Replies

1. 
   hammer1 | Feb 16, 2005 03:37pm | #1

   Joining by hand plane has a few challenges. Figured wood can have reversing grain leading to some chipping, it's common to take a little too much at the start and finish of the cut, and it's difficult to keep the plane 90° to the face. The last issue can be helped with a fence, many manufacturers made add on fences for this purpose. The other issues are more difficult and will rely on your ability, blade sharpness and maybe bevel angle. You can also construct a shooting board to guide the plane. Personally, I would probably opt to use a straight edge guide for my router or table saw.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

2. 
   BG | Feb 16, 2005 06:21pm | #2

   Bubinga,
   I'd work it the best I could with the plane and if need be, use a sanding block with or without a perpendicular piece to keep the block at 90 degrees...finishing up with a hand scraper...

    

3. 
   Lilshaver | Feb 16, 2005 09:07pm | #3

   I believe that the bookmatch method you refer to done to increase the width of the riding surface. It also allows for each board edge to be other than square since they turn out as a matched set of edges. Your inch and a half boards are wide enough for the plane, but you will have to insure squareness all by yourself. In any case, you will have to insure that you plane the boards straight. You can read all the advice on earth about how to accomplish the task, but none of that will give you the real knowledge you need. For that, you gotta practice.....practice......practice.

   Please understand that I'm not trying to preach or lecture. I use a jointer. My handplane jointing skills are less than great for sure. Why? Because I've never taken the time to do the practice. And unlike some others I've elected to not sell my jointer.

1. 
   bubinga | Feb 16, 2005 10:21pm | #4

   Thanks for the thoughts. I do not have a jointer because there is not enough space for another large item. If I purchased one it would be a larger 8". Not really the topic here. I think If I take my time I can join the boards beautifully and use up less than an inch of the board width. I an shooting for final 42" width at any rate. I think I will also try and use a right angle Jointer fence attached to the plane.

   Cheers

   Joe

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

1. 
   BG | Feb 16, 2005 11:33pm | #8

   Bubinga,

   How are you  going to flatten the wood once it's jointed? 

4. 
   Tao | Feb 16, 2005 10:23pm | #5

   Jointing by hand is actually pretty easy if you have a solid bench of suitable length. The method I use is to clamp the board flat on the bench with some 1/4" plywood or other suitable spacer underneath, then put the plane on its side on the table to work the edge. This gives you a nice square, straight edge and allows you to push the plane in either direction, depending on the grain.

   The spacer raises the wood up so the plane blade can get an even bite. A jointer or try plane works best, of course, but you can do a decent job with a smaller plane; it just takes longer. Get the edges as straight as you can by eye, then try the boards for fit and shave where needed for a final fit. Lots of woodworkers like to leave a very small gap (spring) toward the middle of the joint to allow for the seemingly inevitable shrinkage toward the ends.

   Another method is to rip the boards reasonably straight, then clamp them down with a space between them. Using a guide board, run a router with a straight bit down the gap so it trims a little from each board at the same time. This is similar to cutting joints for laminate and may not give a perfectly straight joint, but it makes both sides match pretty accurately -- certaily well enough for a glue joint.

   Both methods are pretty easy to use. I have a jointer, but when pieces are too big for the jointer, I use the first method above. I've done glue joints as long a twelve feet this way on table tops. It does require a sharp well tuned plane.

   HTH

   Michael R

1. 
   Hazlett | Feb 16, 2005 10:30pm | #6

    woodwiz,

   your method #1 sounds very similar to a Japanese planing beam----which I will experimenting with in about 6 weeks.

   Stephen

1. 
   Tao | Feb 16, 2005 11:14pm | #7

   your method #1 sounds very similar to a Japanese planing beam

   It's just a crude approximation of what the British call a shooting board.  I think the technique has been around a long as people have been working wood.

   I forgot to mention that in a pinch, one board from the stock to be glued up can be used with a spacer to form a sort of shooting board to joint the other boards.  You have to set up some kind of good, even support, and you have to shift the workpiece back and forth a little to work the ends, but it has worked for me in the past.

   I never bothered to make a "real" shooting board for jointing because I never had a consistent need.   I just sort of improvise to suit the particular situation.

   Michael R

1. 
   bubinga | Feb 17, 2005 05:52am | #12

   Thanks for the suggestions. I will try the shooting method. My work bench is very flat and very solid. If I attach some specer to this it should work out. I will use a Veritas  #6 Fore Plane which is 18 inches long. I will keep you posted and send some photos of progress if interested.

   Cheers

   Joe

5. 
   MarkRoderick | Feb 16, 2005 11:53pm | #9

   Lots of good suggestions above.

   I have a right-angle plane from Lee Valley that creates the perfect 90 degree angle, then I finish with a jointer plane.

   I think you'll find it easier than you might imagine. You'll get the boards straight by eye, test them for fit together, then take very thin shavings on the high spots and creep on a perfect fit. When you've got them just about perfect take a long, thin pass on each board, which will flatten out even tiny imperfections. The beauty of the hand plane is that you can take such thin shavings that you won't make a big mistake - take it from someone who is not a professional and is prone to make mistakes.

6. 
   Peter36 | Feb 17, 2005 03:28am | #10

   With such beautiful sounding wood, I would suggest as others have of making a shooting board. I would use 2 pieces of 3/4" mdf, glued and screwed together. Make the bottom piece about 4" wider than the top piece. The top piece will be a little wider than the widest wood you plan on jointing. Rabbet a small ledge on the top piece for the plane to ride against and then clamp the whole assembly with your maple on it to your bench. You could even take some stopped shavings using the board to spring the joints.   Keep up posted, I am very interested as I have 4 pieces of clear 13-1/2" wide by 7 1/2' black cherry waiting for a dining room table.    Peter

7. 
   Midnight | Feb 17, 2005 03:50am | #11

   I built a shooting board to handle this very thing... an adjustable fence lets me pre-set the desired final width. Set the fence, clamp the board in place and let my #9 take care of the rest... Result is edges perfectly square to the face, boards exactly at the desired width and the #9's yet to generate any tear out... can't ask for more...

   It's damned heavy though.. ;)

   Mike Wallace

   Stay safe....Have fun