bugbear
Established Member
If you're a beginner, the most likely issue is planing all the edges more than the middle.
The most likely edge to plane too much is the far end - you may have trouble starting the plane cutting at the near end, so the far end gets more "cut".
It's also easy to plane the side more than the centre, unless you take particular care to avoid it.
Finally, it's fairly easy, once you get the hang of starting the stroke, to plane the near end too much.
One key mental image is to TRY to plane the board hollow in length, with a sort of scooping motion. You won't succeed, but the act of trying to do it tends to make the plane work straight - in length. Planes, with their long bodies are designed to create flat surfaces.
However, since they're only 2-3 inches wide, this doesn't apply side to side of the work piece. Straightness here is generated by YOU making the right number of strokes in each band.
I can recommend Robert Wearing's "Essential Woodworker" here - he has a pretty good (as far as a book can be) and well explained chapter on stock planing.
Videos might be better - planing is hard to described - and a teacher best of all.
BugBear
The most likely edge to plane too much is the far end - you may have trouble starting the plane cutting at the near end, so the far end gets more "cut".
It's also easy to plane the side more than the centre, unless you take particular care to avoid it.
Finally, it's fairly easy, once you get the hang of starting the stroke, to plane the near end too much.
One key mental image is to TRY to plane the board hollow in length, with a sort of scooping motion. You won't succeed, but the act of trying to do it tends to make the plane work straight - in length. Planes, with their long bodies are designed to create flat surfaces.
However, since they're only 2-3 inches wide, this doesn't apply side to side of the work piece. Straightness here is generated by YOU making the right number of strokes in each band.
I can recommend Robert Wearing's "Essential Woodworker" here - he has a pretty good (as far as a book can be) and well explained chapter on stock planing.
Videos might be better - planing is hard to described - and a teacher best of all.
BugBear
