Wood Planing Problem

[JXJ_Woodwork]

Hi all,

New here and new to woodworking in general, but after diving in I’ve found a new love and the hope is that I can forge a career out of it one day. Now to the issue...

I bought a relatively cheap planer to even up the join on some boards I’ve made into a desk/table top (it was £21) and every time I go to plane the surface to give it a nice finish it keeps getting either stuck in the wood, on the knots... and then leaves nasty bite marks that I just can’t get rid of and it’s slowly ruining the table. I’m getting really frustrated with it as with everything I do I need and want to know how to do it the best way possible.. but I just can’t get this planing issue ironed out. I’ve tried countless times to readjust the planer and although sometimes it runs through and takes a shaving off 9 times out of 10 it just jams into the wood creating a divet that then just splints the wood and chips off or leaves nasty bite marks.

Any help would be hugely appreciated. I’ve attached some pics. I’ve spent hours trying to figure this issue out on my own but I’ve had to throw in the towel - this is my only hurdle in creating something beautiful.

Could it be the planer itself? Even though it’s cheap surely it’d at least work? Plus it can’t be the blade sharpness as it’s brand new... or could it?! How quickly do they begin to blunt.

For anyone wishing to know the boards I’ve used are C24’s.

THANK YOU!!! :? :|

 

[Ttrees]

Hello Jxj
Welcome to the forum
You have the wrong plane for the job really, as a double iron plane is the tool for the job.
The double iron plane will not pluck that grain if the cap iron is adjusted correctly.

With the plane you have you could just about get it done, but it aint practical.
You would have to hone at a higher angle which isn't nice for pushing
and close the mouth up as much as you can which makes it harder again.
Do you like blisters?
You can then get an old hardpoint throwaway saw, cut it up and make a "card" or "cabinet" scraper from it to finish.

I suggest you get onto ebay and find yourself a nice old Stanley Bailey or Record plane or two. Leonard Bailey's design is just about the best plane ever made, hence why there so popular.

I suggest at the least to have a no.5 1/2 and a no.4.
A jack plane and a smoother.
Surface rust only takes a rub to remove, so don't be put off by that.
Look for a plane which you can see how thick the sole is (cast metal base) and find the chunkiest ones you can find from the last few days offerings.
I would also be looking the sole (the mouth in particular for chips, and around mainly the cheeks for hairline cracks.
Might as well get ones with unused irons and unsplit handles.
You can get a no.4 for really cheap on the bay, probably under 20 quid.
Alternatively look for some sites like Tooltique for polished up versions.


P.s The hand tools section is where you will find the most specific advice on planes and the likes.
And also the answer to all your sharpening queries
All the best
Tom

 

[sunnybob]

That plane has an adjustable mouth. Cant say I've seen one of those before.
i think it might work better if that was closed up almost to the blade?

 

[clogs]

you canspend hundreds on a small plane....look at the hand made planes from America....
BUT as above get something heavy and better made.......even Stanley have turned out the odd duff'n.....car boots are a good place to look....
another trick is to keep the plane at a slight angle to the top....this way it will slice the wood.....even with a cheapo....
it's all very well trying the hand finish but unless u have the correct qual tools it's so very diff.....
If money is tight do the best u can with what uv'e got and get a belt sander to finish the job.......
Some would say sacrillage but it'll get the table top finished quicker.......and alow u to make more projects.....more progetcs means more experience....
I have 2 hand held belt sanders soon to have a 4" Makita plus a couple of linishers.......be lost with out them.....
once the new workshop is built I'll be making a thickness sander........
one other thing see if there is a "Men in SHeds" association near u they usually have the kit and experienced pensioners who will gladly help.....
I would also like to help but I live about a 1000mile from the UK.....
Personally, hand finish is great but I don't have the time.....

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Wrong plane for that job, but that wood is all but unplanable anyway. Nice little plane for £21, though.

 

[MikeG.]

It's all been said, but I would just add that you have bought a plane, not a planer. In fact, you are the planer.

 

[Trevanion]

In fact, you are the planer.

Or is it planier? :-k

 

[Old.bodger]

Things to consider....I won’t be sharp even straight from the box, it will need work. Close that throat right up for fine clearance and consider the grain direction. Take very fine shavings. As others have said, not really the right plane for the job, but it can do a much better job than that. Get a scrap and practice, practice, practice. Those big knots will will cause extra sharpening. None of this will be what you want to hear, but, it is all a learning process! Let us know how you get on.

 

[Woody2Shoes]

Another point for next time, the boards are (almost certainly) spruce wood. The C24 tag describes their structural strength (spruce is usually used for building structures). It's notoriously difficult to avoid the 'tearout' you've experienced with spruce because it's soft and the grain swirls all over the place round knots. A very good explanation on how to use a handplane with a cap iron to minimise tearout is given by mr mcguire here https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/ca ... out-video/

 

[thetyreman]

you'll need an incredibly sharp blade for this, and ideally a very tight mouth and cap iron as close to the edge as possible will all help, a plane with more weight/mass also helps so at least a no 5 1/2 or heavier, I'd probably use my no7 with hock iron in it and it just glides through even the knottiest of pine, skewing the plane helps about 20-30 degrees, you may find that scraping the area around the knot with a card scraper is the only option, most of the time though it's lack of sharpness.

 

[Ttrees]

you'll need an incredibly sharp blade for this, and ideally a very tight mouth and cap iron as close to the edge as possible will all help,.

Just to clear things up a bit, If you adjusting the frog forward on a Bailey, then you can't get the most from your cap iron.
Tightening the mouth gives the impression that the cap iron is adjusted as close as you can get it,
and becomes problematic when actually you do need the cap iron closer for it to work.
You won't be able to get it closer without moving the frog back.
Nevermind that it makes it twice as hard to push.

The front of the mouth plays absolutely no part in holding down fibres on a correctly adjusted double iron plane.

Tom

 

[Lazurus]

Never realised planes were so technical everyday a school day.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Ahhhhh ........... I didn't realise Leonard Bailey had wasted his time designing an adjustable frog. :?

 

[Ttrees]

Maybe true for the planes with an actual frog screw adjuster, not sure if that was Leonard's design?
Can't see anyone wanting to chamfer an edge off a tenon with a jointer plane.
And have yet to see any real reason for a tighter mouth on a long plane?
No doubt someone's got a use though,
The only thing I can think of is probably more of an aid rather than necessity making teeny chamfers on edges...
A tight mouth might help reducing the possibility of the cutter to drop getting the corner of the timber stuck in the mouth and taking a good nip/corner off the edge.

Love to hear some more thoughts on why a tight mouth would be preferred for anything.

Tom

 

[thetyreman]

you'll need an incredibly sharp blade for this, and ideally a very tight mouth and cap iron as close to the edge as possible will all help,.

Just to clear things up a bit, If you adjusting the frog forward on a Bailey, then you can't get the most from your cap iron.
Tightening the mouth gives the impression that the cap iron is adjusted as close as you can get it,
and becomes problematic when actually you do need the cap iron closer for it to work.
You won't be able to get it closer without moving the frog back.
Nevermind that it makes it twice as hard to push.

The front of the mouth plays absolutely no part in holding down fibres on a correctly adjusted double iron plane.

Tom

no. This is my opinion, you always ignore the critical parts of my posts and try and bait me into arguments, it's really pathetic, grow up,

regards,

Ben.

 

[Ttrees]

Not trying to bait you or anyone Ben.
It may be because you also comment on planing threads, and I am stating facts, not opinion.
Kato and Kawai footage shows what I have said clearly, (the absence of a mouth)
As will anyone who prefers not to scrape flat work.
All the best

Tom

 

[JXJ_Woodwork]

Wow fantastic advice all, I just came on not expecting a single reply and I come back to all this - what a great community. I’ve done some more research since I posted this yesterday and realise I look like a COMPLETE AMATEUR! (Which I am... ) I now realise the importance of a decent PLANE (thanks for pointing that out haha) and how it needs prep even out of the box. I’ve ordered the correct sharpening stones and have watched a few videos. I came across a fantastic one so I’m going to buy a larger heavier plane as you all suggested and properly prepare the tool before I start.. and yeah the wood is white spruce... I won’t be buying this again for a table... this was just all I could get at the time as was my ‘test project’. I’ll keep practicing until I get it nailed! Honestly thank you all again, such great advice.

Jack

 

[JXJ_Woodwork]

Oh, can I ask what is the diff between having a jack plane and a smoothing plane? Can you not do the smoothing with the no5?

Can somebody set the RECORD (see what I did there) straight for me please!!

 

[Just4Fun]

Can you not do the smoothing with the no5

Yes, you can. For many years the only plane I owned was a number 5.

 

[clogs]

Just to add........this is for everyone........sometimes needs a milling machine tho...
there are several sources on how to tune up even a good plane......a tickle here n there.......