Hand plane practice exercises?

[Frederick Skelly]

Could someone please suggest a good book that identifies some practice exercises to develop my skills? A video will work if you dont know of a book, but I dont have a TV or Laptop near my bench, so a book would be a handier.

Thank you!
Fred

[Sean Hughto]

That's an awful lot of territory. Do you want to know about how to improve with a specific task or even a specific type of plane?

Where do you live? Maybe there's a Creeker nearby who would give a couple lessons?

Frankly, once you know how to set up and sharpen a plane, and a couple of basics about the motion, it's just a matter of getting out some wood and making it flat and square.

[Zach Dillinger]

The only thing I will add is that the best way to practice is to not practice at all...

[Prashun Patel]

IMHO, watching a video and then going to your bench will be way more effective than having a static book at your bench.

If you're interested in smoothing a board, I found this one very useful.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/how-to/video/smoothing-wide-boards-with-a-handplane.aspx

I respect Zach's suggestion to just 'practice' on a real project.

[Duncan Ainslie]

Robert Wearing's The Essential Woodworker has a couple of hand planing exercises - removing or avoiding pencil marks to teach where/how to remove wood etc. - which I've found useful. There's a modern edition currently in print by Lost Art Press.

[Jim Koepke]

Frederick,

If you have mentioned where you are located my memory is failing me. My recollection is that I may have already offered my scant abilities to help you get started but that you are either in Ohio, Northern Europe, some other continent or large island nation.

It might be best to pick an easy project and make use of planes.

Here is one post of mine on the preliminary set up of a plane:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?148076-Getting-Started-With-Hand-Planes

Since then there has been additions to my knowledge and others have contributed knowledge in other posts.

There are more similar posts in the Neanderthal wisdom/FAQs:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?103805-Neanderthal-wisdom-FAQs

Once you have the preliminary set up of blade depth and lateral under control the next step would be to make some shavings.

Knowing what planes you have would also be a help.

A common beginner's exercise would be to "four square" a piece of wood. Take a piece of wood without any sides square and work it to make all the non-end grain sides square to each other. Start with something small like a foot long piece of 2X4.

If you have a low angle block plane there is an exercise for squaring the ends without the aid of a shooting board. Start by using a square to mark around the work piece. The next step is to use the block plane to chamfer the corner down to the lines and then plane what is left down to the lines. Working inward from the edges works well. This teaches about how the end grain and a plane interact.

jtk

[Jim Matthews]

I would concentrate on using one plane, really well.

If you find a particular size is tiring, or hard to control - try the next size down.
If you find that you're getting smooth surfaces that are out of flat - the next size up will help define a plane surface.

I like the #4 for nearly all my planing needs.

Shannon Rodgers at the Renaissance Woodworker has a good primer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeSvGjYwCLE) on this.

Once you can actually get a plane blade sharp (a discipline in itself),
you'll be able to use a medium size plane like the #4 to handle end grain as well.

FWIW - There are some tasks better suited to heavier planes (the bigger Stanley, LN and LV numbers)
but most of the lumber I purchase is already "skip planed" by my machine to nearly the thickness I want to use.

If you buy rough lumber, the bigger planes are essential.
If you're buying well seasoned lumber that's 1" thick or less, they may be more than you need for starters.

I echo the sentiments above, find a woodworking school nearby and pay the tuition for an introductory course.
They'll shorten your development time by months, helping you over the obstacle we all face.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks guys. This is what I needed!
Fred

[Hilton Ralphs]

So we still don't know where you're hiding Fred?

[Winton Applegate]

I believe in playing scales before joining the symphony.
Doesn't mean you don't make something but let it be a work bench or saw horses etc.
Then
once that is going well make a cabinet or little table etc.

I liked this DVD
http://www.amazon.com/Coarse-Medium-and-Fine-DVD/dp/B00261S0U8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1383195658&sr=8-6&keywords=course+medium+fine (http://www.amazon.com/Coarse-Medium-and-Fine-DVD/dp/B00261S0U8/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1383195658&sr=8-6&keywords=course+medium+fine)
Some people give him stuff for being a person who writes when others are making furniture.
I consider him a researcher, historian what have you and then he lets us know what all he found out.

WORKS FOR ME !

This next guy is totally great and was a REAL furniture maker from the forties. Really entertaining and brilliant man.

http://www.amazon.com/Bench-Planes-Techniques-Master-Woodworker/dp/1565233506/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1383195978&sr=1-1&keywords=jim+kingshott (http://www.amazon.com/Bench-Planes-Techniques-Master-Woodworker/dp/1565233506/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1383195978&sr=1-1&keywords=jim+kingshott)
(http://www.amazon.com/Bench-Planes-Techniques-Master-Woodworker/dp/1565233506/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1383195978&sr=1-1&keywords=jim+kingshott)
Also practice putting say . . . a half inch or 3/4 inch thick board, say four inches wide and two foot long up against a bench stop or dog and plane the edge straight and square without having the board fall over on its side. No clamping just standing on edge on the bench against the stop.
http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy298/noydb1/Theveryfirstcurls.jpg (http://s801.photobucket.com/user/noydb1/media/Theveryfirstcurls.jpg.html)
Weight the front of the plane to start, once the whole plane is on the work weight evenly on both handles, then as the front of the plane leaves the work shift your downward force onto the rear of the plane. Leave the work with some speed so you don't dip down at the last.

Be extremely aware of where the blade is actually cutting at all times . . . is it cutting where the high spot is or are we just duplicating the error over and over ?

One of the best ways to go about it is plane in the middle of the length (and width if it is a face rather than an edge) until the plane stops cutting then take the ends off or the perimeter off and you will be about where you want to be generally.

Learn about winding (winking) sticks and get a high precision straight edge or two. The latter cost serious money for a reason.