Thread: working reclaimed planks need advice!!

Welcome to our asylum!

If you have some thickness to spare, then run 'em through a thicknesser. Or a drum sander. That way the surface'll be "as new" and all the boards will be the same, constant thickness.

I'd put the good side facing down, to plane the rough side first. Just a quarter to a half of a mm at a time, until it's clean. Then flip the boards over and take a pass or two over what used to be the good side, to clean that up too.

Unless this makes the boards too thin. Then I'd plane the rough side just enough that you can flip the boards over to clean up the good side without them rocking or flexing as they pass through.

That's the simplest and quickest way. If you can't get access to one, there are other alternatives. Such as a LOT of sanding. Or, if you have the skill, using a hand plane.

[QUOTE=Welcome to our asylum!


That's the simplest and quickest way. If you can't get access to one, there are other alternatives. Such as a LOT of sanding. Or, if you have the skill, using a hand plane.[/QUOTE]

the hours i've spent lost on the internet ..thanks for the reply.

unfortunatly i dont have access to any machinery. I also dont have much experience in wood working though i am good with hands on things. Im using a sanding drum which you stick in the end of a drill so the sanding isnt as slooow as it could be.

the top side is good when sanded im happy just sanding it...the underside is rough it would need planing .. i mean im not going for a profesional finish,i would just like to remove a few mm to get it flat enough to sand. its an inch thick so a few mm won't hurt.
i have no exp. with planers though.i'l do some research.any advice would be welcomed.

when it comes to the top side, assuming i dont figure out how to plane well enough, would you advice me to just keep sanding until i get the cleanlyness i wanted?i wasnt sure if i was working the dirt into the grain. should i scrum it with soapy water before doing any work on it.

Hi Fruit knife, it is as Skew said but I have been known to scrub down some dirty timber with soapy water, just make sure you put them somewhere flat to dry. If you can aford one, a belt sander would be a good way to clean them up. You don't need any special skills easy to use but it will be a thousand times faster than the drum thingy you are using and do a much better job. Bunning or someone will have one of the buget ones for under $200, Bosch has a good budget range at a reasonable price.
Good luck.

well the drum thing..i dont know if we're on the same page. it uses the same belts as a belt sander it just fits....i'l find a link

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/10387/...Sanding%20Drum

200 bucks even in my currency i'd rather save.

do you know where i can find some 'in progrees' photo's. it would be handy to compare to see what stage of finishing im at..

also the plane-ing sounds cool i might buy one on monday.

Fruitknife,
An electric plane will not cost any more than a hand plane. The electric plane is great for cleaning up old wood. The cheaper ones should be under 50 quid. If you go the hand plane path then you need to be able to sharpen the blade. Blades for electric planes are tungsten and last a long time. Replace when blunt but I find they go for years.
Regards
John

hmm yes i have found a few electric planers for £29/$53---£39/$71--/£54/$100 but with my exp. with power tools i'd only go for the £54 and thats only becuase its bosch.

i dont know i think i'd rather use this as an excuse to learn how to hand plane.
i've read the 'fine wood working: Handplaning 101' and it looks kinda satisfying.plus i think it would be more trasferable.

how much difference is there time/quality wise in the two. over value. bearing in mind i have a lot of time on my hands.



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i added the dollar conv. cos isnt this a aussie site?

fruitknife,
Handplanes are satisfaction on a stick! (god I hope that is not quoted back at me) A handplane takes a bit longer than an electric plane but will do a finer job. They have to be sharp so get an oilstone and a honing guide too. The guide allows anyone to get a good edge on a blade. Follow the instructions for bevel angle and bobs your uncle.For starting out a good usable stanley No 4 or 5 would be my pick. Ebay or markets and car boot sales are good places to search. The old planes are better quality than the modern stanleys. Have a look at the hand tools section of this site and there is enough info on planes to keep you reading for years. When you get a plane then there are plenty people on here to help with questions. Good on you for having a go.
Regards
John

ok i've been looking around and to be honest getting pretty frustrated. no offence to you guys on this website but trying to read up the basic important points of buying a new or used plane (from a cluless perspective like myself) was pretty difficult. a lot of things said that ultematly probably wouldnt have a noticable effect on the finished job. i know this forum wasnt built for this purpose ,im not complaining in anyway.be cool.

so i've searched high and low for a plane to start off with.
ebay - i dont have a positive acount + theres collectors on there so its a bit difficult.
shops - i've found shops with new no4 finishing planes for £20 (less sometimes) which would probably do the job? and stnaley'sno4 at £40-£45
a reliable website i know - i've found a second hand stanley no4 plane and the dudes offering it to me for £17 postage incl. - this is what he told me when i asked about the condition;
It is stanley anant number A4
Yes it is old about 30 years , and it does have rust ( but it will clean up )
The blade clamp is new
The blade is sharp .
The base is 9" long and 2.2" wide

the rust rings a bell and the anant thing just confuses me. he also says
I don't do DIY
if you dont do DIY why the new blade clamp.it was listed as £30 +£5post.
anyway im getting restless so i want to buy a plane if this looks like a good buy
then please advise.

also should i ask him to clarify about the rust?

much appreciated!

What is the web site? can we see it or can he send you a photo? The rust has got to be realy bad for the plane to be a dead loss so you should be ok anyway. When you get it, have a good look at it, pull it apart and clean it all lubricate threads etc rub any rust away with a bit of wet and dry paper or steel wool, give it a good wipe down and put it back together again. If you need help tuning it pop us another help call. Oh and he said it was sharp but even if it is you will need to sharpen it again working on recycled timber, so do as orraloon said and get a stone and guide. Using a blunt plane would be like trying to use a sharp hammer.

thanks claw i'l do that.

the thing is its listen under Stanley 4 smooth plane.

im confused, when i search anant it comes up with a different brand. anant and stanley dont seem to have any connection. does this guy mean its an anant plane, stanley number 4? what say you?

Yes, people do that a lot, give the stanley comparison. I dont know the brand, or it could be a typo or mispelleded.