birds eye planing

[Jake Helmboldt]

I'm new to hand planes and scrapers and I'm using some BE maple. I'm getting good results, but there are a few spots where the birds eyes just won't get but so smooth. I'm not getting tear out per se, just not quite as smooth as I expected. You can see that the grain is just a bit fuzzy.

So, can I expect to actually get it totally smooth or is it something where you simply have to live with it (unless you are a "master")? I have used the scraper at all angles, with/against the grain, etc. No dice.

Do I <gasp> sand it smooth?

Jake

[Harold Beck]

I usually end up sanding bird's eye. I never have gotten it the way I want it without sanding.

HB

[harry strasil]

have you tried burnishing it with another piece of hardwood like the old timers did?

[Jake Helmboldt]

How is the burnishing accomplished?

[harry strasil]

just a piece of hardwood like walnut or ash or maple, with a rounded edge and you rub it hard with pressure.

[harry strasil]

piece of walnut that was planed, then scraped, the left 3rd has been burnished after scraping, the center 3rd is just scraped and the right 3rd has been sanded.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/test1.jpg

an end view with the burnished 3rd toward the camera, notice the sheen and it is very slick to the touch.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v81/irnsrgn/wood/test2.jpg

burnishing is an old time furniture makers trick, the wood already has a slick sheen to it and after french rubbing the finish looks a half inch deep or more. it was especially used on carved and uncarved cabroila legs.

Burnishing might work after finish sanding, the luster and shine of the burnishing reflects light after a clear finish is put on.

[Rob Millard]

I have used a limited amount of birdseye maple, but I've gotten excellent results with a LN 4 ½ with a high angle frog. Lacking such a plane, you could put a back bevel on the iron of a standard pitch plane, to produce a similar cut. I also wetted the wood prior to the finial few passes. Sometimes wetting the wood with distilled water will react with the iron sole and leave black marks and sometimes it doesn’t, so you may want to use mineral spirits to wet the wood. I also use a freshly honed blade. I quick pass with some 320 grit paper was all I needed to do prior to finishing.
Rob Millard

[Frank Fusco]

Have you tried just scraping?