Why I used to do things with a sander is beyond me.

[Rick Cicciarelli]

I am still, admittedly, only a beginner with hand planes and I have not done a whole lot with them yet, however after today's project I wonder why I ever used to do some of the things I used to do with a sander (ignorance I am sure). I had to rip a long board on my table saw for use in a door frame project. In the past I would have pulled out my random orbit sander and smoothed out the saw marks that way. I spent about three hours last night refurbishing a #4 smoother and decided to give that a try instead. WOW is all I can say. :D

[Mac Houtz]

enjoy your ride on the slippery slope...as you just found out first hand, its a whole 'nother world.

[glenn bradley]

Planes are wonderful but they hardly do the whole job. Neither does a scraper, rasp or sandpaper. However, my ROS has spent a lot of "quiet time" in the cupboard the last few years though ;-) Have fun.

[Jon Toebbe]

Okay, the hook is set. Let's reel him in. Who wants to introduce him to joinery planes? :D

I remember well that "WOW" feeling when I finally got an old Stanley No. 7 taking fine shavings. Getting that iron banana flat took some serious sweat equity... but the results were worth it. I ran up from the basement and asked my wife to run her finger over the shining, freshly planed surface. "Um, yeah honey. It's very smooth," she said, clearly wondering if I'd been inhaling too many varnish fumes downstairs. :p

[Joel Thomas Runyan]

Planes are wonderful but they hardly do the whole job.

Yeah, the handsaws and chisels do the rest. :D

[Tony Shea]

Planes are wonderful but they hardly do the whole job


Depending on the wood, I can't come close to getting a better surface than I can with my LN #4 thru #7. But there are def woods out there where my scraper and a final sanding get a workout. I often regret choosing the wood when it comes down to busting out the sandpaper but just can't always pass up a beautiful figure.

[george wilson]

Smoothing out saw cuts with a sander is something I couldn't do and get an accurate,flat surface. You should sand only a little bit. I have made colonial style furniture,and purposely left the surfaces as planed with a very smooth,sharp plane. I don't mean primitive furniture,either.

[Jim Koepke]

I am still, admittedly, only a beginner with hand planes and I have not done a whole lot with them yet, however after today's project I wonder why I ever used to do some of the things I used to do with a sander (ignorance I am sure). I had to rip a long board on my table saw for use in a door frame project. In the past I would have pulled out my random orbit sander and smoothed out the saw marks that way. I spent about three hours last night refurbishing a #4 smoother and decided to give that a try instead. WOW is all I can say. :D

Just wait until you get a bit better with hand planes and sharpening, you will surely have more WOW moments.

Now most of the time my sand paper is used on metal or the lathe. Very seldom on flat wood.

I like the scene in Santa Clause 3 where Alan Arkin tells Tim Allen to, "feel that door," that he was just planing, "Smooth as a baby's butt." Tim Allen runs his fingers along it and says, "yeah, very butt like."

jtk