Planing across grain...

[David Rose]

I need some panels that will ultimately be raised and will be 14 1/8" wide by 12 3/4" long (tall). I have a 13" planer. The temptation is to plane them sideways which is across the grain. I take very light cuts as a rule. This wood is cherry, and I have a board which is 15" wide. Yes, I am back to the wife's blanket chest after all the wedding "trappings" are done. ;) I don't have much wide scrap with which to test. For you who have tried this, will/can it work? And yes, I will test on what scrap I have first. I've never planed cross-grain and don't know what to expect. My thoughts are that probably there will be extra sanding but it will work. I just don't want to blow up a chunk of difficult to replace wood in the planer unless I have moderately high probability of success. And I am unsure of my handplaning prowess to get it to panel raising specs.

David

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I've put chessboards with frames around them and small face frame assemblies through the planer...and it doesn't cut quite as well on the cross grain. May be good enough if you're willing to sand, but it could also be very bad...just depends on the material. You'll have to decide if you're willing to take the chance...or find somebody in the neighborhood with a big sander. :-)

KC

[Joe Tonich]

David,

I'd be scared to put it thru cross grained. I've put some cherry thru with wild grain going every which way and had nothing but trouble. Taking light cuts or wetting it first didn't help at all. Maybe you know someone with a Performax that could do it for you? (maybe someone at the CCB coming up?:confused: ) Thats how I thickness stock that cannot be planed, just takes more time to do it.

Joe

[Jim Becker]

"Hand Plane" to the rescue...

(or find a friend with a wider planer)

[Steve Clardy]

Did that with some oak once. All it did was plug up the dust collection hole, makes lots of fibers, and I had one heck of a time getting it sanded down.

[David Rose]

Wow! You guys pretty much agree. That's unusual, and I'm not happy about your conclusions this time. :( :D But it confirms what my instinct was telling me. I might still see if there is a big enough scrap off the end of this board to test, but I probably won't.

Terry Hatfield has bugged me before to try out his sander and I need to hone up my planing skills anyway. So I don't have much excuse for making a mess of things with my planer. Oh, as much as I need to remove, that would not be a good sander job, I don't think. Maybe plane then sand, if my planing is inadequate.

If I neander it, should I be able (as a very limited experience hand planer) to get this flat enough with a Stanley Bailey 5 to machine a nice looking raised panel? It does have a good Hock blade and has had amatuer (mine) fettling. Any tips or tricks here? I need to remove about 1/4" and it is slightly to tall/wide to fit my bandsaw for resawing too. :(

It sounds like I know just enough to think I need to increase my tool arsenal considerably. :D But it doesn't "fit" the budget right now. :(

David

[Joe Tonich]

David,

How much do you need to remove? If it's a lot, plane down a bit THEN use Terry's drum sander. It really doesn't take that much longer using a sander than doing it with a planer. Besides, what a GREAT way to test Terry's DC system. :eek: :p :D

Joe

[Steve Clardy]

Another idea David. How about ripping your panel to fit planner, planning both pieces, glue back together. The maybe your profile will clean up the glue line?

[David Rose]

Duh! Steve, as many panels as I've put together from narrower pieces, I guess I've never *had* to cut one that was wide enough for the project but wouldn't fit 'chinery. Our supplier just doesn't have a lot of 15" wide boards in woods that I've used. :) I suppose this board width and grain just had me mesmerized. :rolleyes:

If the profile hides the glue line, that would place it on the upper edge of the field on the raised panel. That would not leave much room for error, with field and tongue being about 1.2". But it would be enough to barely squeeze the large piece through the planer... I think (14.125" minus 1.2" plus a very light jointing cut). Most of the figure is in the middle of the panel, naturally, so I hate to put a grain mismatch right there, but that would be possible too. The board is not flat so I will have to see if the planer guides will handle a piece that tall while on a carrier board with shims. This is another interesting method, and probably more logical with my tools and skill level. I'll have to remember to let folks know which way I go when I post a pic or two.

Many ways to do the same job. All of which could be more easily done with a pickup load of dollar bills and some time at a tool store. :D But isn't that always the way? :o

David, having a vision of stopping traffic driving slowly down the interstate with dollar bills flying out the back :eek:


Another idea David. How about ripping your panel to fit planner, planning both pieces, glue back together. The maybe your profile will clean up the glue line?

[Steve Clardy]

I hear the story about dollar bills flying out. Seems to never cease around here. lol

[Steve Jenkins]

David, When you go to borrow Terry's sander, how big is his planer?
I just made the rash assumption that if the planer is big enough you could do both. Steve

[David Rose]

Ooh! So that's why my billfold seems to go dry so often. I thought there was some sort of hole in it.

David


I hear the story about dollar bills flying out. Seems to never cease around here. lol

[David Rose]

Unless Terry has upgraded his planer without tell me :rolleyes: , his is a 13" also.

David


David, When you go to borrow Terry's sander, how big is his planer?
I just made the rash assumption that if the planer is big enough you could do both. Steve