Best tool for end grain

[Mark Levitski]

Besides sanding or grinding, can anyone suggest a hand tool for shaping end grain at the bottoms of furniture legs (to shorten leg or flatten its base when less than a saw kerf needs to come off)? This would be similar to the end grain encountered in part of door frames when shaving them for fit. Rasps, planes, surform, etc.?

Thanks.

[Sean Hughto]

A chisel. Use a chisel to pare away the end grain.

A plane would work too, but runs more risk of blowing out an edge.

[Richard Magbanua]

Get adjustable feet :D !

or... how about mineral spirits and a low angle block plane with a piece of wood clamped to it prevent blowout? A spoke shave could work for curved surfaces. You could also see if a metal file would work. Whatever you try, you should just practice first and see.

[John Schreiber]

It seems that sanding is not cool among neanders, but I think this is just the place for it. Very controlled stock removal. Able to maintain any existing contour. Little chance of damage. What's not to like?

[Sean Hughto]

Sandpaper is pretty slow to remove endgrain in hardwoods. He said less than a saw kerf, though didn't specify the kind of saw - if it was a table or miter saw, we could be talking about an 1/8th of an inch (i.e., a LOT of sanding in maple for example).

And if we are talking about removing more than just length - but also shaping a chamfer or some such, than a blade is able to make a more crisp job of things than sandpaper on a block. FWIW

[Sam Takeuchi]

A shooting board and a plane perhaps?

[Jon van der Linden]

It all depends on the amount you need to remove and the tools you have. A good disc sander used properly is very accurate and fast - for either just a touch or large chunk. After all, these machines were used a lot in patternmaking where accuracy is very important.

But the question was about doing it without sandpaper. I wouldn't use a rasp, that's far too coarse for finish work. Planing is too uncontrolled, you need a shooting board and there's the chance of blowout. For such a small job I'd use one of my Grobet Swiss pattern 00 files which would do it quickly and with accuracy. I might pare it with a chisel. It all depends on the wood and the shape of the foot. I'm not likely to use anything other than sandpaper on a piece of furniture that's been used, one small rock or piece of other junk on the foot and it's either a long sharpening process to get rid of a nick or possibly a ruined $30 file.

[Sam Takeuchi]

Do people have blow out often when using shooting board? Personally I never had a blow out of any kind when using a shooting board. Isn't the fence suppose to prevent that very thing? At least for me, shooting board provides me with the most accurate length adjustment as well as flattest and most square surface. I use a shooting board for 1/4"x1/8" stick to all the way up to 2X4, never lost a chunk yet.

[Jon van der Linden]

Since it's a furniture leg, there's no reason to trim "less than a saw kerf" unless the piece is fully assembled. It might be awkward or impossible to get onto a shooting board. There's also a fair chance that it isn't square in cross section. Many furniture legs are round or rounded. If that's the case it won't be fully supported across the back on a shooting board.

I'm not saying you can't use a shooting board, just that there are situations where I'd look for a different solution. Generally shooting boards are much underused.

[Mark Levitski]

Thanks so far.
More info: Rustic furniture w/ as many a 8-12 legs on tables, chairs, shelf units. Already assembled but new, naturally. Usual procedure is to scribe each leg based on the shortest one. Staying exactly to the line and keeping the saw level for all the legs still leaves some adjustments when the piece is uprighted. Don't need the blowouts of course, and yet would like to ensure the edges are not rounded over, which can be easy to do if sanding. Plus, sanding end grain is not always very satisifactory. We've been knife paring. Will try chisel. Anyone use a microplane?

Don't bristle at me, Neanderthals, for using (gasp!) electric, but I do have a plan to mount a multimaster on our Australian Wood Wizz (long radial arm router jig) to cut each leg more exactly as it lays upside down on the workbench.

Meantime, do us good to learn some patience and technique.

[Frank Drew]

On assembled furniture, a chisel would make quick work of it, as Sean suggests.

[philip marcou]

Besides sanding or grinding, can anyone suggest a hand tool for shaping end grain at the bottoms of furniture legs (to shorten leg or flatten its base when less than a saw kerf needs to come off)? This would be similar to the end grain encountered in part of door frames when shaving them for fit. Rasps, planes, surform, etc.?

Thanks.
In my experience a chisel , nice and wide, preferably bevel edged, is the most convenient especially for round or pointed ends. Sometimes it is better to use it bevel down, but a chisel is easy to manage and can take remove material exactly where you want . Rasps can cause break out, same as planes.
But I also like planes, such as a #5.1/2, though one must be a bit cautious.
NOT block planes.....
Surforms: have been nice for soft woods , not great on end grain, unless they have improved since last used one....

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Mark

Have you tried a float? This is a cross between a chisel and a rasp. Not only will it take the wood off fast, but one can leave a smooth finish.

Floats are used for shaping the beds of wooden planes. The beds are generally endgrain. Shaping here has to be a controlled operation, so with a float you will get speed, control and finish in one!

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/BuildingAJackPlane_html_m34394aa5.jpg

The float above is a "joinery float" from Lie-Nielsen. There are many shapes and types from which to choose. All basically a varioable of this one.

Regards from Perth

Derek