Work Holding - Thin Panels for Smoothing?

[Jason Lester]

I was working yesterday on tuning up my band saw in preparation for some frame and panel stuff I'll be building soon. I don't have a belt or drum sander and the panels are right on the edge of what is safe to send through my planer. I decided to try leveling them with my freshly sharpened Veritas #4. It worked well, except for actually holding it solid. I tried clamping it in between a dog and my end vise. The panel was so thin (1/4") though, it was tough to get a grip on it. If I tightened it too much, it would flex up in a slight curve.

What's the proper way to hold a thin panel for planing? I thought about a batten clamped across the bench, but it would have to be thinner than the panel.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I don't know if it is the "proper" way, but your idea of using a thin piece of stock as a stop is what I do. If I need to thin a strip of something (like a batten to use for a stop), I sometimes clamp one end, and plane away from the clamp with a block plane, then flip it around and even up the end I had clamped, or you can just cut it off if your piece is long enough.

[glenn bradley]

I came up with these:

345031 . 345030

345033 . 345032

345035 . 345034

[John Crawford]

Thin stop + doublestick tape! (That's how they did it in the 17th century, according to my sources. :))

Glenn: I love the screw-in-the-bench-dog idea; somehow I never want to put a screw right in my benchtop, and this is a nice work around.

[Chris Fournier]

Double dog rows in my bench and the tail vise allow me to work panels as you describe with no trouble. If you don't have a second row of dogs simply clamp a , 1/4" batten across your bench to trap the panel between the tail vise and the batten.

[john zulu]

If you have the time and space create a jig. I did not.... I used double sided tape and release it with alcohol.

[Reinis Kanders]

I use a scrap of 3/16 or so plywood they sell as underlayment in Home Depot. Usually I just but the scrap against something, sometimes I clamp it down. Never have had a need for a tape, but I do not do this often. Panel does not have to be that precise anyways as long as the edges fit in the groove.

[Derek Cohen]

I was working yesterday on tuning up my band saw in preparation for some frame and panel stuff I'll be building soon. I don't have a belt or drum sander and the panels are right on the edge of what is safe to send through my planer. I decided to try leveling them with my freshly sharpened Veritas #4. It worked well, except for actually holding it solid. I tried clamping it in between a dog and my end vise. The panel was so thin (1/4") though, it was tough to get a grip on it. If I tightened it too much, it would flex up in a slight curve.

What's the proper way to hold a thin panel for planing? I thought about a batten clamped across the bench, but it would have to be thinner than the panel.

If you are just smoothing it down, place the panel on something non-slip, or use clamps at the near end. Then work with scrapers.

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/LingerieChest2_html_762383b6.jpg

This 1/4" thick panel was heavy enough to stay put.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jason Lester]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm getting ready to make some new dogs and may have to try the screw idea!

[Prashun Patel]

I dislike planing INTO a stop when stock is thin. I prefer to clamp one end or one side, and plane away from the clamp. There's usually a way to do it so you never have to go against the grain.

[paul cottingham]

I plane thin stock against a planing stop. Mine is about 1/4" thick screwed to a thick block I clamp in my vice. I rarely find I need to plane stock thinner than my stop. If I did, I suspect I would just make a thinner one, but I doubt you could make one thinner than 3/16", and have it be strong enough.

[Chuck Hart]

Make a couple of doe's toe's or deer toe's and clamp them to opposing corners. Use material the same or lessor thickness of the piece you are trying to smooth.

[Chuck Hart]

There called doe's feet sorry here is a link to Schwarz: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/modern-high-traction-foot

[Allen Jordan]

There called doe's feet sorry here is a link to Schwarz: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/modern-high-traction-foot

First I've heard of those, I'll have to make some.

[Phil Mueller]

Nice idea Glenn. Thanks!

[Warren Mickley]

For planing panels I plane against a two inch wide bench stop, which is mortised into the bench. The stop can be adjusted to protrude a little less than the thickness of the panel. There is no need for a holding device at the other end of the panel.

The largest 1/4 inch panel I recall planing in this manner was 14 X 21. In traditional work, however, we would rarely make a large panel this thin. Eighteenth century frame and panel is typically 7/8 or so for the framing, with a 5/16 groove for the panel. And a flat panel is typically slightly chamfered on the back side (to fit into the groove), so that the thickness is closer to 7/16 or 1/2.

For very thin stuff, less than 1/8, we sometimes clamp the piece and plane away from the clamp. This technique is inappropriate for a panel because you can't take full planing strokes in one direction so visual quality is compromised.

[Jason Lester]

There called doe's feet sorry here is a link to Schwarz: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/modern-high-traction-foot

I remember seeing those on his blog, but completely forgot about it.

Jason

[John Schtrumpf]

I clamp down the ends of an aluminum framing square and use it as a planning stop.

PS. I find an Empire framing square to be sufficient for this, and see no advantage to using a Starrett or Woodpecker framing square. :)

[Mike Allen1010]

I came up with these:

345031 . 345030

345033 . 345032

345035 . 345034

Glenn, that is a fantastic idea! I'm totally putting screws in a set of bench dogs today – thanks for sharing!
Best, Mike