Planing Board/Box

[Kieran Kammerer]

I am attempting to learn the fine art of hand planing boards from rough sawn boards. Although I have beem able to achieve a beautiful finish on one side of the board, the "flat" board has continued to elude me!! I finally reread several articles and went back to the basics. When I checked the "flatness" of my work bench, I found it had a bow in it with the center area being higher then the ends. I think this explains my less than desireable planing results to date.

In order to compensate for the workbench top, and before I would have the courage to take a handplane to the top, I was planning on constructing a planing board. One individual suggested using 2 pieces of 3/4 MDF with a 2x4 interior frame system. Several questions for the group:
1. Any other ideas on how to construct such a box?
2. How do you secure the pieces you are planing?
3. what dimensions for the box? (I am planning on making several kitchen/dinin tables).

I appreciate everyones help with these questions and several I have posted in the past.

[Michael Campbell]

I am attempting to learn the fine art of hand planing boards from rough sawn boards. Although I have beem able to achieve a beautiful finish on one side of the board, the "flat" board has continued to elude me!! I finally reread several articles and went back to the basics. When I checked the "flatness" of my work bench, I found it had a bow in it with the center area being higher then the ends. I think this explains my less than desireable planing results to date.

In order to compensate for the workbench top, and before I would have the courage to take a handplane to the top, I was planning on constructing a planing board. One individual suggested using 2 pieces of 3/4 MDF with a 2x4 interior frame system. Several questions for the group:
1. Any other ideas on how to construct such a box?
2. How do you secure the pieces you are planing?
3. what dimensions for the box? (I am planning on making several kitchen/dinin tables).

I appreciate everyones help with these questions and several I have posted in the past.

Can you explain what this box is supposed to accomplish? I'm not sure what a "planing box" is... (this is a reflection on me, not you!)

Thanks

[Kieran Kammerer]

Can you explain what this box is supposed to accomplish? I'm not sure what a "planing box" is... (this is a reflection on me, not you!)

Thanks

The other name for it would be a torsion box. It provides a flat, stable surface to handplane on.

Since my last post, I have attempted to handplane my workbench flat with some relatively good results. My post may no longer be needed. Time will tell.

[Michael Campbell]

The other name for it would be a torsion box. It provides a flat, stable surface to handplane on.

Since my last post, I have attempted to handplane my workbench flat with some relatively good results. My post may no longer be needed. Time will tell.

Gotcha. I think even had I not read that you'd already tried it, I'd've suggested just getting your benchtop flat.

You say you had some good results; may I ask what you did? (What planes, strategies, etc. you used?)

[James Owen]

I am attempting to learn the fine art of hand planing boards from rough sawn boards. Although I have beem able to achieve a beautiful finish on one side of the board, the "flat" board has continued to elude me!! I finally reread several articles and went back to the basics. When I checked the "flatness" of my work bench, I found it had a bow in it with the center area being higher then the ends. I think this explains my less than desireable planing results to date....In order to compensate for the workbench top, and before I would have the courage to take a handplane to the top, ..... I appreciate everyones help with these questions and several I have posted in the past.

Kieran,

If you have a convex center on your bench, the easiest and most effective way to eliminate the problem is to plane the convexity out of your bench, to make it flat. A work bench is tool just like a plane or chisel, and it needs periodic maintenance, including flattening. One or two strokes at a time with a jointer plane (or the longest plane you have), check for flatness, and continue until it is the degree of flatness you need, should more or less permannently solve your problem, without having to build a torsion box. Checking after each stroke or two will also go a long ways to preventing your from taking too much away and creating a hollow. There's no reason why you shouldn't remove the convexity; no need to build a torsion box, unless you want/need to use it for other purposes, such as an assembly table, etc.

Hope this helps.

[Mike K Wenzloff]

...
1. Any other ideas on how to construct such a box?
2. How do you secure the pieces you are planing?
3. what dimensions for the box? (I am planning on making several kitchen/dinin tables).
...
Hi Kieran,

Chris Schwarz, the editor for Popular Woodworking and Woodworking magazines, maintains a blog. Just so happens that the entry before the latest one pertains to your questions above. There is a downloadable PDF of the one he made. If it is not sized well for what you are doing, it would be easy to change as needed.

Also, just a note about flattening boards by hand--and you proabably already know this...Whenever possible, endeavor to flatten boards cut to rough lengths and widths to minimize defects such as cup and twist.

http://www.woodworking-magazine.com/blog/Build+George+Elliss+Planing+Board.aspx

Take care, Mike