Replies

1. 
   Alan | Feb 17, 2004 04:03am | #1

   Michael,

   Please forgive me if I'm saying things you already know.  But from your post I think we may have to go to first principles.

   A scrub plane, even one set "fine," will almost always leave some tear out.  (I say almost only because all general rules are false.  Er...hmm...I'll have to think about that.)  At least I've never used my scrub plane and had no tear out.  A scrub plane, after all, is not meant to do fine work; it's the bludgeon, not the rapier.

   I don't use my scrub plane to get to finished dimensions.  I make sure I leave the lines.  After the scrub I use my jack plane to get to just a hair over the finished dimensions, then flatten with my #7 jointer, and lastly my #4 smoother and/or scrapers.

   It's likely you can save your stock.  Use a jack, or some other plane about that size and utility, to get rid of the marks and scallops left by your scrub plane.  Then finish up with a long jointer and a smoother and you're golden.

   Alan

1. 
   michaelkowalenko | Feb 17, 2004 07:21am | #2

   Alan, I was doing exactly what you wrote.  The tearout occured, with the chunks coming out and dipping  below the final dimension, even though I was well above it in my scubbing.  The tearout happened due to the to and fro grain of the curly cherry. 

   What can I now do to save the boards?  I remember reading about the use of epoxy for inlay work, but have no details in relation to repairing tearout.  What about something else?

   Michael

1. 
   UncleDunc | Feb 17, 2004 08:52am | #3

   You can't. Either change the design to use thinner stock or go buy some new lumber. There is no fix that makes efficient use of your time and/or money.

   You've learned a valuable lesson. Use an extremely delicate touch when thicknessing curly cherry with any kind of plane.

2. 
   Alan | Feb 18, 2004 03:09am | #4

   Michael,

   Sorry for the unnecessary verbiage.

   UncleDunc is probably right.  The torn out bits will be very hard to repair so they're invisible.  You might want to experiment on a patch though, to see if it can be done.

   I would take a scrap with tear out like the worst spot on the stock and try to fill the bad spots.  I'd try this both on a sample finished area and on raw wood and then finish it.  The first thing that comes to mind is burn-in shellac sticks.  They come in a rainbow of woody colors and with some practice you can match almost anything.  Then there's colored wood putty and colored waxes.

   But, of course, filling with the right color doesn't mean the patch will be invisible.  It depends on how big the individual tear outs are, and how much area they cover.

   If all else fails, and you don't want to spring for all new wood, there's always veneer...

   Alan

1. 
   michaelkowalenko | Mar 09, 2004 07:46am | #5

   Guess what.  A panel sander worked!  There is no evidence of any tearout.

1. 
   Alan | Mar 10, 2004 04:42am | #6

   Mickow,

   Hurrah!

   May all your troubles be so easily remedied.

   Alan