Planing hardwoods

[sunnybob]

I think people who commit americanisms should have counselling. A couple of hours with Jacob should do the trick :shock: :shock:

Sunnybob and Mikeg
Committee for Recognising Americanisms and Penalties

 

[Trevanion]

A couple of hours with Jacob should do the trick :shock: :shock:

Oh god, please no! I’ve corrected my mistake, I’ve repented! Flog me, pull my nails, needle me, please, anything but that!

 

[ED65]

I'm sure it's down to technique and sharpness (something I am working on), but I am wondering if there is something between the two (Pine and Oak) that I might find more manageble?

Sharpening thread? :-"

If cost weren't an issue I'd be 100% behind MikeG's suggestion of walnut. It's as pleasant a hardwood to work with as you could ask for, in the Goldilocks zone between soft and hard (similar to genuine mahogany, which is why that was favoured in its day) and has winning looks besides. I'd work with virtually nothing other than ABW given the choice!

Cherry is lovely to work too, but it's a bit soft for day-to-day furniture for my liking. And finishing it can be a bit of a 'mare! (It's a blotch-prone wood.)

 

[ED65]

I am often amazed how people say maple is a hard wood. What I get here is not that hard...

Two main classes of maple in case you weren't aware Bob, soft maple and hard maple (sugar maple or rock maple). There's a world of difference between them.

Soft maple is a family of other species and they're somewhere in the region of cherry, or softer. But hard maple is a noticeable step above European oak.

 

[sunnybob]

I wasnt aware there was that much difference. I've heard of birdseye maple and a couple other exotics, but although I am quite spoilt for choice in hardwoods here, theres only one maple.

 

[sunnybob]

A couple of hours with Jacob should do the trick :shock: :shock:

Oh god, please no! I’ve corrected my mistake, I’ve repented! Flog me, pull my nails, needle me, please, anything but that!

I've made a note, youre on our list. 8) 8)

 

[ED65]

I wasnt aware there was that much difference.

The Janka hardness of bigleaf maple is 3.8 kN, red 4.2 and silver 3.1 (American black cherry being 4.2). Hardness of sugar maple is 6.1 kN.

I've heard of birdseye maple and a couple other exotics...

Birdseye is a description of the figure. As with fiddleback, quilted, ribbon-stripe, pommele and some other terms it doesn't define the exact species.

 

[Trevanion]

The Janka hardness of bigleaf maple is 3.8 kN, red 4.2 and silver 3.1 (American black cherry being 4.2). Hardness of sugar maple is 6.1 kN.

Isn't it sugar maple or rock maple they use for pool cues? I've got a pretty hard head but I'll tell you, the pool cue was definitely harder, don't ask me how I know that because I barely remember 8)

It would still be preferable to the punishment Bob was offering though.

 

[custard]

Cherry is lovely to work too, but it's a bit soft for day-to-day furniture for my liking.

I've made loads of furniture from Cherry, both European and American Cherry, including demanding applications like chairs where any deficiency would be immediately apparent. I can assure anyone on this forum considering Cherry that it's perfectly up to the challenge of furniture making.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Cherry is lovely to work too, but it's a bit soft for day-to-day furniture for my liking. And finishing it can be a bit of a 'mare! (It's a blotch-prone wood.)

I must admit to being a bit surprised at part of your statement, and I agree with custard in regarding cherry as very much an excellent material for furniture being more than strong and tough enough for a wide range of typical items, e.g., tables, chairs, cabinetry, etc. Indeed, the native black cherry is regarded in North America as one of the classic furniture woods. True, nowadays there's a fair amount of pressure on the species as younger trees than were historically felled make it into the supply chain, and this makes it challenging (impossible frequently) to find wide boards clear of most, if not all sapwood, but it's still a fine material for high quality furniture, and other woodworking.

As to its tendency to blotch, that's true, but a maker can either live with it as I have done frequently because I rather like that characteristic, or use well established skillful colouring up and polishing techniques to either eliminate or minimise any tendency to blotch. In some ways I'm rather less fond of the end result through blotch reduction/elimination than I am of simply putting a clear finish over the wood, blotching and all, ha, ha. Slainte..

 

[John15]

+1 for Oak being a very good species to work with. Apart from one bad batch of boards with several large knots, I've found it a delight to plane,cut joints and finish.

John

 

[Nigel Burden]

I an still very much a novice, but I have found that if the cap iron is set tight to the cutting edge, the blade very sharp and set to take fine shavings, even on knotty oak, it will plane ok. Skewing the plane also helps. If the blade is set too deep, it's hard work and you can get some horrendous tear out.

Nigel.

 

[ED65]

Cherry is lovely to work too, but it's a bit soft for day-to-day furniture for my liking. And finishing it can be a bit of a 'mare! (It's a blotch-prone wood.)

I must admit to being a bit surprised at part of your statement, and I agree with custard in regarding cherry as very much an excellent material for furniture being more than strong and tough enough for a wide range of typical items, e.g., tables, chairs, cabinetry, etc. Indeed, the native black cherry is regarded in North America as one of the classic furniture woods.

Yep I'm aware of its long history of use for fine furniture in the US. Hard not to be!