Framing Slicks for Leveling

[Dan Kirkland]

Just a little thought, was curious if anyone had any experience using a slick to level something like a live edge slab?

Reason I'm asking is because power tools are out of the question for my current situation (small apartment with sensitive neighbors) and I have several slabs that need to be leveled. A framing slick would be significantly quieter than a router or planer.

Also, I am looking to get one for other projects besides just leveling the slabs, anyone got a good source for where I can get one?

[John Vernier]

If you mean flattening the surface of the slab, I don't see how a slick would be of any advantage over normal hand plane surfacing - but I'm not a timber framer and haven't used a slick except to play around a little. My understanding is that they are most used for trimming and fitting pieces in place on a frame (or a boat build) where other tools like planes or adzes would be awkward or cramped for space.

[Dan Kirkland]

If you mean flattening the surface of the slab, I don't see how a slick would be of any advantage over normal hand plane surfacing - but I'm not a timber framer and haven't used a slick except to play around a little. My understanding is that they are most used for trimming and fitting pieces in place on a frame (or a boat build) where other tools like planes or adzes would be awkward or cramped for space.

Yes, the issue is there's some small areas I'm looking to just lop off and not plane at the moment, that will come later. Hope that makes sense?

I am also looking to get into timber framing as well, just figured I'd kill two birds with one stone.

[Brian Holcombe]

A framing slick would probably not be ideal for that. I think it would be quite difficult to do with just a framing slick. You may want to consider a roughing plane, like either a cambered jack or kanna.

[Dan Kirkland]

A framing slick would probably not be ideal for that. I think it would be quite difficult to do with just a framing slick. You may want to consider a roughing plane, like either a cambered jack or kanna.

Ok, I'll look at that then, I know what a Kanna is, what's a cambered jack?

[Bruce Haugen]

Ok, I'll look at that then, I know what a Kanna is, what's a cambered jack?

It's a jack plane (#5 Stanley) with a healthy curve in the cutting edge (camber). You won't believe how well it works.

[lowell holmes]

I'm a little dense. :) What are you calling a slab?

I've used one to square up a notch in a thick board. My slicks are razor sharp and have a lot of mass.
I use camber on some of my plane irons, but never on a chisel.

[Dan Kirkland]

I'm a little dense. :) What are you calling a slab?

Something like this. I had always thought it was a slab since it's not quarter sawn?
339179

[lowell holmes]

I agree it is a beautiful "slab" of wood. My mind just wouldn't go there. I would consider a plate scraper and a #4 Bailey plane with severe camber to get the high spots. I have a 5 1/2 Bailey that might smooth high spots. It levels almost as well as my 607.The 5 1/2 is a wide plane. You might be able to pare the high spots, but a #4 would allow you to define an area and work it.

[lowell holmes]

I dropped the plane and it broke the pretty brass nut that controls the sliding plate.

My replacement is a Shop Fox version of the 60 1/2. It is steel, not iron. It has a nice brass handle and two brass nuts. I think it would have survived the impact.
It feels really good. It is very well made. If your in the market for such a plane, check it out.

[Lamar Keeney]

Just went through a work out on a similar slab of pine for a work bench. I removed up to 5/8 of an inch in thickness just to get to the bench planes. If you can lay your hands on a dedicated scrub plane, do it. The narrow, heavy cambered blade makes quick and less work than a modified bench plane. (I started this route with the mod no5 then tuned up an old beat up wooden one).

Regardless, don't let this discourage you from getting a slick and giving it a go. they have their place and use in wood working. The more tools you have the more you'll learn,

Regards, Lamar

[lowell holmes]

......................... If you can lay your hands on a dedicated scrub plane, do it. .........................................

Regards, Lamar

I made my #3 into a scrub plane by buying a narrow Stanley iron, putting a severe camber on it and putting it in the #3. I am talking about the narrow irons you can but at the BORG. I extend the iron out to the point it leaves furrows. I put the #3 iron back in when smoothing. The camber in the narrow iron is pretty severe.

[Patrick Chase]

Ok, I'll look at that then, I know what a Kanna is, what's a cambered jack?

Since nobody else has done the honors, here are cambered blades:
339204

The leftmost is a scrub blade with r=3", meaning that the leading edge is ground to a circular profile with a radius of 3". The second-from-left is also a scrub blade, but with r=4". The second from right is a Jack (#5) blade with r=6", and the rightmost is also a jack (Veritas #5-1/4W) blade at r=12".

The general idea behind cambering is that it enables you to take narrow-but-deep shavings with feathered edges, which have proven to be very efficient for bulk material removal as you describe here. These take very deep shavings if used at full width, with the blade extended such that the corners are flush with the sole. For example the r=3" scrub blade and the r=6" jack blade both take 60-70 mil (~1/16") shavings at full width. For most roughing work they are not used fully extended, meaning that the shaving is narrower than the blade and therefore also shallower.

Anticipating the next question, a scrub is a fairly simple (no cap iron or adjuster) plane made specifically for bulk material removal:
339205

[Christopher Charles]

I've used a #3 with a heavy camber (i.e., a #3 that I converted to a scrub plane) to flatten a slab. Worked quite well--note that most of the work should go across the grain to avoid tear out. Best of luck and post pictures :)

C

[Mike Holbrook]

There are "green wood" tools that are often used to remove larger amounts of wood before planes come into play: carpenters/carving axes, adzes, drawknives, scorps/inshaves, large gouges and carving knives....

339206

These tools can be used to shape rougher wood. You might want to check out Curtis Buchanan's YouTube videos on making Windsor chairs, starting with a log. Watch what he does to large pieces of wood to make spindles using a drawknife. You might also watch Alexander Yerks You Tube videos "Applewood Bowl and the 10th Century Viking Axe", Matt Rushing has a YouTube video "Making a Windsor Chair Leg" that shows splitting a log into pieces with wedges and a froe, then he uses a lathe...Country Workshops is a good place to see some of the tools, find books, find classes.

[Patrick Chase]

There are "green wood" tools that are often used to remove larger amounts of wood before planes come into play: carpenters/carving axes, adzes, drawknives, scorps/inshaves, large gouges and carving knives....

This reminds me... depending on just how much wood you want to remove and your skills you might want to look at single-bevel joiners' hatchets.

[Pat Barry]

Since nobody else has done the honors, here are cambered blades:
339204

The leftmost is a scrub blade with r=3", meaning that the leading edge is ground to a circular profile with a radius of 3". The second-from-left is also a scrub blade, but with r=4". The second from right is a Jack (#5) blade with r=6", and the rightmost is also a jack (Veritas #5-1/4W) blade at r=12".

The general idea behind cambering is that it enables you to take narrow-but-deep shavings with feathered edges, which have proven to be very efficient for bulk material removal as you describe here. These take very deep shavings if used at full width, with the blade extended such that the corners are flush with the sole. For example the r=3" scrub blade and the r=6" jack blade both take 60-70 mil (~1/16") shavings at full width. For most roughing work they are not used fully extended, meaning that the shaving is narrower than the blade and therefore also shallower.

Anticipating the next question, a scrub is a fairly simple (no cap iron or adjuster) plane made specifically for bulk material removal:
339205
Very nice work on those blades Patrick! They look like they will get the job done very nicely. I'm surprised you use the LVBUS for your roughing plane though. Don't you like it for smoothing? I like mine for the most part but it is a tad bit heavy - most of the time i seem to grab my #3 for smoothing but I might use the BUS for the last pass or two with the PMV11 blade.

[lowell holmes]

I dropped the plane and it broke the pretty brass nut that controls the sliding plate.

My replacement is a Shop Fox version of the 60 1/2. It is steel, not iron. It has a nice brass handle and two brass nuts. I think it would have survived the impact.
It feels really good. It is very well made. If your in the market for such a plane, check it out.

I posted this in the wrong thread. Ohhh well:rolleyes:

[Patrick Chase]

Very nice work on those blades Patrick! They look like they will get the job done very nicely. I'm surprised you use the LVBUS for your roughing plane though. Don't you like it for smoothing? I like mine for the most part but it is a tad bit heavy - most of the time i seem to grab my #3 for smoothing but I might use the BUS for the last pass or two with the PMV11 blade.

I don't use the LVBUS for roughing. There would be two problems with that: At 2.25" its blade is wider than needed. More importantly, its 12-deg bed means that I'd have to put a LOT of camber on the blade to achieve a "roughing worthy" shaving profile.

The 4 blades in the post were from a scrub (the 2 on the left) and a pair of 2" wide BD jacks (the 2 on the right).

[Pat Barry]

I don't use the LVBUS for roughing. There would be two problems with that: At 2.25" its blade is wider than needed. More importantly, it's 12-deg bed means that I'd have to put a LOT of camber on the blade to achieve a "roughing worthy" shaving profile.

The 4 blades in the post were from a scrub (the 2 on the left) and a pair of 2" wide BD jacks (the 2 on the right).
My mistake, I thought the plane in the picture was the LBUS. Now on closer inspection I see it is smaller. From a quick glance at the side view it does look very similar to the BUS. WHy by the way, did they make the casting the way the did? I can't figure out a real benefit unless its simply weight reduction

[Patrick Chase]

My mistake, I thought the plane in the picture was the LBUS. Now on closer inspection I see it is smaller. From a quick glance at the side view it does look very similar to the BUS. WHy by the way, did they make the casting the way the did? I can't figure out a real benefit unless its simply weight reduction

The plane in the picture is a scrub, and the same size as a Stanley 40-1/2. You don't shoot with one of those so there's no reason to have flat sides. I don't know why Veritas makes the casting wider like that in the bottom-front, though IIRC Derek took his BUS (which also has that feature) to a machine shop and had the sides ground flat. It's a nonissue for a scrub so I've never worried about it.

[Tom M King]

339268Another look at a Scrub plane iron. It's definitely the right tool for the job, and also a lot of fun to throw shavings three feet in the air with.

[Dan Kirkland]

Well it looks like I'm getting a scrub plane. Thanks for the advice gentlemen, much appreciated

[Patrick Chase]

Well it looks like I'm getting a scrub plane. Thanks for the advice gentlemen, much appreciated

If you have a spare jack (or a spare blade for your jack) try cambering that to get a feel for how you like to work. At the very least that will inform whether you want a #40-sized or #40-1/2 (LN, LV) scrub. The one in my picture was a 40-1/2 sized LV, with a 1.5" wide blade. I have 2 blades for it, one at 3" camber radius and the other at 4", though at some point I may increase the 4" one to 5 or so.

Keep in mind that with a cambered blade the actual cut width can be controlled by extension, so you can "simulate" a narrow plane using a wider one.

EDIT: I should note that even though I have a 40-1/2 sized scrub I take cuts narrower than 1.25" with it the vast majority of the time. IMO there's no harm in doing that, and I like having the option to "go big", but I know a lot of people who find the 40-1/2 unwieldly. As with many things, it's subjective.

[John Kananis]

Well it looks like I'm getting a scrub plane. Thanks for the advice gentlemen, much appreciated

I have a converted (peverted?) Stanley handyman with lots and lots of camber that I use (its a #4) as a scrub and love it. Can't really get myself to pull the trigger on an actual scrub plane as this one works so well.

[Bruce Haugen]

I have a converted (peverted?) Stanley handyman with lots and lots of camber that I use (its a #4) as a scrub and love it. Can't really get myself to pull the trigger on an actual scrub plane as this one works so well.

I was well on the way toward acquiring a #40 until I did the very same. A true scrub might be better but I can't imagine it would be that much better.

[Brian Holcombe]

Well it looks like I'm getting a scrub plane. Thanks for the advice gentlemen, much appreciated

Glad to hear it! If you run into trouble just post up and I am glad to offer opinion.

[Dan Kirkland]

Glad to hear it! If you run into trouble just post up and I am glad to offer opinion.

I'll be sure to do that

[Mateo Panzica]

As a former timber framer and someone who has built my fair share of monster, slab tables.... I offer 2 words. Scrub Plane.