Had to flatten a plank, by hand

[steven c newman]

Plank was real rough, kind of weather beaten to death. Needed to surface it to make ripping four table legs out of it easier. I also worked down some apron stock. Both started out with a scrub plane252462Started out with this guy, mainly in case a stray nail might still be around. Got a lot of the rougher stuff off ( and no nails found) so it was time for a Jack to scrub things a little better.252463 hey, it is just set up as a scrub jack, with a cambered iron. Worked the length at the diagonal, both directions. Starting to look a little flatter, hump along the middle is gone. Next came a little bit bigger plane, and with the grain this time252464 FYI: type 9.

Once it had "tried" the surface, I tried another small plane, just to smooth things out a bit.252465and, just because I can, an even smaller plane around the clamp areas252466 face #1 was now flat and smooth as I can get it. Face #2 was the same routine, except i used a different smooth plane.252467 as for the now cleaned up plank.252468 all set to lay out for four leg blanks. They will be tapered two sides. I think I might have a handplane to do that job as well. Rip cut will be with a circular saw, I'm not fit enough to hand saw that much lumber. :eek: Well, took a little while, for this old guy anyway, you youngsters might have this done in an hour, maybe?:D

[Jim Matthews]

Welcome to the dark side.

You now know the value of an apprentice.
I do more scrubbing, with a narrower blade than you've shown.

I get down to near my final surface with the jack - no jointer.
Long rips are a little easier with a sawbench, but this is pretty thick stock.

Do you own a bandsaw? You'll waste less, and it's easier to handle a board like this if it moves, rather than the blade.

[steven c newman]

Bandsaw I have won't do that kind of work. I set up a guide for the circ saw to follow. The little scrub go straight across, one trip down the plank. The Parplus #5 then goes diagonals, both directions. I use the #8C just to level the playing field. The a smoother, IF needed. Wasn't going for perfect, just enough so I can lay out for leg blanks. Even those don't have to be perfect, as I will taper two sides with the small jointers. Then a final pass on all four sides of the leg(s) and get ready for aprons. Just a small "Dinette Table" for a kitchen. Already have a pair of chairs. Just need to make the table.

[Ryan Baker]

You now know the value of an apprentice.


:) You know, I was thinking the very same thing the other day as I was hand surfacing a pile of very rough boards... Thank God for the scrub plane!

[steven c newman]

Stage two was done tonight. had to use a Circ saw to cut out a leg blank, after that, all hand plane work. About maybe an hour, from set up of the cut, to a finish tapered two side leg. Glass smooth, and never even used any sandpaper!

After the cut252525That IS my work bench, for now. I then got rid of saw marks, and squared the blank252526#6 small jointer. Lay out the taper along one side, with a straight edge252527Hey, it is straight, ok. Once a nice dark line is marked out ( so an Olde Pharte can see it) time to taper252528Yep, it does have a steel toad, er frog. It also has a cambered iron. I worked my way back up the taper, taking a swipe to the end as I went. Soon, I was almost down to the line, all along the taper. Time for a pass with252529 a #8c Jointer. Got a full length ashaving after a few swipes. Then time for a final pass with252530 That #6 small jointer, now as a smooth plane. only took a couple swipes to make the taper glass smooth. Flip the blank, remark a taper, and go again. And, just because they wer ther, just laying about252531 sent one of them along each side, just as a cleanup. just having fun...

[Kees Heiden]

This weekend I am doing the same thing, also table legs but a bit bigger. I put some pictures on my blog. Using wooden planes.

http://seekelot.blogspot.nl/

[Jim Matthews]

When you get down to it, run a sandpaper belt from the drive wheels of the electric car to the front wheels.
You should be able to get everything ready to finish in a few short minutes.

Nice to see another normal workbench, like mine.
(Too many look like surgical suites, to me.)

[Jim Foster]

What kind of wood is that? Looks like it could be several types.

[Brian Brightwell]

A big thumbs up for the pictures Steven. It makes a thread much more interesting.

[steven c newman]

Wood seems to be an Oak/Ash sort of thing. All the leg stock came from a single 2x8. It does turn nails a nice Black colour. And turns the wood around a nail black , too. Makes it easy to spot nails that way. I did get a little more done today, as in the rest of the legs. One was tapered on two faces, the other two legs are in the back of the table, against a wall ( out of sight, outof mind) and were just squared up. Crosscut was by a "Hybrid" saw.252566 a Steigo-Disston 20" Panel saw. Yeah,yeah, a little rusty, but, so am I. I figure i can work the rust off both of us this way. I took a couple more photos of the main planes in action252567 a Union made Savage #6. Smoothing out all the high spots left by the #5 jack planes (yes, I use two or three) and then a pass or two by252568 a M-F #8, type4. After all that work with a plane, time for Igor to clean things up252569252570hmmm, Igor is on "Strike" again, looks like I get "KP" today.

[steven c newman]

Let's see, a table top is a "plank" of wood? If it is a glued up plank, that is. Once the glue has cured, time to flatten it, as well. 252637working on the underside of the top, with a Savage#6. I used a Parplus #5 with the cambered iron to level out the glue lines. I then flipped the "Plank" over, and worked down the show face (at least until the new owner PAINTS it, yuck). Got the show face all leveled out with the #6, and then sent a #3 size along.252638 Even took a block plane to the ends! I had a few aprons to size up as well.252639 and used the newly planed "Plank" as a bench. Laid out some legs, and marked up some stock for aprons. Hand sawn aprons252640at least for length. Second line is for length of tenon. I had to go electric for the next step, though. 1" thick aprons are a bit bit to coping saw to shape. Never fear, the electric part is still a Hand Tool, in that I had to hold by hand. Just an old B&D Sabresaw from the 70s. I'll refine the aprons later252641 so far, so good. Legs are done, table top is ready to get done, and the aprons are getting there.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Steve, get yourself a Lumber Wizard metal detector. The smalll one is not that much money, and can save you the headache of dinging an iron on an old nail. Saved my bacon a few times while working with reclaimed lumber.

[steven c newman]

This stuff was reclaimed from a waterbed. Nails came out as screws. The leg stock turned any iron in the wood black, including the wood around the nail. I do have an old iron finder, though. It is one of those swinging magnet "stud finders' that used to be around. Run it around, it will "lock on to" any iron based item in the wood. It was made to find Lath nails in old plaster walls.


Just finished on set of tenons. One on each end of one apron. Using a Coping saw, a 1" wide chisel, a mallet, and a little time. Don't have a sharp Gents saw, right now, the "dovetail saw is a wiggly POS. I just used a coping saw to cut to the lines, down until the blade was flush with the wood. Then, I used a chisel to knock the waste off. Pared to the lines, and start on the next side. Tenons are 1/4" thick, by 1/2" deep. I clipped the bottom of the tenon when the other face was done.Sawed down about a 1/2", and chiseled away the waste. One apron down, three to go. Tenon trick came from Roy Underhill. Lot easier than sawing everything.

[Kees Heiden]

It's kind of fun isn't it? The legs for my table are now finished also. This is some kind of wallnut as it grows overhere in Europe. Very nice stuff, but not as dark as some American wallnut I have used in the past. It planes like a dream. Of course it is hard so it gives you a workout, but I have no any tearout troubles yet.

More pictures on my blog: http://seekelot.blogspot.nl/

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