so that i can improve more quickly.

So, any links around? I mainly seem to find 100s of copies of articles on plane tuning and dvd links.

I'd also be interested in your thoughts as to whether the material i'm using to play with at the moment is inappropriate. I'm building a shed and it seems sensible to try these techniques on some sawn pine from b&q. Currently i'm trying to flatten 90cmx40mmx20mm batons which i suspect have some tension in and are too thin and I'm struggling to shim them effectively.

I've got some much nicer hard wood aclimatising for some projects later in the year - is this sort of thing easier to learn on harder woods from better suppliers? I thought it was best to try to learn on cheaper woods before destroying these, however!

Sorry about the long post - thanks for your help...

Ben

 

[woodbloke]

Hi Ben - you seem to tackling this in the correct way and have the right tools...unfortunately your choice of timber is pants Timber from 'sheds' is to be avoided like the plague and used only as material of last resort. You'll find it much easier if you can go to a local timber yard and get hold of a decent lump of mild working, straight grained hardwood (chestnut or cherry spring to mind but there are others)
Can't point you in the direction of any links on the subject tho' - Rob

 

[Philly]

Hi Ben
Yes, certainly sounds like you've researched all the right places. But I agree with Rob - get hold of some decent quality timber. The B+Q stuff is poor and full of knots, which really plays havoc with your planes.
I would recommend getting hold of a board of hardwood of some description or clear pine and having another go. Flattening boards is not really a science, and you have all the info you need. I reckon a little practise of a board worthy of it will pay off magnificently.
Hope this helps
Philly

 

[bugbear]

Hello,

I'm mucking about trying to learn how to flatten boards by hand at the moment. Lots of fun.

Currently trying to flatten some shocking pine from B&Q and am struggling with all the various issues you can get! I've got a reasonably flat bench, am using a no7, 5 1/2 and a scrub plane.

I'm looking for more links/good books to read.

The Essential Woodworker: Skills, Tools and Methods by Robert Wearing

BugBear

 

[bugbear]

Currently i'm trying to flatten 90cmx40mmx20mm batons

I'm not sure what "flat" really means on something of those dimensions.

BugBear

 

[Smudger]

I'm au contraire on this softwood business.

I bought a load of t&g board in a DIY shed in France (Bricomarché) - 11m board length for less than €8. Dead rough, so I planed it up and used it to make some country-style bookshelves for our holiday home, no problems. It would be no good for bespoke cabinet making, but I'm not up to that standard and probably never will be. I just want the fun of making stuff out of wood. The planes I used are absolutely fine, by the way, and handled the knots with ease, including beading edges with a #66.

I think that it is possible to approach things too seriously, and spend a lot of money unnecessarily.

 

[nimmaj]

all interesting replies - many thanks!

i don't know of a local timber merchant. there's a buttles nearby - i'll go and see what they've got. if not, perhaps i'll start on one of those nice ash or beech planks i've got stashed away.

thanks again...

ben

 

[Mr T]

Hi Ben

I would recommend poplar (also known as tulip wood) as a good timber to practice on, its soft and stable and cuts more easily than pine. It's worth phoning around until you find a friendly wood yard, you'll probably be using them in future!

The diagonal planing really applies to wide surfaces such as table tops after jointing.

Chris

 

[Woodwould]

I agree with not using that grotty pine. You may be on the road to nowhere with it because there's the possibility that as you 'straighten' the wood by planing some of it away, you're coincidently releasing internal stresses that are systematically 'undoing' your straightening process.

 

[MooreToolsPlease]

I think the main problem you will be facing is with the thickness.
20mm softwood has alot of spring in it, and if your bench isnt dead flat to start with then it will just go all over the place.
The knots in the timber wont be any different to knots in every other kind of timber you will encounter.
I would suggest trying to start on something thicker, say 1 1/2"
That way any shims you put under neath it will be a good start, and it will be relatively easy to straighten.
Poplar would be a good one to start with, or beech, both are relatively cheap.

 

[bobscarle]

Ben

I see no problem with the wood you are using, after all its a lot better to destroy that than the nice hardwood you have waiting. You should be able to flatten the piece with the 5 1/2. I would just keep on practicing.

The other thing to practice is sharpening. In my opinion, you cannot get a really good finish on any species of timber if you do not have a sharp blade.

I would suggest that you find a sharpening method that suits you and practice planning on any wood you can (cheaper the better). And have lots of fun whilst doing it.

Bob

 

[nimmaj]

Hello,

Thanks everyone for your answers. I agree with just about everything that's been said.

I bought a clifton no 7 last week to replace my previous second hand no 7 (which was more like a banana than a plane!) Initially the clifton was awful (part of the reason i posted)...then yesterday i pulled the blade out, flattened and sharpened it and it's just astonishing!

Bad workman or not, i had a flat face on some of this pine in a few minutes. Totally blown away by that. Good thing at that price, too!

Thanks for all your help, anyway. I'd still like to read something fairly technical on how planes, work. But for the moment i'll keep practising and having fun.

Cheers...

Ben

 

[bugbear]

Initially the Clifton was awful (part of the reason i posted)...then yesterday i pulled the blade out, flattened and sharpened it and it's just astonishing!

All planes are rubbish when the blade isn't sharp.

BugBear

 

[lemhanover]

Try this link.
http://www.tower.com/using-hand-plane-w ... /112087692

This is a tape by Ian Kirby. He wrote numerous articles for Fine Woodworking Magazine and some were on hand planing for flatness, square, etc.

 

[DaveL]

Hi lemhanover,

Welcome to the forum.

You link has been caught by our spam trap, this will stop once you have a few more posts to your name, here it is:

http://www.tower.com/using-hand-plane-w ... /112087692

 

[nimmaj]

Initially the Clifton was awful (part of the reason i posted)...then yesterday i pulled the blade out, flattened and sharpened it and it's just astonishing!

All planes are rubbish when the blade isn't sharp.

BugBear

;-)

...although in this case it was reasonably sharp, but had a massive hollow down the middle.

 

[nimmaj]

many thanks for the link, lemhanover