Planing End Grain - What am I doing wrong?

[Steve Friedman]

I have been using my L-N low angle block plane to trim end grain on some 1 x 6 cypress boards. The problem is that when the plane blade gets to the end of the board, it has a tendency to "catch" the last bit and rip a chunk off the edge (not end) of the board.

I am fairly confident that the blade is well sharpened - I use the Lee Valley Mark II power sharpener, with a micro bevel, and honed with the Lee Valley green stuff on a felt wheel.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks, Steve

[Matt Benton]

Nothing, that is to be expected. Clamp a 1" piece of scrap to the end, you should be fine....

[David Myers]

The problem you describe is simply the result of unsupported wood fibers at the end of the cut. Its the same phenomenon that causes blowout with power tools.

You need to either place a backer board to support the end of the cut or simply plane halfway from one side and halfway from the other. A third option is to plane a very small chamfer at the exit side and make one continuous stroke.

And as long as your end grain shavings are shavings and not dust you're probably sharp enough.

[Phillip Ngan]

Another way of avoiding breakout is to chamfer the trailing edge. Derek Cohen's article on shooting boards has a few photos describing how to create a chamfer. Look at his article (http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/Setting%20Up%20and%20Using%20a%20Shooting%20Board4 .html), and go to the 5th and 4th to last photos.

[George Beck]

Well that is just a problem on end grain especially woods like cypress. I have found what works most of time, mind you, is a small chamfer at the end. I keep a little riffler file handy for just this purpose.

[James Taglienti]

Even though cypress is considered a hardwood the difference between early and latewood is pretty considerable. There are a few woods like that. The bigger the difference, the greather potential for an awesome blowout.

I am always busting pieces off of boards that way. You'd think I'd learn. As soon as the wood can take the path of least resistance, it will. It will come off of the top of the board in a nice little ribbon that turns to dust when you touch it, but as soon as it requires less resistance to just bust right off...

*snap*

"@#$% !!"

(wondering if the board can get away with being 1/16 narrower)

[Larry Fox]

As others have posted. I have also had success by skewing the blade on the cut. Goes without saying that your blade needs to be extremely sharp. I mostly use a LN LA Jack for planing end grain. I have heard of people wetting it with DNA before to soften things up but find that I don't need to do that if my blade has a keen edge.

[Bill Houghton]

I have heard of people wetting it with DNA before to soften things up...

If you mean "DNA" as in denatured alcohol, I've also heard of people using mineral spirits, which is less volatile and will thus remain in the wood longer; and water, which I would distrust, since it would encourage rust on the plane and plane iron.

If you mean "DNA" as in bleeding on it, I'm not sure I'd be quite that committed to the work; although I do bleed on my work regularly, I prefer to do it unintentionally.

[Jim Koepke]

My experience on end grain increased dramatically after trying something from an old book.

It showed how to "block in" the end of a piece of wood with a chisel. It began with chamfering all four sides to a line. Then paring off the end.

This taught me about the need for sharpness and choosing which way to attack the wood.

jtk

[Steve Friedman]

Well at least I know it's not just me. Thanks for the advice. Both the chamfer and the backer piece make lots of sense.

I have read every word on Derek Cohen's amazing website, but forgot about that little piece on avoiding breakout (nice to know there's a name for it).

Thanks!

Steve

[Steve Branam]

And of course a shooting board is another option (I'm assuming from your description that you're not using one), since it supports the end fibers. That also has the advantage of more support for your plane; the end of a 1x6 is a pretty small surface area, so it's easy to get some wobble.

[Zach England]

A little bit of blue tape on the end can work.

[Brian Kincaid]

Can also plane to the middle from both sides on end-grain.

I have also used the chamfer on the back. (chamfer on the back helps with corded tools too :eek: ::runs back to power tool forum::)

-Brian

[Steve Friedman]

No, I am not using a shooting board, but it may be time to build one!

[Andrew Gibson]

No, I am not using a shooting board, but it may be time to build one!


DO IT! You won't regret it.

[Terry Beadle]

I protect against end grain blow out by using the plane in a pull stroke so that it removes just a couple thou about a 3/8ths to 1/2 inch towards you. Then you can take one or two strokes towards the end grain end where the removed 2 ~ 3 thou have been relieved. This allows one to sneak up on the cut line and is a good check to make you check before you go too far.

David Charlesworth's shooting board video shows this technique in detail.

Sneaking up on the cut line also gives you a good pace to check your squareness in both directions as you work the end.

A sharp blade is your best friend in end grain planing for sure.

The use of a sharp chisel to bevel the end from the cut line is also a very good technique but it also depends on how much material you have to remove to get to the cut line. I usually cut to with in 1/16th of the cut line so it's not much to remove. A swirly end grain piece is usually cut 3/32nds from the cut line to give one more opportunity to square the piece with accurate chisel and plane strokes.

Good luck and happy shavings !