Hi all I’m after some advice on a thicknesses and planer

[Steve22]

If by hand with typical sawn boards I'd use a 5 1/2 mostly, and/or a 7 for finer flattening/straightening, both with a cambered edge.
A long board evenly bowed, cupped and/or twisted has an area in the middle which is co-planar with the best flat surface you can get. So you work out from the middle and extend the flat to the ends. This means starting on the convex side and taking off the hump, as you can't start on the concave side in the same way. Machine or hand planing the same but other way up.
Over the planer you keep all the pressure in the middle of the board concave side up, as you take off the hump on the other side and extend the flat from the middle to the ends. You can see how you are going by the areas left un-planed. Ideally your last pass removes from the whole board including the last remaining un-planed areas at each end on opposite sides.
If not so evenly distorted you have to adapt the process. The easiest is to pencil mark high points/areas and plane to remove the marks, then repeat.
The thing to avoid is just thrashing away at it and seeing how it turns out. Much better to identify where waste needs removing and then remove it.
It's a proactive process, the machine doesn't think for you!

Jacob makes a good point. Well worth making some light marks over the faces with a pencil, then you can see exactly what is going on. But for 2.4m you really do need rollers or similar to support it. If the marks you are getting are fairly regularly spaced across the width then I would check the blades, they may need sharpening or replacing.

I’m

Jacob makes a good point. Well worth making some light marks over the faces with a pencil, then you can see exactly what is going on. But for 2.4m you really do need rollers or similar to support it. If the marks you are getting are fairly regularly spaced across the width then I would check the blades, they may need sharpening or replacing.

the blades are brand new been used once on the wavy board I think I will try to get rollers and have a look around to see if I can find a no 7 plane I’ve seen a faithful and Stanley also seen a no 6 Stanley. I would of said about Eletric planers but the vibration really kills my hands. I have an aggressive form of rheumatoid arthritis Which has tu both my ha 90 degrees outwards so it does present some challenges

 

[Steve22]

would I need to get a no 7 plane to do this by hand I’m getting confused a bit on what I would need. I just don’t want to get the wrong item I’ve seen no 7 planers low angle ones. Wh it comes to hand tools I have a set of chisels and a wooden mallet a sander and route.
if anyone could let me know what type planer I need I would appreciate it as I don’t know and still learning cheers guys and thanks for the advice and help I need to reread all replies a few times as brain wired different now since my 2 strokes and left me with short term memory los. But thanks I really do appreciate the advice and help
would this be one to get
Stanley STA112007 Bailey No 7 Jointer Plane 2.3/8in 60mm blade width cheers

 

[Jacob]

I’m

the blades are brand new been used once on the wavy board I think I will try to get rollers and have a look around to see if I can find a no 7 plane I’ve seen a faithful and Stanley also seen a no 6 Stanley. I would of said about Eletric planers but the vibration really kills my hands. I have an aggressive form of rheumatoid arthritis Which has tu both my ha 90 degrees outwards so it does present some challenges

Rollers don't help you get a flat finish they are more to control the board so it doesn't drop off the end and keep needing picking up off the floor.
Stanley7 is a good one but you are on a longish learning curve I think!
Maybe get the hang of things with smaller projects, not long boards, and a Record or Stanley 5 is a better beginners size.

 

[Steve22]

Rollers don't help you get a flat finish they are more to control the board so it doesn't drop off the end and keep needing picking up off the floor.
Stanley7 is a good one but you are on a longish learning curve I think!
Maybe get the hang of things with smaller projects, not long boards, and a Record or Stanley 5 is a better beginners size.

The rollers i was thinking for the planer for indeed and out feed for keeping them level and reason for the long bits is for my benches I’m building against the shed wall so I have somewhere to work

 

[DiyAddict]

Steve, I think you're going to struggle with 2.4m lengths. You'd need the sort of planer which you've already stated is too large/heavy for your shop. I'm not sure that getting a big heavy no. 7 for this one job is the best solution for you either if you don't have experience with large planes.

The advice to get a professional or men's shed to square up one face and edge is good, even if it costs a few pounds.

if that's not possible, you have time on your side. It's perfectly possible to straighten and square the planks using winding sticks, a large straightedge, a square, and a smaller plane with a sharp blade. Take light shavings so as not to exacerbate your arthritis, take your time and use a methodical approach as outlined by Jacob, taking plenty of breaks.

I once had to use the same approach for some 3m rough-sawn oak (still with the bark on), for some exterior door frames. Took ages, but got there in the end.

If you need to hog off a lot of material a belt sander might suit you better than an electric plane. Also, look up how to convert a cheap plane into a scrub plane. If all that fails, look up planing with a home-made router gantry.

 

[Wattsjoinerybarn]

Hi Steve, if you are struggling with the planing side which by the way takes a lot of setup and practice with long lengths! You should look into using the thicknesser only!
You will need a board the same length or a little longer that is uniform in thickness and the width of the thicknesser or at least a little wider than your timber! And a flat bench or surface to lay it on. Then lay your timber on top of it and shim it untill it stops wobbling, do this on any gaps so it doesn’t deflect from the rollers on the thicknesser when you pass it through. If you have a hot glue gun then this is perfect to help set it in position. Then keep passing it through with the board as a reference on the thicknesser bed and the planning knifes will overbhead plane the timber. Once you get a system it works very well and quite quick. It will actually give you perfect results! Note. When you shim and glue(you could screw) the timber to the board the board has to be perfectly flat!

 

[Steve22]

Steve, I think you're going to struggle with 2.4m lengths. You'd need the sort of planer which you've already stated is too large/heavy for your shop. I'm not sure that getting a big heavy no. 7 for this one job is the best solution for you either if you don't have experience with large planes.

The advice to get a professional or men's shed to square up one face and edge is good, even if it costs a few pounds.

if that's not possible, you have time on your side. It's perfectly possible to straighten and square the planks using winding sticks, a large straightedge, a square, and a smaller plane with a sharp blade. Take light shavings so as not to exacerbate your arthritis, take your time and use a methodical approach as outlined by Jacob, taking plenty of breaks.

I once had to use the same approach for some 3m rough-sawn oak (still with the bark on), for some exterior door frames. Took ages, but got there in the end.

If you need to hog off a lot of material a belt sander might suit you better than an electric plane. Also, look up how to convert a cheap plane into a scrub plane. If all that fails, look up planing with a home-made router gant

im Going to try the thicknesser on one to see how it goes. I’ve got one with a small hump in it would a smaller plane no 4 be able to get it out it’s just short of half way. the problem I have is I couldn’t get to wicks to sort lumber myself as only have a wheelchair to get about so I have to do it on interweb and delivery. And I’ve got 12-15 with all different kinds of bends twist warping ect but need to save what I can as can’t afford any more. Once I can get my pile with ease and can dig out 9-10 straight bit’s then the others will be cut. There 63mm wide so not big. I’m doing two L shaped benches either end of shed longest is 2440mm (8ft) might be shorter yet but trying half laps for first time.
I want to do bits myself so I can say I’m not as useless as I thought and I can do it Sorry about rant it’s just I get fed up With way some people look at you in wheelchair or you get covered in cotton wool be careful ect. I’m learning as I go never done any of this before so steep learning curve just like my wood

 

[Jacob]

im Going to try the thicknesser on one to see how it goes. I’ve got one with a small hump in it would a smaller plane no 4 be able to get it out it’s just short of half way. the problem I have is I couldn’t get to wicks to sort lumber myself as only have a wheelchair to get about so I have to do it on interweb and delivery. And I’ve got 12-15 with all different kinds of bends twist warping ect but need to save what I can as can’t afford any more. Once I can get my pile with ease and can dig out 9-10 straight bit’s then the others will be cut. There 63mm wide so not big. I’m doing two L shaped benches either end of shed longest is 2440mm (8ft) might be shorter yet but trying half laps for first time.
I want to do bits myself so I can say I’m not as useless as I thought and I can do it Sorry about rant it’s just I get fed up With way some people look at you in wheelchair or you get covered in cotton wool be careful ect. I’m learning as I go never done any of this before so steep learning curve just like my wood

I did some benching for myself with CLS straight off the pile, no planing at all. Also you can buy "regularised" timber ready for structural use, or PAR. No need to plane anything.
Also I'd question the need for a lot of benching - mine seem to end up with piles of stuff permanently in the way. I wouldn't do it again unless there was an obvious use e.g. sharing the space with others.
A single table might be better - you can only work in one place at a time. Don't make one, buy one, attach a small vice.
Maybe talk to @Phil Pascoe about what you can and can't do from a wheelchair? He's a successful woodturner.

 

[DiyAddict]

Sorry about rant it’s just I get fed up With way some people look at you in wheelchair or you get covered in cotton wool be careful ect.

Just to be clear, my post above applies to anyone, irrespective of their state of health.

If you have access to a large, flat surface, I think you should try WattsJoineryBarn's suggestion first. There are numerous youtube videos on making/using a thicknesser sled. Look up 'planing without a planer' or 'planing without a jointer' (Jointer is the American term for planer).

Can you give a bit more information about the hump? I'm not sure whether you mean that the lumber is thicker in the middle, or bowed. Was your timber supplied rough-sawn or PSE?

 

[Steve22]

I did some benching for myself with CLS straight off the pile, no planing at all. Also you can buy "regularised" timber ready for structural use, or PAR. No need to plane anything.
Also I'd question the need for a lot of benching - mine seem to end up with piles of stuff permanently in the way. I wouldn't do it again unless there was an obvious use e.g. sharing the space with others.
A single table might be better - you can only work in one place at a time. Don't make one, buy one, attach a small vice.
Maybe talk to @Phil Pascoe about what you can and can't do from a wheelchair? He's a successful woodturner.

Cheers but you lost me on the benching and par bit I don’t know all the abbreviations or names as yet I should do. Cal is type of lumber I think. With all my memory problems and medical issues I can’t remember anything after 5 minutes it’s so frustrating

 

[Steve22]

Thanks everyone I’m going to go back through all emails an reread them un it cli;k