Replies

1. 
   RMillard | Jan 17, 2006 03:12pm | #1

   Richard,

    

   Plane across the grain to remove the tearout. Then, finish up with the plane set for a fine cut going with the grain. You can hog off a hefty shaving across the grain, with no fear of tearout, except at the edge as the plane leaves the wood, so leave your board oversized for width.

   Rob Millard

    

    

1. 
   Galloway | Jan 18, 2006 06:49pm | #2

   Thanks for that tip - it worked.  I've never tried planing anything cross-grain, but it worked like a charm. 

   Thanks again,

   Richard

2. 
   loucarabasi | Jan 19, 2006 03:04am | #3

   I know you want to make your mahogany edges smooth as silk. Hand planes are ok if your in highschool shop class. You need the high speed of machinery to achieve the smoothness your looking for.

   -Lou

1. 
   RMillard | Jan 19, 2006 05:05am | #4

   That is an interesting observation.

   I must disagree. The surface left by a skillfully employed, sharp hand plane is superior to that of any machine. 

   Rob Millard

1. 
   loucarabasi | Jan 19, 2006 01:08pm | #5

   RMillard, I would love to use hand tools more than I do, The bombardment of work thrown at me. Between customers and designers who hate to hear 6 weeks. And the reallity of paying bills does not afford me the luxury. I can appreciate your opinions.

   I allways say " when i hit the lottery I'll move my shop into my garage and use nothing but hand tools. Well maybe Tab saw, jointer, shaper, cnc router,planer,and of course my molder (becouse the big shops say "two weeks but mean 8weeks" . and I'll Need my dust collector too. Did I say I will work for free too. But no dead lines!!!!!!!!    Do I even play the lottery?????

1. 
   RMillard | Jan 19, 2006 01:53pm | #6

   For me, making period reproductions, hand planes aren't a luxury, but a necessity. You must be under a lot of pressure if your customers are upset at a 6 week wait. I have orders for the rest of 2006 and into 2007, with one order added just yesterday, so they will wait at least a year.

   Having said that, I don't look at my hand plane work as being slow, in fact I find it quite efficient, when combined with power tools to remove the bulk of the material. I can run a board through the planer, and take a pass or two over the entire surface with the plane, and have a piece that is ready for any finish, under the most demanding lighting conditions. You can't say that for machine planed woods with the rippled surface, which would require a good amount of sanding ( a process I detest, but do with the large amount of veneer work I do). 

   Rob Millard

1. 
   loucarabasi | Jan 19, 2006 02:01pm | #7

   Thanx for the reponse, The ripple effect is true. you seem to know your  ####.

   How do I stop chips from falling on the outfeed roller and then marking my wood surface on the way out. I detest this and detest sanding too'

   Thanx Old Timer, Lou

2. 
   dondownunder | Jan 21, 2006 10:07am | #8

   I couldn't agree more with Rob - the first thing my apprentices learn after how to make coffee properly is that I'm interested in the appropriate level of quality a piece deserves in the optimum time. They usually figure out on their own that sanding sucks & the less they need to do the better.

   In summary there is definitely a place for hand tools in a busy commercial shop if that's what gets the job done most efficently.

   Don