I’ve got some large pine boards that are rough cut. (3″x11″x16′) I’d like to square the stock but don’t have a proper jointer.
FG suggested I hand plane to face joint and I think this may be the right stock to learn on. So the question is, which hand plane(s) would I need to get a jointed face? (Preferably from Lee Valley)
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=1&cat=1&p=41182
Replies
AE,
The longer the plane the better. Lee Valley sells a #6 but if you can get you hands on a old Stanley #7 or #8 that would be better. They are heavy and will tire you out.
Enjoy.
AE,
I use a No6 for all work (trade cabinetmaker). I think that the British trades used to work the same, as the old Mathieson Planes and wooden planes are predominantly 16-20" long (Richard J - is this right if you're reading this?)
It's the one we're trained on and it works quite well.
I'm sure that others will suggest a No7 or No8, which was the way the US trades used to work.
Difference in lengths No5 = 14" long; No6 = 18"; No7 = 22"; No8 = 24"
I've heard nothing but good words about the Lee Valley No6.
Cheers,
eddie
If the wood is really rough you may want to consider using a scrub plane first. Removing a lot of rough wood with a 5,6 or 7 is really hard work.
The Lie Nielsen 40 1/2 (http://www.lie-nielsen.com/tool.html?id=40_5) is a great tool. There are cheaper versions available.
If your hands are not calloused I'd recommend wearing gloves when you plane that amount of wood.
Good luck.
Tim
Soon-to-be furniture maker
Port Townsend, WA
AE,
I started from scratch some months ago, and I have a LN and a Veritas in the collection. My favorite though is an old #6 Stanley Bailey, made around 1930, and picked up off e-bay for $75.
This is a good place to start, as it teaches you to tune the equipment and use it properly, without spending a lot of money.
I believe a #6 LN will be around $400.
Scrub plane it first, then run it through a planer. You can smooth it out a bit after the scrub with a 7, 6 or 5, but I don't think it is neccessary.
Now, if you are just gung-ho about hand planing wood, go for it!
Todd
I taught myself how to use planes by working with hardwoods; the first time I had to work some softwood I was shocked at how easy it was to work... With a good sharp blade your boards shouldn't present any probs to you..
I'd recommend a minimum of 2 planes, although I'd prefer to use 3..
Start with a course set jack plane (#5) to take out the worst of the mill marks in the board, and start cutting some shape into it. Work by planing across the width of the board rather than with the grain. Check your progress frequently with the longest straight edge you can get your hands on...(I use a 6ft builders level for this). Right now you're not looking for flat or smooth... just lump / bump / twist free...
Next... hit it with the longest bed plane you can get your hands on... set the plane to take a medium / fine cut and work with the grain to refine the surface. At this stage you're looking to create flat.. and smooth(ish). Again, check your progress frequently with the straight edge, focusing on flattening the high spots.
Lastly.. smoothing the face.. LV have some nice smoothers; their low angle smoother is often raved about. Failing that, get a spare blade for the jack plane, hone it perfectly straight, clip the outer corners and set the plane to take a real fine cut. Suitably armed, gradually work down the length of the board, working with the grain. Skewing the plane can make light work of any difficult areas (reverse grain, knots etc). Work away at it till you get the finish you want. Done properly, you can forget your sand paper... obsolete... ;)
Any probs... just ask... there's tons of experience available to you in here...
edited cos the bloody speel checker don't work no more...
Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Edited 3/21/2005 3:23 pm ET by Mike
Mike,Thanks for the encouraging email, I'm looking forward to learning the traditional techniques in parallel with using the modern machines. As a side note, I was talking to a salesman at Lee Valley tonight and he said that people were starting to get into working with hand tools more and more with the price of lumber so high. (No native hardwood in Calgary AB). WWer's can't afford to machine piles of lumber and finish projects too quickly!(But then again the price of hand planes...$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!!)AndyAndy
But then again the price of hand planes...$$$$$$$$$!!!!!!
Andy... I agree with you that good planes command respectable prices thesedays, but then, historically that's always been the case.. The other side of the coin is to look at it as a part of a system, the aim of the system being to prepare boards to a "fit for use" standard...
Handraulics have 3 main components, the tool i.e. the plane, the power spurce i.e. you, and the clean up i.e. a dustpan and broom... If it gets more basic than that, I'd love to hear about it...
Machinery has a few more components:- the jointer, the thicknesser and the sander; the jointer and sander both produce volumes of waist that needs to be evacuated from the machine quickly to maintain the efficiency of the machine, in other words they need a capable dust extraction system.. The sander produces fine dust in alarming quantities, necessitating the use of a shop vac..
The cost of the machines is related to their capacity; the wider the stock, the more expensive the machine... last I saw, planes are limited only by your reach in their capacity..
Tally the cost of each system and have a think about value for money...
Personally I believe handraulics are the best solution for me; I get a finished board that no machine can rival, I don't suffer back strain and hearing damage lifting and operating heavy and bloody noisy machines, and my lungs aren't subjected to the copious dust. In addition I get a regular work-out for free, something my doc is highly in favour of...
The down side (if there is one) is the time it takes to produce a useable board... but then, as a hobbiest, I'm not working against the clock here...Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
MIKE! I got tired just reading that one.... LOL...
long winded huh...??
sorryyyyyyyyy.......Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Mike .. Your first post on planing the wood... LOL.. I loved it..
Thanks all for the helpful info.
I am currently making a walnut dining table, and had to flatten the boards by hand, as they were too wide for my jointer. I tried several of my planes, including #4 1/2, 5,6,7---I found that the 6 worked the best for me, whether I was planing with or accros the grain.
Incidently, the 6 is a Bedrock with the corrugated bottom, and the others were just Baileys w/ flat bottoms....
Either way, I was stiff the next morning after 2 hrs. of planing.
Peter
jpswoodworking.com
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