Thread: Reference for square edge

Use a try square to check regularly as you progress, but most of all is practice

Tiger, if I understand what you are saying correctly, it's a very common problem we all have to watch out for. I use the 'finger-fence' technique, but even after years of jointing boards, I have times when I do a wobble and end up with one end of the board square & the other off either to left or right - I'm not even consistent about it!

I find it happens most often when I'm in a hurry, & particularly on shorter boards, for some odd reason. It's worse when I'm hurrying, 'cos I usually have the cutter set too coarse, & in correcting the "off" bit I often muck up the part that was square... The cure for me is usually just to take a deep breath, re-check that the cutter is square, and take it a bit more slowly & carefully.

BTW, I think you make it more difficult for yourself by using a cambered cutter when jointing - that MAY be contributing to your woes. A square edge seems much more likely to emerge from a straight blade, at least in my hands...
Cheers,

It may be user-error but apart from what others raised, 1, is the toe of the sole flat where you register the board, and 2, do you use a scrap of wood to adjust the blade to an even cut on both sides?

It depends how cambered your blade is to whether it will cause trouble. Richard Vaughan and others teach to joint with a very mildly cambered blade. This allows a very neat way of correcting for out of square. You just plane on the higher side of the (out of square ) work with the sole still fully registered on the angle and the blade takes a whiff of shaving off the high side only courtesy of the camber and with frequent checking with a square, when you have it back to square, you plane down the middle of the sole and take a full-width shaving. It allows you to correct and keep the sole in full register with the work rather than hail-Marying it with a straight blade. Works too.

Someone/where long ago - I just recall - talked about having a vertical dowel or similar projecting up from their plane.

The idea was to amplify any deviation in the angle of the plane from level.

Completely blank as to where I saw it ...

Cheers,
Paul

A 300mm board can be done on a shooting board. I know this will not help your plane skills but should get a result.
Regards
John

Originally Posted by Tiger

I'm getting some inconsistent results when trying to put a square edge on a board. Sometimes it works, sometimes the edge is square only on part of the edge. I'm using a no.4 plane as this particular board is only 300 mm long but have noticed the same sort of inconsistency with longer planes. The blade is cambered and sharp, my question is how do you know that the plane is square to the board when you plane it? Obviously I'm tilting the plane but I have no reference to guide me so that I know it is square. I should also mention that I use the recommended grip where you put your thumb next to the knob and use your fingers as a fence.

Hi Tiger

For jointing the edge of a 12"/300mm board you would benefit from a plane with a longer sole. The shorter smoothers are designed to ... well ... smooth the surface .. but they are not the best choice when you seek to create an evenly flat surface. You do not need a typical jointer, such as a Stanley #7, for this. You can use anything from a #5 upward. A #5 with a straight blade may be ideal in fact.

While planing square edges come with practice - which includes how to use a small square to measure as you work - it is possible to clamp a fence (made out of wood) to the side of the plane, which will ensure a square edge.





Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Tiger,

Folk who are adept at producing square edges usually plane fairly slowly with a very sharp plane. If you are producing less than a full width shaving once you have the board nominally straight you can be pretty sure you won't come up with a square edge for the full length. Keep trying!!

Cheers Old Pete

Thanks guys for sharing your thoughts on this. I have tried adding a wooden fence to replicate the Stanley 386 gauge but it still produced inconsistent edges. I'd like to produce square edges without a guide if possible, I've seen it done on videos so I know it can be done. Paul I like your idea of using a dowel and perhaps lining that up with a wall stud or something vertical, it's worth investigating.

From what the others have said though, you seem to know when the plane is tracking square but do you do it by feel? When you use the finger under the plane grip that helps the plane stay centred, does it serve any other purpose?

Hi Tiger

I work by feel rather than aim at a distant object.

Scribble with pencil on the edge so that you can track where you are planing. Often the reason you are not square is that the blade is off-square itself.

Use a small square to check the edge every few inches, and mark quick side of the edge needs to be adjusted.

The final shaving should be full, otherwise the edge is not flat.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Originally Posted by Tiger

Thanks guys for sharing your thoughts on this. I have tried adding a wooden fence to replicate the Stanley 386 gauge but it still produced inconsistent edges. I'd like to produce square edges without a guide if possible, I've seen it done on videos so I know it can be done. Paul I like your idea of using a dowel and perhaps lining that up with a wall stud or something vertical, it's worth investigating.

From what the others have said though, you seem to know when the plane is tracking square but do you do it by feel? When you use the finger under the plane grip that helps the plane stay centred, does it serve any other purpose?

It helps keep the plane on track eliminating running off line, it greatly improves balance of the plane and steadies your arm action.

Using a plane has the same basic principle as a hand saw, keep your shoulder and eyes over the centre of the work, this will greatly improve your technique and action then it won't be long and you will be producing those square edges.

Practice and patience reaps its own reward.

I cheat with short lengths by putting Record No 7 trying plane upside down low down in vice, square against face of bench then use face of bench as fence as I slide timber along. Can hold or clamp a piece of timber against stock to get near to blade centre.

To add to what has already been said, if your not comfortable with a no7 use the 5, i found it took a long time to get used to a 7, and the extra width only adds to your woes. The one thing that no one has mention is your rear grip. Once your hand is over the work all registering should be done with the rear of the plane. One other thing to do is grip the handle in the same way you do the knob, just with your thumb, have the heel of your hand on the top of the sole and again use your fingers as a guide. Make sense? if not i'll take a pic for you tomorrow. The other thing to do is joint the 2 pieces at once, folded from flat. This way any deviation in angle is the same on both pieces, and you have a wider bearing surface to work on.

I am lucky as i was taught to joint on a panel saw......the only jobs i have ever had to hand joint where over 3.8m long. Not so lucky these days!

Thanks again for more constructive suggestions. I spent a couple of hours practicing tonight, again I got very close but at times the edge was still a fraction off square.

Ueee, hadn't considered the rear part of the plane but that makes sense, if you get a chance I'd like to see a photo.

Derek, that feel you mentioned seems critical to getting accuracy, I guess it's hard to put in words but can you elaborate a bit more on that "feel"?

Hi Tiger

The first thing is setting up your plane correctly. There are a few ways, but essentially you want to ensure that the blade is square (if you use a straight blade). I tend to feel the ends of the blade with a finger for equal projection. If in doubt, use a wooden block to create shavings at each side of the blade, and compare these for thickness. If you are using a blade with a camber, then you need to place the camber at the centre line of the edge. To do this guide the plane using a finger under the sole as a fence.

The second is the technique required to plane a flat edge. Keep in mind that the plane will follow the line of the wood, which means that one is likely to plane an arc if there is already one present. Use a straight edge to determine where there are highs and lows, and remove the highs first. You are also better off taking a few swipes off the centre of the board to ensure that you do not inadvertantly create an arc. Scribble lines on the edge to see what you are doing.

The feel in planing an edge is similar to the feel in sawing a dovetail or tenon shoulder. You practice until the angle you hold the saw just feels right. You are able to place the saw on the wood just so, and it naturally saws at the desired angle. This is a combination of hand memory and spatial orientation.

Using a plane for jointing is similar. You have to learn when you are holding the plane square to the side. This is something that you will learn with practice. And you need accurate feedback when you do this, so scribble on the edge and watch where you plane. Correct your placement until you are planing at the centre line (this is practice only - later you need to be able to follow the left- and right tilts, which means moving around the edge). You have to be able to do this until it feels natural. Ask Chris Vesper, I placed rough sawn boards in his vise, dropped the plane onto the edge, and planed a few passes. The edges were 99% square first time. This is just the result of doing it time and again. Anyone can learn to do this. But there is no short cut. You need practice.

Regards from Perth

Derek