DF Tearout

[David N Brown]

My problem is with tearout (TO) on a board I am preparing to glue up to make a mission table top. The tearout is situated all around a knot, this in it’s self I understand is not unusual, but I have run out of solutions for this board.
I am using Doug Fir and have jointed and planed this board which came out with the tear out around the knot ( newly sharpened blades in the jointer and planer). The TO is too deep to sand or scrape at this point.


So I took the approach that I would hand plane out the TO with my Bailey #7. It has a brand new Hock blade, lapped flat and is taking whisper thin transparent curly shavings. No matter what angle I attack it from, I still get TO, both on the board and in my hair. (can’t afford to loose anymore of that !)


Since I am relatively new to wood working, do I have anymore options with this? Am I using the wrong techniques for hand planing or should I be using a different technique/tool for the job?



Is this one of those woods and situations that could only be fixed by a drum sander/belt sander (TO to deep for hand belt sander), as this wood and knot cannot be planed due to the grain around the knot? Should I just be looking at repairing the TO by filling?:confused:
Appreciate any input I can get. Thanks.

[Peter Quinn]

I have a simple solution that is not meant to be sarcastic at all. Get a different board. With lumber, like people, not every one is going to be your friend. Luckily there are lots to choose from. The wood around most knots, and particularly Doug Fir, is not the most stable stuff and is often best avoided. If you can't situate that board so the tear out faces the blind side, stop fighting and move on would be my approach.

[Mike Gager]

i agree with peter, try to avoid the knots

other then that maybe try using a scraper instead of the planer to get rid of the tear out?

also be sure to take super light passes with your jointer

[Gary Lange]

I would do what Peter said. Get a new board and plane it down to the exact thickness of the old one then cut that section out on the Table Saw put in some Biscuits in and glue it up again. I don't see that tear out getting better. The knot is at such and angle that no matter what you do it will catch the grain wrong. The new piece planed down and ready for what you have already going will then be at a point for sanding.

[Peter Gregory]

You might be able to fill the holes with putty and then stain/dye it. Depends on the situations with other color and lines around the trouble area. I have seen nice blends with this method.

[george wilson]

Get your plane razor sharp,set very fine,and plane straight across the grain. This works with curly maple. Trouble with fir is it is just a very splintery wood that doesn't hold together very well.

[David N Brown]

Thanks for all your great advice. Now all I have to do is take the plunge. Hopefully it will avoid any more TO, I refer not to the board but my hair, I can't afford to loose anymore of that!:p