Hand preparation of stock

[Karl]

Does anybody else out there prepare their own stock using only hand tools?

I appreciate the pro's won't (I think) - but any amateurs?

I am really looking for any pointers/hints. I cannot have a p/t in my shop, so am limited to hand planes for sizing of components.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Karl,

Yes, me. If you see my thread about my competition entry, I talk about it there. Have a look at that and if you have any further questions, let me know :wink:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[George_N]

Rob Cosman has a series of woodworking DVDs, one of which is called "Rough to Ready", I think. Seeing it done is often better than reading about it. I haven't seen that particular one but I have frequently heard it recommended in response to just your question.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Rob Cosman has a series of woodworking DVDs, one of which is called "Rough to Ready", I think.

It's excellent. It's basically about how to prepare a board from sawn wood using a scrub plane, and #8 and a #4.5. However, I think there is also some value in using long planes, like a #7, with the blade ground as a scrub plane, particularly if you are working long pieces.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Karl]

I've just been reading Alf's review of Mr Cosman's DVD - think i'll have to get myself a copy.

Paul - the piccys on your thread appear to have disappeared

Cheers

Karl

 

[Paul Chapman]

Paul - the piccys on your thread appear to have disappeared

Oh b****r. I had some of the pictures on Freeshare and some on Sony Imagestation. When Freeshare closed I transferred them to Imagestation, which is also closing, but not till next year, and re-posted.

It might just be a glitch with their website. Try again a bit later.

If all else fails I still have the pictures on my PC

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[mr]

A number 7 with a scrub blade? haven't tried that -My longest "rough" plane is an 18 inch woodie but it's not really a scrubber.
If Pauls pics have disappeared my Competition pics show pretty much the same thing I think.

Roib COsmans dvd is very good but (theres always a but) so is Chris Scwarz COarse Medium Fine DVD which takes a similar but slightly different approach. Chris Schwarz DVD being possibly a bit more "conceptual" or theory based than the other, by which I mean he explores a theory rather than demonstrating a method. Does that make sense ? Probably not.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=17375&highlight=competition+wip

Cheers Mike[/url]

 

[Karl]

Paul - Imagestation - that explains it. Their website is down at the mo.

I've ordered one of Philly's Jack planes for stock prep. My line of thought was

1) ECE scrub plane (about 8" long, with 1 1/2" heavily cambered blade) for large stock removal.

2) Philly Jack to begin to level the board and bring it to flatness

3) Clifton #7 to flatten

4) Smoothing plane

At the mo, i've been struggling between steps 1 & 3, missing out step 2 - hopefully the Philly plane will do the trick.

Cheers

Karl

 

[mr]

You 've also missed step 0
which is to flatten one side of the board before doing anything else so that when you turn it over to work on what will become the face side, the board doesn't wobble or flex under the plane. If you don't do this and the board moves as you prepare that face side you will always struggle to get it flat. The Phillyplane jack should serve you well for this step 0 as well as step1 if you wanted to use a jack instead of a scrub which is probably more traditional (hush my mouth).

Cheers Mike

 

[Karl]

Hi MR

Yes - step 0

True enough, although in the sequence I was talking about I was thinking about thicknessing - hence assuming that one face was already flat. My fault for not being clearer.

re: the Philly jack - if it works as well as my current scrub - great - I can flog the ECE.

Cheers

Karl

 

[mr]

Sorry I misunderstood
In terms of hints for hand dimensioning get yourself a bladed marking gauge, blade not pin and a panel gauge, both will make life much easier for getting stock to size by hand.

Cheers Mike

 

[Paul Chapman]

Hi Karl,

I've been doing some more planing this morning (seem to do nothing else these days :roll: ) so I've been giving your question a bit more thought.

The first point to make is, forget any romantic notions which you may have about doing everything by hand. People will talk about the Barnsley Workshop doing everything by hand until the 1950s and that sort of thing, but there's nothing romantic about it. It's hard work and your productivity will be quite low DAMHIKT Stock preparation is all about working efficiently and getting the job done as quickly and effortlessly as possible.

I do everything by hand only because I can't afford machinery at the moment. I love planing but even I get fed up with it some days.

My experience is that you need several planes set up for specific tasks. Whether you use wood or metal planes isn't an issue. I prefer metal, some prefer wood - it's a personal thing. The real issue is how you shape the blade and how long the planes are.

I have three planes set up as scrubs with heavily cambered blades. One is the size of a #3, then there's my #5.5 and my #7. I will use whichever one is best for the wood I'm planing, or maybe all three on the one piece of wood, it just depends. The point about a heavily cambered blade is that as you are using only the central portion of it, it offers little resistance. You can therefore plane off thick shavings even in stuff like rough, sawn oak. But I also use them to take fine cuts. As I say it all depends.

I then have a #4 and a #5 with slightly cambered blades.

I then have my "best" planes - Cliftons #3, #4.5, #6 and #7 with straight blades for finishing work. I really like them

The point I'm trying to make is that no one plane is "best" for everything. They all have their purposes. However, if you get into stock preparation by hand you will soon find what works and what doesn't. You have to or you'll simply give up because it's hard work.

Hope some of this helps.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

PS make sure your blades are sharp :wink: :wink:

 

[Karl]

Hi Paul

Thanks for taking the time to explain your methods.

I don't do this for the "romance" (if it could be described as such), but because of

Noise - I try to use as few power tools as possible - living in a quiet cul de sac, my adjacent neighbour working nights, 2 year old triplets in the bedroom directly above my shop etc etc

safety - may seem strange, but my way of looking at it is that if I don't need to use power tools, I don't. Making a cut with a table saw could lose you fingers if you don't concentrate - with a hand saw it's a nasty cut.

cash - need I say more.

Cheers

Karl

 

[Paul Chapman]

2 year old triplets

I bet bath time is fun

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Karl]

:lol:

You're not wrong there !!!

Mind you, any time of day is fun - but bath time is my favourite - it means bed time is nigh :lol:

Cheers

Karl

 

[Nick Gibbs]

What a great topic. I agree with Paul Chapman that the romance issue is overplayed. Certainly don't discount the value of a bandsaw, set up accurately so that you can rip as close as possible to the finished thickness you need. Ripping by hand is arduous and nothing like as interesting as planing by hand.

However, I disagree with Paul on the point of the number of planes you need. To start with, I don't think you need very many planes; gradually you will find out what you require. Personally I'd start with a 51/2 and a blockplane. I've been using a No.6 Clifton a lot recently, and love it, but would probably go for their 51/2 for versatility if I could only have one plane.

You will need a good bench, though, especially if you're using scrub planes. I tried to use such a plane in Classic Hand Tools' tent at Westonbirt with my bench on a rough grass surface, and it was impossible. Your bench needs to be heavy and/or tied down, I'd say.

I thoroughly agree with you that the therapeutic benefits of planing by hand are fantastic. If I'm stressed I only have to spend 10 minutes honing up an edge and planing for a bit to feel better. I'm not sure it's safer (all my injuries have come from handtools), but it's certainly quieter, less dusty and better exercise, and the shavings are easier to tidy up and burn.

Nick