Planing end grain

[Jim Young]

This is a newbie type of question but one that I have every time I plane the end grain. I like to use my shoulder plain to finish all my tennons and shoulders, but when I finish the cut across the end grain I usually get tear out. Am I supposed to come in from the other side for the cut? It just seems a little awkward to come in from both directions and I don't get a nice full stroke that way. Maybe my blade is a little dull.

[Richard Neel]

The more experienced folks can slap me down if I'm wrong, but I believe you will have more success planing end-grain if you skew the plane. This may be more difficult with a shoulder plane due to the narrow blade width. In my experience, you will have difficulty trimming end-grain on a narrow tenon so I just avoid planing off the end - I just change directions. You could also use a piece of stock as a backer to help avoid the tear-out or a shooting board.

[Bob Smalser]

Am I supposed to come in from the other side for the cut?

Yes. Exactly. Nip the end from the far side like you'd joint any short grain on the power jointer. Kinda hard to skew the plane on a tenon shoulder. Do the same using your low-angle block plane on larger end grain, where you can skew the plane.

Probably the most important attribute of shoulder planes is their handiness (or lack of it) in using on the pull as well as the push. One reason I like the Stanley 90-series in Sweetheart models so much.

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/2594266/83656771.jpg

[David Abel]

This is a newbie type of question but one that I have every time I plane the end grain. I like to use my shoulder plain to finish all my tennons and shoulders, but when I finish the cut across the end grain I usually get tear out. Am I supposed to come in from the other side for the cut? It just seems a little awkward to come in from both directions and I don't get a nice full stroke that way. Maybe my blade is a little dull.

Back the board up to prevent tear out.

[Louis Bois]

I agree with Bob if you have many to do...and David has a good point if you're only doing a few. Simply clamp a sacrificial piece of wood at the far end of the piece you're planing to prevent blowout. The damage, if any, will occur on your sacrificial piece...just my thruppence ha'penny.