Practice... Or just do it?

[Charlie Ross]

I recently added a fleet of hand planes to my shop, and I’m having trouble getting used to using them. I find myself grabbing for my sanding tools, because when I take the hand planes to a piece of work I end up having to fix tear outs and such with sandpaper anyway. So my question is; how did ya’ll learn to use hand planes? I’m working on a walnut chest for someone, but I’m afraid of messing up a project trying to learn. Thanks!

[Brian Thornock]

I am pretty new to the hand plane way of things too, and after more tear out than I care to admit, I realized that I need to stop and read the grain every time before putting blade to wood. It's the same as getting tearout with a powered jointer. You eventually learn which way it should go. Also, things like cutting depth, mouth opening, skew angle, etc. all need to be factored in. It seems like a lot, but soon you get a feel for it.

[Dave Parkis]

As mentioned, you need to learn to read the grain of the material you're planing. That said, there will always be boards where the grain reverses. My advice would be to practice, practice and practice some more. Another suggestion I would make would be to check and make sure your edges are REALLY sharp. That, and make sure you take very thin shavings. Really thin shavings will reduce tearout and help you get that silky smooth finish.

[Chris Griggs]

Practice and use where is is appropriate to your skill level. Do not try to flatten and finish plane a large show surface if you haven't yet learned to set up your planes to a level of performance that can handle that.

While there is definitely skills that develops in using a handle plane properly to get a nice flat surface or smooth stroke, the problems you are experiencing are almost certainly setup problems. If you are getting that much tearout in north american hardwoods you are either taking way to heavy of a cut, your blades are not sharp or likely both. You may need to close up the mouth some to. Yes reading the grain helps and is an important skill, but in something like walnut you should be able t oplane without tearout even if you hit a grain reversal.

There's a learning curve that to some extant will only be met with practice...I'm a firm believer in practing on projects, but not on area where you may wreck the projects (for example I tend to practice new joints when they will be covered by moldings anyway. One good way to practice is to take scraps wood and use those to try and get the results you desire. Try planing at different depths and in different directions. Also its helpful to use small narrow test piece for blade adjustment as these will show you if you are cutting heavier on one side or the other and also show you how thick of a shaving you are taking before you put tool to project.

I would also recommend practice projects. Make something small and simple like a simple rabbeted chest or box. Challenge your self to use your handplanes on that project from start to finish. This allows you to practice your skills in context without worrying about wasting a ton of wood or ruining a masterpiece.

[Mike Cogswell]

You didn't say what kind or brand of planes are in your "fleet". Assuming they are new and good quality (Veritas, Lie-Nielsen or WoodRiver V3) then you should carefully sharpen the blade first. There are plenty of videos and other info (and countless threads) on sharpening. Whichever method you choose, stick with it for a while. Don't make the mistake of jumping from one method to another thinking you'll find a magic bullet. If they are used Stanleys or equivalent, you may have to do some flattening of the sole. Again, their is a lot on line about this process.

With a flat sole and sharp blade you need to learn to adjust the plane. If it has a chip breaker, set the edge of the chip breaker as close as you can to the edge of the blade. Just leave a tiny line of visible blade. Install the blade so it isn't quite protruding through the mouth. Then advance the blade while you swipe the scrap across the mouth of the blade. Stop as soon as you are taking a tiny sliver from the wood scrap. Use the blade lever to align the blade with the sole until you get the same size sliver on both sides.

Practice on the edge of a board to get the feel of taking shavings. Make your you are planing with the grain. Start each pass with most of your pressure on the front knob, even the pressure when the length of the sole is on the board and finish up with most of the pressure on the tote as you start to run off the end of the board. Experiment with the adjusting wheel to try different thickness shavings, always making the final adjustment as a blade advancement to eliminate backlash.

After you're comfortable with the edge, try a flat board. Experiment with planing at various angles to see how it affects the shavings and tearout.

View some of the videos/DVDs from people like David Charlesworth or Charles Schwarz.

There's a wealth of info about tuning and using hand planes. That and a bit of practice with have you planing surfaces that won't need sandpaper (shudder, ugly nasty stuff).

Whatever you do, don't plane something you just sanded - the leftover grit will tear up a blade.

[Kees Heiden]

I'm a "dive in head first" kind of guy. I don't like to make much practice pieces. Of course you should know your limitations, and start of with simpler projects. Making some stuff for the shop is a good idea. Before starting on a kitchen build, I first made my workbench, which is a great way to get used to larger stuff. And when you despair, it's not a sin to use the sander. Just give planing a honest try, and remove the errors with the sander. You'll learn planing soon enough.

[Zach Dillinger]

I hate to practice. Never could spend more than 10 minutes on a tennis court with a ball machine or about 3 minutes on the driving range. But I'll bust my butt while actually in the game, using the skills that are important. So, if I were you, I'd just go to it. Make sure you've sharpened your plane to the highest level, pay attention to the grain, and give it a go. Eventually, with enough experience, you will learn what level of sharpness you really need, and how to really use the plane you have. But for now just do it.

[Jim Koepke]

Charlie and Brian,

Welcome to the fun world of hand planes.

There have been many posts on the using of hand planes here. Most recently how the chip breaker really breaks chips and helps to eliminate tear out.

Reading the grain is an important part of using planes to surface finish wood. One has to remember that sometimes the grain lies.

The sharpness of your blade is very important in preventing tear out.

The thickness of you shaving will also have a lot to do with the result. Some of my recent projects have used "mill ends" of alder. This is sold as firewood, but some is of good size and useable. Often it is gnarly with switching grain. My #6 was being used to remove the saw marks on one piece with a thick cut. The start and finish were tearing out and chattering. Once the preliminary work was done, the blade was retracted and then set to where it just starts to cut. A few more swipes and smooth thin shavings were coming through the plane with no tear out over the edge of the piece.

An easy way to understand this is to realize tear out is wood being lifted ahead of the plane's blade. There are different ways to fight this. A closed mouth can assist in keeping the wood from lifting. A properly mating and close set chip breaker prevents the shaving from being able to get leverage to lift the wood in front of the blade. The angle of the blade also can come into play as to how much leverage is applied between the shaving and the wood the has not yet met the blade's edge.

Practice of setting up your planes also helps. After awhile you will learn to judge by your shavings if your blade is in need of sharpening.

jtk

[Charlie Ross]

You didn't say what kind or brand of planes are in your "fleet". Assuming they are new and good quality (Veritas, Lie-Nielsen or WoodRiver V3) then you should carefully sharpen the blade first. .

My fleet: Lie-Nielsens #3, #4 ½, #7, BU Jack plane, and a few block planes. I think I’ve watched every video on youtube and have a few Christopher Schwarz DVD’s.

Kees, I’m ok with larger projects using power tools; I just haven’t had any experience with hand plans.

[Jim Koepke]

Kees, I’m ok with larger projects using power tools; I just haven’t had any experience with hand plans.

A friend was telling me about taking wood shop in school, my school years didn't include wood shop.

The instructor gave each student a piece of wood, a plane and a place to work the wood. The project was to make the four sides square to each other.

This may be difficult, but it is a good learning experience. The easiest way it to make one side a reference then work from there.

There is a lot of information available here in the Sticky: Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs near the top of the Neanderthal Haven conference. Here is one that you might find helpful:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?148076

jtk

[Jim Foster]

I'm not too far ahead of you. Practice is good. I would suggest trying your new project using handtools a little for some small tasks. For instance, if a board is a bit wavy with a high spot on an edge, before using the power jointer, use the #7 and work the wavy spot down prior to edging on the power jointer. My current project is close to 80" long, so I planed the high spots off and got things in better shape for the jointer and planer by hand first. I think I'll be able to smooth everything on my current project also, and hopefully leave the ROS unplugged.

[Jim Matthews]

The first time I had a sharp blade in my plane, the tearout problems stopped.

So much as I dreaded every class devoting the first two days to sharpening, it can't be avoided.
There's no way to avoid failure, learning to use these things. Make something useful that only you will see.

Otherwise, you'll have projects like mine - with lots of patches, dutchmen and "inlays".

[Stanley Covington]

I add my voice to those that say that a sharp blade is absolutely essential. The problem is that the level of sharpness the guys are talking about in reference to plane blades is probably beyond your experience. In fact, the term "razor sharp," as it is used by most of civilization, equates to a still usable but slightly dull plane blade.

There is a reason the first and most important skill in woodworking is sharpening. If you really want to learn how to use your fleet of planes, I urge you to learn how to sharpen. There are a ton of threads in this forum on the subject, and as many valid ways to sharpen as there are days in the month. My two cents would be to contact Stu, buy some rocks from him, and ask him for reference works or links to sharpening information. I don't agree with everything he says, and he will probably try to sell you one of those silly diamond plates, but finicky details don't matter at this point in your learning curve.

One other thing. There is no shame in sanding. If the project you are working on must have a few surfaces absolutely free of tearout, you can plane those surfaces (top and exterior sides?) to the best of your ability, but leave them a little high. Then carefully finish them with sandpaper to remove tearout and plane marks. This way you get the practice you need and the appearance the project deserves. Plane marks and a bit of tearout visible on interior and other non-public areas is entirely acceptable, and even desirable in some cases.

Stan

[Chris Fournier]

Perfect prior practice perfects performance - or so they say. Of course you should practice. What is a dry glue up but practice for the real deal? Practice every new skill/technique prior to going for the real deal. This is the craftsman's way.

[Charlie Ross]

I urge you to learn how to sharpen. There are a ton of threads in this forum on the subject, and as many valid ways to sharpen as there are days in the month. My two cents would be to contact Stu, buy some rocks from him, and ask him for reference works or links to sharpening information. I don't agree with everything he says, and he will probably try to sell you one of those silly diamond plates, but finicky details don't matter at this point in your learning curve.

Stan

Thanks Stan, I’m already there, I purchased Stu’s (#1200, 6000 & 13000) set when I brought my planes. But you’re telling I have to use them LOL. I’ve gotten Great advice, now I’ll put it to use. I just purchased my planes, and guess I was still relying on the fact that LN came sharp and ready to use. Where I really have trouble with tear out is where the grain is going in a lot of directions… like around a knot. I have both a 45 deg and a 50deg frog on my 4 1/2, and seem to have better luck with the 50. But like I said, I’m gonna break out the stones more, and follow the practice advice ya’ll suggest. Thanks All

[Charlie Stanford]

I recently added a fleet of hand planes to my shop, and I’m having trouble getting used to using them. I find myself grabbing for my sanding tools, because when I take the hand planes to a piece of work I end up having to fix tear outs and such with sandpaper anyway. So my question is; how did ya’ll learn to use hand planes? I’m working on a walnut chest for someone, but I’m afraid of messing up a project trying to learn. Thanks!

If it takes scraping and sanding to achieve an acceptable surface then scrape and sand. PLENTY of highly skilled professional woodworkers did, and do, scrape and sand, much less beginners to hand planing. Some folks master the use of planes on projects no more complicated than that 9th grade shop students used to build. Don't be one of those guys. Build. Turn. Carve. The rest will come.

[Chris Griggs]

Some folks master the use of planes on projects no more complicated than that 9th grade shop students used to build. Don't be one of those guys.

Hey, I resemble that remark! I didn't have shop in high school so I'm trying to recreate the experience now. Anyone want a nailed together birdhouse made out of curly mahogany that has been finished with nothing other than a bailey with a closely set chipbreaker and then burnished with shavings of ligum vitae. I also like wear a letter-mans jacket while I woodwork...:D

[Dave Parkis]

Thanks Stan, I’m already there, I purchased Stu’s (#1200, 6000 & 13000) set when I brought my planes. But you’re telling I have to use them LOL. I’ve gotten Great advice, now I’ll put it to use. I just purchased my planes, and guess I was still relying on the fact that LN came sharp and ready to use. Where I really have trouble with tear out is where the grain is going in a lot of directions… like around a knot. I have both a 45 deg and a 50deg frog on my 4 1/2, and seem to have better luck with the 50. But like I said, I’m gonna break out the stones more, and follow the practice advice ya’ll suggest. Thanks All

If you're working with gnarly grain and/or knots, you're going to need some REALLY sharp planes and (probably) a scraper. I'm not suggesting you run out and get the LN scraper plane, a card scraper will work just fine.

[Chris Griggs]

I just purchased my planes, and guess I was still relying on the fact that LN came sharp and ready to use.

This is definitely your issue. It is a common misconception that planes that are "ready to use out of the box" come honed. No plane I've ever gotton form LN or LV has come nearly sharpened enough to use. Sure you can take shavings with them, but really they essentially come ground and lapped. The backs these days come pretty finely lapped, but you MUST hone the blade and polish the back to get an truly workable edge. I don't even bother trying out new planes until I've honed the blade. You have one of the best sets of stones on the market... use them before you take another shaving. If you do even just an ok job with them you'll find yourself liking your planes a whole lot more.

[David Weaver]

If you're brand new to planing, locate (buy, whatever) the david charlesworth video on sharpening. You'll have a dead sharp edge every time, and if you want to go forward from there ditching the guide and sharpening freehand, you can. But there's no reason not to have appropriate smoother plane sharpness right away.

[Adam Cruea]

Thanks Stan, I’m already there, I purchased Stu’s (#1200, 6000 & 13000) set when I brought my planes. But you’re telling I have to use them LOL. I’ve gotten Great advice, now I’ll put it to use. I just purchased my planes, and guess I was still relying on the fact that LN came sharp and ready to use. Where I really have trouble with tear out is where the grain is going in a lot of directions… like around a knot. I have both a 45 deg and a 50deg frog on my 4 1/2, and seem to have better luck with the 50. But like I said, I’m gonna break out the stones more, and follow the practice advice ya’ll suggest. Thanks All

Yeah, that's where you will get tear out unless you have good experience and know how to make the plane work for you.

From what I've seen, you need a higher angle of attack when grain changes direction. I don't have it down, but then again, I'm only working on building my workbench, and since it's a usable piece of work, if I screw up, so what? Great learning.

You made a good purchase getting high angle frogs. . .that will help when grain turns on you. You can also use your BU plane and it should help with tear-out. . .give that a shot.

[edit]Oh, and definitely learn to sharpen. Once you can slice paper with your blades easily, it's probably sharp enough to work wood. :)