Replies

1. 
   gdblake | Jan 25, 2011 08:59pm | #1

   Get a vintage #7 to flatten the top

   Rockar15:

   I suggest you hunt around for a vintage Stanley #7 to use to flatten the top.  The longer length (22" vs. 14 to 18") makes the task easier to accomplish.  If this is strickly and either or situation get the low angle jack.  It is a much more versatile tool.  Just get an extra iron with a steeper bevel to work the top with.

   gdblake

2. 
   roc | Jan 26, 2011 12:01am | #2

   Well let me say this about that

    What kind of wood is your bench made from ?

   It is fortunate the top is concave rather than convex.

   No surprise it changed.  That isn't your fault is it ?  It is bound to move until you hit a happy medium over the seasons.

   You may find to flatten it a scrub plane is the way to go then use what ever plane suits your fancy to make it smooth.

   I love my LN low angle jack but fall back on the scrub to get on with significant stock removal.

   I like the LN bevel down longer planes, I have the #7, but if the wood your bench is made from is very hard or reverse grain, rowed etc the bevel down may not be able to do it all without significant blade modification that makes it complicated to resharpen.

   I would say it depends some on the projects you will use the plane for in the future.  Do you need a bevel up for those ?  A bevel down may cut faster and work out better if those projects are softer wood with not problematic grain.

   Me . . . I had to use a bevel up most of the time when I built my bench.  Very hard purple heart with a fair amount of rowed or tearout prone grain.  The extra wide blade on the #7 bevel down tore out, dulled and then floated over the surface in no time causing the surfaces to go convex.  I radiused the edge, which is about the equivalent of using a narrower plane, and I back beveled to steepen the cutting angle, easier to duplicate on the bevel up.

   Realistically, if I were you and wanted to just "getterdone" I might go with what my friend here Chris Wong has taught me and invest in one of these guys

   http://www.amazon.com/Makita-1806B-10-9-4-Inch-Planer/dp/B00004YOD2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1296017102&sr=1-2

   Looks like a seriously useful tool, at the same price, roughly of the longer planes.

   I enjoy the hand planing but, for the really hard stuff which I like, takes huge amounts of time for a beginner like me.

    

   
1. 
   rockar15 | Jan 26, 2011 06:18am | #3

   My top is made of red oak,so it has some reversing grain.

   The concave problem was my fault.

   I received a new jointer for christmas and was so happy to use it and to finally  get my two bench halves glued up

   I didnt check to see if they where square to the top after

   I know wood worker mistake 101

   I also have to compliment on your bench top, that purple heart had to hurt your wallet.

   I saw you had a tail vise and i was going to do the same vise on my bench.

   What would you say the difficulty level was.

1. 
   jg0258 | Jan 26, 2011 08:48am | #4

   First, have you try wetting the top in the middle to bring out the concavity? I did that with mine and it worked. 

   As to your question, I would go with the Jack plane, since it is more versatile if you can only afford one plane. Make sure you have winding sticks and only plane those parts that are raised. It will take longer than with a jointing plane, but it can be done. 

2. 
   roc | Jan 26, 2011 10:11pm | #7

   I don't know what to title this so . . .

   rockar15,

   >Hurt my wallet<

   Nah that's why I have a wallet; to buy cool stuff I love.  I am guessing I can sell the bench for much more than I payed when I shut down my shop.  I hope I can find someone worthy.

   >Difficulty level of tail vise<

   ooooo thassssadiffficult question to answer.  I don't know your back ground.  Mine has some precision metal work so I had the tools and skills to layout the parts accurately.  I had to buy and sharpen some high end saws and I have a killer nice Japanese temple builders chisel.  It still took me a long time and was not a walk in the park.  I enjoyed the work immensely.  I was highly motivated and focussed meaning I was not thinking ahead to the project I really wanted to build with the bench.  I was content to make the bench the project I wanted to do and did not rush it in any way.  I know, hard to believe.

   My simple answer, and I don't want to offend but the simple answer, is if you have to ask you may not be ready to tackle it.  Build stuff until you think to yourself "yah I can do that; it is just going to take time" then you MAY be able to do it if you can stick with it long enough and be patient.

   I may be blowing it up into a bigger deal than it really is but that is my view.

   Kipster,

   >bench top is a thing of beauty!!!<

   Oh man you don't know the half of it.  It doesn't have to do with me though.  I chose purpleheart because it is way strong and stable (and hard and heavy and has other properties I have discovered since building the bench).  When I began to work it I discovered chatoyance and figure beyond my wildest dreams.  No kidding; I lucked out.  That spot of lighter colored grain just bellow the horizontal slot in the photo called "iridescent"  is literally like the throat of a humming bird; you know the ones that look like they are lit up with little light bulbs?

   For the work I do a great work bench is super important so rather than paying thousands of dollars for a factory made bench I paid a few hundred, plus hardware etc., plus my time and I have a one of a kind work of art that actually is functional.  I would invest again no question.

    Thanks for your interest,

   PS: note I went way over the top and used ebony for the handles and solid brass ball ends threaded, counter bored to fit over the handle, and patinaed.  Nuts I know.

   
2. 
   kipster_ | Jan 26, 2011 10:39am | #5

   benchtop jpg

   WOW!!!  that bench top is a thing of beauty!!!

3. 
   fxston | Jan 26, 2011 09:51pm | #6

   Workbench Top

    http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?c=&cat=1,310&p=32635  

   I would recommend you consider buying a used Stanley No. 6, No. 7 or No.8 and replace the Stanley 2 3/8" blade with the Veritas scraper insert that is setup with a hooked blade.  The investment would be minimum.

   If you want a plane that will provide a range of smoothing, jointing and edge planing, then buy a LN or Veritas bevel up low angle plane with a couple extra blades that are sharpened to plane various wood grains.

   I welcome comments on these suggestions.

   Regards to all,

   Rex Featherston

    

1. 
   rockar15 | Jan 27, 2011 07:58pm | #8

   coming soon

   Thanks for everyones advice. I went with the low angle jack for the amount of options it gave me and everyones advice.

   I will be on the hunt for either a stanley 6,7,or 8 soon .If anyone sees a good deal please send me a pm

   Thanks

   Mike

4. 
   blaytonii | Nov 12, 2013 05:17pm | #9

   thought of drum sanding?

   Don't get me wrong, I'm always in the maket for an excuse to get the wife to let me buy another tool/toy.  That said, depending on the width (and your location), a lot of woodworking stores/suppliers off some machining for an additional fee.  The Woodworkers' Source by me has a drum sander (won't push the wood flat like a planer, so leaves a truly flat surface, unlike planers, and also eliminates the worry of tear out) that will handle stock up to 30" wide (or something close to that).  They charge $15 for the first 10 minutes and $1.50/minute after.  While the drum sander is slower than a surface planer, depending on the degree of concavity it may still be MUCH cheaper than a LV or LN plane and would guarrantee a flat surface.