Friend of the Creek
+1 for Beating a Dead Horse.
As much as I love the satisfaction with working with hand tools, this might be the time to contact a local woodworking shop with a long bed jointer and have them run it through for a few passes. I am unclear but I would also have both sides surfaced so they are identical, like a wide belt sander. I would probably sand this rascal before jointing it.
Regards,
Tom
Contributor
Learning to use hand tools is beating a dead horse, in the Neanderthals forum. Much better to have lugged the boards somewhere to have them run through jointer and a planer.
What would have been left for Tony to do? Glue them together, how exciting.
[OP]
Contributor
Had a snarky comment type in response to those answers but decided not to. I tried a few of the suggestions made so far and hopefully they had an effect. If not, I’ve still got a couple to try. I’d completely start over on the edges before I tried a machine.Originally Posted by Rafael Herrera
Contributor
For an edge plane (like the #95) or a plane with a fence to work properly the board's face must first be flat. If a plane is guided by undulations and variations, it will transmit them to the edge being worked.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
The first challenge is to get the jointer to produce a 90 degree edge all along the board. Check with a square as you work. After that match the boards as in your picture with a light behind the joint. Mark the dark spots with chalk. Use a smoother to fine tune the boards. The light will go out between the boards. When the boards get close just fine tune one edge only.
Just work with one joint at a time. Yes it is tedious but when you see the light going out most rewarding. When the light is out all along the board do the next joint. Those boards have no flex so you need to match all the edges and then glue them up all at once.
You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!
Contributor
I have a trick for checking the shape of long edges. I use a small quick clamp on the ends of one at a time if the opposite side opens up I have convex edge along the length. And that’s not good.
Before I had my very long bed jointer it wasn’t always easy to make good fitting edges. Thick glue lines were my enemy.
Good Luck
Aj
Member
In this situation you can't reliably use a fence, and even checking with a square is not that useful. The main thing is to first plane all twist out of the edges, and to make sure each edge is flat and not convex across its width. Then when you test fit the joint, place a straightedge across the width of the panel at several places and see how well the two faces of each board align with it. You want the faces as close to co-planar as possible, meaning there are minimal gaps under the straightedge. With rough boards it won't be perfect, but getting it as close as you can will save you a lot of work planing the panel after assembly.
You can adjust the angle of one or both edges to achieve the best fit with the straightedge, but it won't necessarily be 90 degrees on either board, nor will it be a consistent angle relative to the face if you check at various spots along the length. So don't think about it like the usual edge-joining technique used for smaller pieces, where a prepared reference face exists to check the edge against. This is more like establishing the initial reference face, that happens to be an edge.
[OP]
Contributor
Tried the fence and I should have listened to you guys. Ended up with a very high side in a couple of passes. I know what you mean about the square— now. Found my little bullet level and winding sticks to be the best solution. Ran out of energy fixing the first board. Just have to take out the high side on the second. Fortunately it’s not as bad.
Contributor
Another good tool for checking a surface for being straight is a simple trick with a length of string.
This is an old post by Stanley Covington > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?258087 < it explains how to use a string and three small blocks of wood to check a surface for flatness.
There is an image of me using the method in this post > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?272588 < Though in my case an extremely light shaving or two were removed from the test block.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
[OP]
Contributor
I’ve seen that.
Contributor
Tony, I admire your persistence. On long heavy boards which are not face jointed it is a challenge to get the edges flat and out of twist. These hand tool techniques are best mastered with a journeyman present, and a helper too! Lacking that, hopefully good advice from forum members will help. I posted about my edge jointing without flat faces here.
Member
Interesting method
Contributor
And, people on here were wondering WHY Stanley and others offered a fence for their Jointer planes....Hmmmm?
A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use
Contributor
Stanley offered all kinds of items on which they felt people would spend money. This is how businesses make money.
Many wonder why anyone with experience would need a jointer fence.
Do you use one?
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Contributor
Can't find them around here...then again...I don't have projects quite as big as the OP's.....5' long is about as long as I seem to do....
Then again..I here that Rockwell/Delta once sold a Powered jointer plane.....and, I have one in the shop made by WEN. Saving THAT one for when I need to install the next doors in my house...so I can wake up the neighbors....
A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use
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