Thread: Planing the impossible?

https://sites.google.com/site/wooden...w-bench-planes

The traditional hand tool worker's method of flattening a board face will help clarify the way the uses of a #4 and #5 differ.

1. Remove saw marks and remove any gross cupping, warping, or twist with a scrub plane used diagonally. A scrub plane is lighter, narrower, and shorter than a jack plane and has a very wide open mouth and a very curved cutting edge than can easily make deep cuts. It makes hogging off the outside of a rough board go very fast.

2. Refine the flattening to a moderate extent and work out the scrub plane tracks with a jack plane with mildly cambered blade. Use a straight edge and winding sticks to see where more wood needs to be removed. Plane the board in both diagonal directions first, then reduce the cut depth and plane lengthwise until you get continuous shavings the length of the board. The surface is left moderately rough at this point. It's OK; don't worry about it.

3. Switch to a #6 try plane (in between jack and jointer length, so it does more to help you straighten or flatten) with moderately fine blade set and a slight camber because the plane is narrower than the surfaces it usually planes. Work the face as flat as you are ever going to get it. Use a mix of diagonal and lengthwise strokes, but finish with lengthwise strokes. The surface is now smoother, than it was when you finished with the #5, but not good enough to apply a finish to. Many people forego the try plane and just do a better job with a jack plane. The try plane is generally regarded to be the easiest bench plane to do without.

4. The board is now flat and reasonably smooth, so switch to a short smoother set to take a very fine cut, blade very sharp and very slightly cambered, and mouth very tight. These settings minimize tearout. Planing only lengthwise with the grain, or with circular strokes in difficult areas, really smooth the surface out, removing any residual plane marks and making the surface smooth enough to apply a finish to. In general, you try to cover the board evenly with full length strokes because any concentration on a particular area will create a hollow that might be obvious when the finish is applied.

5. If the surface left by the smooth plane is not good enough, because you couldn't avoid getting some tearout, switch to a hand scraper, cabinet scraper, or scraper plane. These tools will smooth even wood with unruly grain that you cannot plane without some tearout. They do not work well with softwood, however.

The board is now ready to finish without going anywhere near a piece of sandpaper.

Hi John

The advice above is pretty much dead on, but you can also get away with just the jack set more like a scrub than a smoother - open the mouth up a bit with the adjustment screw, reduce the dept of cut by bring the blade in a bit and take short diagonal strokes. You'll find it take short chunks out, and pretty much levels it enough that you can bring the jack back to normal setup and clean up the rest.

I recently picked up a #6 and got a chance to give it a run last weekend, and I agree with the above post that you could do most of the work with a #5. Though the #6 is less work and feels like using a bulldozer compared to a hatchback!

Andrew

Thanks a lot guys. Sounds like a scrub, a #6 jack, and a smoothing plane should be on my shopping list.

Someone said to keep my eye out for a German horn scrub plane. I've seen some online, but they look kinda difficult to use? I'm more than happy to spend the dollars and get good tools, do u think I am better off with a lee valley level of scrub plane, or is the horn suitable?

Originally Posted by johnredl

Thanks a lot guys. Sounds like a scrub, a #6 jack, and a smoothing plane should be on my shopping list.

Someone said to keep my eye out for a German horn scrub plane. I've seen some online, but they look kinda difficult to use? I'm more than happy to spend the dollars and get good tools, do u think I am better off with a lee valley level of scrub plane, or is the horn suitable?

what no one has mentioned is if you intend using hand planes you will also need something -- preferably a solid bench -- to hold the boards while you palne them
without a solid and rigid work surface, 80% of your planing efford will be expended making the bench wobble.

also, you can do everything you want to do with a #5 or #6, one blade -- two blades one highly cambered, the other almost square across just speed the process -- and a screw driver.
the key is to adjust the #6 to the task at hand --
with a wide open mouth and highly cambered blade, you have a scrub
medium mouth and square blade, you have a jointer
narrow mouth and a blade that is only just cambered, and you have a smoother

you need the screw driver to adjust the frog back and forth

Originally Posted by johnredl

Someone said to keep my eye out for a German horn scrub plane. I've seen some online, but they look kinda difficult to use? I'm more than happy to spend the dollars and get good tools, do u think I am better off with a lee valley level of scrub plane, or is the horn suitable?

The scrub plane is a simple tool and I think does not worth to spend too much for it.
It has to do a rough job and just needs a larger mouth and a good quality cambered blade.
Some German scrub plane (I have an old Ulmia) are very good and easy to use.

Regards
Ciao
Giuliano

Thank you for your advice guys.

I think that I might get a German horn if I can find a cheap one. Also a #6 and play around with the settings as Ian suggested. Might be wise to start with an old warped scrap piece of timber. Then if I'm unhappy with the finish I can always get a smoother after. I have more chance of getting this approved by the finance committee!

I bought the book "the modern traditional woodworker", (great book) in which the author outlines the need for a solid planer bench - he uses one with a 4" thick top! So I'm planning on making one before I tackle anything.

I've only ever done everything by machine. The more I read about hand production the more it seems like not only an entirely new world, but loads more satisfying and fun! Not to mention more possible to work at night when the kiddies are in bed

Any suggestions on plane brands. Read a review comparing Stanley to veritas...thoughts??

Hi John,

I really like Chris Schwarz' philosophy on bench planes of "Course, Medium and Fine".
Thinking in those terms simplifies the roles each plane has in preparing timber.

While a single plane can be set up to handle most work, it's more practical to have one for each of these roles.

I'd suggest a #5 for initial roughing to size and flatness, followed by a #6 or even better a #7 for final flattening and squaring, then a smoothing plane #3 or #4 for fine finishing.

A scrub plane can be added for really rough work, like a very weathered or roughly sawn board.

A #5 Stanley, Record or Falcon, can usually be picked up cheaply and will get you started learning to set up and sharpen well enough for most work.
#4 is the most common of all planes, but most cheap ones just aren't good enough for final smoothing. Save up for a really good one.
There is lot's of info on the internet, just Google away.


Best Wishes

Steve

Strangely enough, I don't use a #4. Possibly because I haven't been bothered as yet to grind the 3mm of nail damaged blade off dad's oldie to make it workable, but mostly because the #5 does a fantastic job all by itself. Wide mouth, it's cleaning up the board, close the mouth up and it's leaving a surface ready for finishing. Plus, the handle isn't jammed up behind the frog so I find it more pleasant to use.

Wow, so much to learn! I appreciate all your advice. I'll keep you all posted on what I end up buying.

Had a trip to Carba-tec today...what a great store! I have a shopping list as long as my arm now!

Thanks again

Just been on eBay Australia. How does this one sound?

Item:170645249021
Hand Plane - Carter No.7 Made in Australia[B]

Should be fine to start with as an in-between "medium" (as someone put it) plane?