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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Blue Mountains - NSW
    Posts
    22

    Default Smoothing/Scraping Japanese Cedar

    Hi there,
    I've some Japanese Cedar that I'm working on and have managed to get it relatively smooth and flat but am having a little trouble with the final finish.

    I'm using an HNT Gordon smoothing plane with an HSS blade turned as per their instructions for use as a scraper. It's working quite well in general but every now and then areas of the piece become pitted. On working over that area another area will closeby will develop the same problem. And so it goes...

    I assume this has something to do with the grain of which I am unaware. Can anyone of more experience than I fill me in on what I am doing wrong and how to overcome this problem as it's rather frustrating.
    Thanks
    Paul

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2004
    Location
    Back on the sunny Gold Coast from Japan
    Age
    67
    Posts
    334

    Default

    Hi Paul.

    My advice with Japanese cedar (sugi) would be to just plane it rather that scrape. It's a softish timber so it's easy to plane. My understanding is that scraping generally doesn't work as well on soft wood as it does on the hard stuff. And with the Gordon planes, you're getting the same wood on wood effect that you get with a Japanese plane, so planing should leave you with a very nice finish. Just be conscious of the grain direction.

    Des
    See some of my work and general shoji/kumiko information at kskdesign.com.au

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  4. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Blue Mountains - NSW
    Posts
    22

    Default

    Thanks Des.

    The only reason I'd turned to scraping was because using the smoothing plane I was having the same problem (sorry that wasn't clear but was my intent in the subject smoothing/scraping).

    If I change orientation of the piece I a get larger chunks of fibre torn out out so I guess I've read the grain direction - er I think (?).

    This problem usually occurs directly on the lighter inside of a darker "ring" in the grain, if that offers any clues and is usually limited to an area about the size of 50c piece.

    Could it just be that my plane isn't sharp enough to handle such soft wood? I had previously discounted this as I had only just sharpened them. Well I guess there's only one way to find out back to the stone it is then.
    -p

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    3,567

    Default

    Have you tried skewing your plane to achieve a lower cutting angle lower effective cutting angles, so you have a more slicing cut. I have found this helps on softwoods.


    Hope this help? Were did you score the Sugi from?

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    NSW southern Highlands
    Posts
    548

    Default

    Paul

    Terry Gordons planes are very nice tools, but with a 60 degree bed they are aimed more at the hard & cranky wood species. I have never had much success with scrapers of any kind on softwoods and find that planing with a very sharp lower angled blade gives much better results. Skewing the blade as TS suggests also helps, and where the grain is really moving around, rotating the plane to follow the grain as you push it along also works. Not sure about japanese cedar, but some cedars have minerals in the wood that takes the edge off a blade very quickly and frequent sharpening may be necessary.

    Regards

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Blue Mountains - NSW
    Posts
    22

    Default

    Thanks all.

    Yes. a quick bit of research (which of course I should have done before!) reveals that the best angle for sugi is around 30-35 degrees. So it's off to plane making land with me!

    Thanks for the advice.

    btw the sugi came from an arborist here in the blue mountains who salvages what he can

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    NSW southern Highlands
    Posts
    548

    Default

    Paul

    Making a plane is an option, but if you are thinking of a low angle wooden plane be aware that as the angle decreases the thickness of the bed for the blade will also decrease and become more fragile. Another option would be a Veritas bevel up plane, which will give you the ability to handle both high & low cutting angles.

    Would your supplier be Canalpie timber ?

    Regards

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Blue Mountains - NSW
    Posts
    22

    Default

    I have considered the Veritas plane, but am up for the adventure of building one.

    Taking on board what you've said I'm going for a 45 degree bed. With a skew of about 30 degrees should get me low enough.

    No, my supplier is InTree solutions, an arborist in the Blue Mountains (NSW).
    regards,
    Paul

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    NSW southern Highlands
    Posts
    548

    Default

    Paul

    You will get a lot of experience & satisfaction out of making a plane ( or two ) I recommend David Fink's book it has a lot of good information on plane making & supporting information.

    Enjoy

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Blue Mountains - NSW
    Posts
    22

    Default

    I've a recently acquired Mujinfang which after some tuning is now taking nice clean shavings off the sugi. These have a 45 degree bed, so I'm on the way.

    Now if I skew the plane at 30 degrees as per my plan it doesn't take anything off.

    Any tips on skewing would be well received, including do I need to file down the corners of the blade to prevent scoring?
    Thanks
    Paul

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