Thread: Planing straight and true

Michael - ahhhh, but biscuits only really constrain the movement in one plane, the pieces can still slide a little along the axis of the biscuits....

The domino machine, for merely 20X the price , aligns the pieces precisely in both planes.

Some very nice stuff on your Picasa pages by the way - love the design of that entertainment unit, and the coopered box. Coincidentally I was about to try a coopered box lid in rock maple as an exercise in matching up the grain to give a continuous effect. Might give it a go this weekend.

Ern - I need a decent jointer, I want something to take the same blades as my BU Jack, so the Veritas looks the go. From what you've said, I'll get the fence at the same time.

Thanks for the feedback

Bit of a bummer that LN will have all their tools at the Sydney show (and they will be giving discounted show prices), but I somehow doubt that Veritas wil be represented at all. Can't see Carbatec taking much Veritas gear along.

Lee Valley Australia, anyone??

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

Michael - ahhhh, but biscuits only really constrain the movement in one plane, the pieces can still slide a little along the axis of the biscuits....

The domino machine, for merely 20X the price , aligns the pieces precisely in both planes.

Some very nice stuff on your Picasa pages by the way - love the design of that entertainment unit, and the coopered box. Coincidentally I was about to try a coopered box lid in rock maple as an exercise in matching up the grain to give a continuous effect. Might give it a go this weekend.

I tried a Domino once but thought it'd be like coke, so haven't touched one since. Just a great bit of kit. Ta for the plug.

Ern, don't tell anyone but I used a bit of 'persuasion' on the plane iron I was telling you about and it worked a treat. Nice and flat now. (hang on, this isn't the lapping thread... )

Cheers
Michael

LOL, OK, let's start a peining thread. Whatever works

Mr B., yeah, swapping blades btwn the jack, jointer and one of their smoothers was a big plus for me. I now have so many blades/bevels/steel types that each gets a sticky label.

Any case, I have big paws. The V. BU totes are so much more comfy than my fettled Stanleys it's no contest in the end.

Ern, I had an identical 'Cunning Plan'...........

When I get round to it I need to put my Veritas LA (BU) Smoother up for sale - it has a couple of blades at various angles, but the blade is a different width/thickness to the one for the BU Smoother/Jack/Jointer set.

It is so convenient to be able to swap blades for different tasks - I already have a couple of A2 blades for the BU Jack at different angles, one without any camber for edge jointing, and even a shallow angle O1.

Yeah, I got caught out that way when I bought the 'wrong' smoother from Carba-tec and bless Carl (when he was there) he took it back.

Originally Posted by rsser

...when I bought the 'wrong' smoother...

Bevel Up Smoother, Low Angle Jack, Bevel Up Jointer = 2¼" irons
Low Angle Smoother = 2" irons
Lee Valley have got to come up with a better naming system .

And BTW Mr Brush, stand in line for a Lee Valley Australasia store. The country that gets the most points at the football (soccer) World Cup gets the first store.

Cheers (from NZ), Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

And BTW Mr Brush, stand in line for the Lee Valley Australasia store. The country that gets the most points at the football (soccer) World Cup gets the first store.

How about we meet you halfway and put one at Bondi

Originally Posted by Groggy

How about we meet you halfway and put one at Bondi

Closer to me.

Originally Posted by Tiger

Is there anything you can do to fasttrack the ability to plane edges of timber at perfect right angle to their sides? I laminate pieces of timber and need good right angle joints. I've practised a bit but find that over the length of timber that I get a "twisted" board ie not a consistent angle across the board, somewhere along the length I must shift the plane but I can't consciously tell that I'm doing so.

the "fast track" solution is to use a shooting board
here's a link to how HNT Gordon - Jointing long boards
the better option is practice, especially if some of your boards are 40mm thick
I also think (meaning I haven't checked) that LN have a Youtube video on edge jointing -- you can get to the youtube videos via Lie Nielsen's site http://www.lie-nielsen.com.au/ it's a relatively inconspicous link under the banner

This might be an obvious thing but I'd go back to basics, as I did when I had problems with this recently.

1) Get your jointer properly set up and fettled. It needs to be razor sharp with the blade square in the mouth with a very slightly concave shape to the blade. Set the depth of cut to take a very fine shaving with the chip breaker close to the edge of the blade. Make sure you are comfortable with the plane, if the handles are rough or the angles you are holding the plane at are awkward you are going to squib at some point in your stroke and introduce irregularities. You must have good clearance around you to work the plane and be able to get in behind it properly.

2) Looking at the two widest faces of your boards sight along the full length at several different spots and choose the face with least variance. Now place this face down on your bench so that the rougher face is up toward you.

3) With the board held securely in place take your largest plane, I prefer a number 8, and true the board using long, smooth end to end strokes. Use some winding sticks to sight up and down the board and mark any irregularities which you can subsequently plane out.

4) Turn the board through 90 degrees and clamp it level and securely so it is sitting at about hip height. Check along the board using a square and mark the high face so that you plane away the marks. Once you have removed the marks repeat the process until the two faces are at a prefect 90 degrees.

The overall feeling needs to be one of smoothness, like an ice skater moving across the ice or a rower across the water. Long smooth unhurried strokes using momentum. If you start to feel asthough you are really working the plane to get your shavings then take a rest. Similarly, if the quality of the shavings declines rehone the blade.

This is just my approach, others will have different things that work for them, hope it helps.

I make sure the edges are square with a no4 before getting out the no8 or no7. Try holding this with both hands on the sides (thumbs pointing forward along the top, with your forefingers just ahead of the blade) for the first 5/8 of the board, and then move your hands in a similar position behind the blade for the rest. This gives excellent control, and an even balance of pressure.

Originally Posted by Blue-deviled

I make sure the edges are square with a no4 before getting out the no8 or no7. Try holding this with both hands on the sides (thumbs pointing forward along the top, with your forefingers just ahead of the blade) for the first 5/8 of the board, and then move your hands in a similar position behind the blade for the rest. This gives excellent control, and an even balance of pressure.

Probably good advice. He doesn't have my good looks but you can't see his glue lines
Cheers,
Jim

One of the David Charlesworth DVDs has a section on edge jointing. Quite good - provided you have the patience to handle his style of delivery. I think he spends 10 minutes developing a deep and meaningful relationship with the timber before he even reaches for his plane.....

David Charlesworth is the anti-Rob Cosman......