Question on Handplaning-New Woodworker

[Jeff Urich]

Before I ask what is probably a very basic question, note that I am new to woodworking and new to the Creek. I've taken up woodworking as a new hobby (spent enough time and money on video games), so I am just beginning to collect tools and knowledge. I've read many articles and a book to begin learning and now am actually beginning to do things. I'm starting with a basic stepstool and have cut the top piece. The edge I cut is not straight, so I'm using a small block plane to even it out. In order to go with the grain I have to plane towards the long edge, but the piece is splintering. How can I smooth out a cut edge without encountering this?
Also, any recommendations on good, comprehensive instructional books? Also note that I live in the Alaska bush so wood selection is hard to come by except what the local hardware store happens to have in stock from Anchorage.
Thanks for helping the newbie!

[Chris Padilla]

Welcome to the Creek, Jeff! Perhaps put your locality into your data. Just click on "User CP" and the rest should be self-explanatory.

I'm not sure I follow exactly where you are handplaning. Tear-out can happen for any number of reason but the chief one is that you aren't going with the grain in the particular spot you are having trouble with. Check the grain carefully or better yet, post some pictures!!

You might also head over to the Neander forum here at SMC if you are mostly going the non-electron route of ww'ing.

Again, welcome!

[Sam Yerardi]

Welcome, Jeff!

If I understand you right it sounds like you're describing tearout at the corner of the cut. When you put the board in a vise (or however you are holding it) clamp another small board side-by-side with it. That way when you plane the edge, you'll continue on and plane past the good board's corner without tearing it out. The 'sacrificial board' will tear out and that's ok.

[Steve Schoene]

If I read this right, you are planing the end grain which you have cross cut to the length for the stool top. Splintering occurs when you run off the edge.

If I've got the right picture, there are two ways to approach the problem. One is to plane from both edges toward the center so you don't run off the edge.

The other is to place a small chamfer on the edge you are planing toward so that the place doesn't run off the actual edge but reaches the chamfered edge first.

[Jeff Urich]

Chris, thanks for the info. Is there a way for me to view all of my posts/threads to quickly see if there have been any replies? I don't want to get an e-mail with each reply, but just want to check back periodically to see any activity. I also updated by profile with additional info.
Thanks!

[Chris Padilla]

Jeff,

Turn off that feature that sends you an email each time a reposnse is made to a thread you've started. Frankly, I just check the board about a billion times a day to see repsonses. :)

Under your name in the User CP section, there should be a link that can take you to every single post you've ever made.

[Mike Cutler]

Jeff

First off. Welcome to Sawmill Creek, nice to meet ya'

As others have stated, it sounds as if you are "planing edge grain". This means that you are planing across the fibers( grain) of the board, and not along the grain. Hopefully this is correct??

A few basics.
Planes have angles to them. There is the bedding angle of the blade in the plane. Then there is the angle that the blade has been sharpened too. Then there can be two angles that the blade is sharpened too. Without knowing what plane you have I'm going to use the Low Angle 60 1/2 block plane as an example.
There is the "Primary" angle, or primary bevel as it is referred to, and there can be a secondary angle, or bevel, and then there can be a "back bevel".(not on a block plane )
In the case of a "low angle block plane". The blade may be bedded at an angle of lets say 12 degrees. This means that a line drawn along the face of the blade will meet at a line drawn along the bottom, or "sole" at an angle of 12 degrees.
The blade may be sharpened, "honed" to a primary bevel of 25 degrees. This would give you an inclusive angle of 37 degrees, or a line drawn along the face of the bevel would meet the line drawn along the sole at 37 degrees when the blade is in the plane.
A secondary bevel may be present of, well say 2 degrees, to the primary bevel, which would result in an inclusive angle of 39 degrees as a result of the bed angle+ primary bevel+ secondary bevel. The secondary bevel is sharpened, or "honed", onto the primary bevel at the cutting edge. it doesn't replave the primary bevel entirely. The secondary bevel accomplishes two basic functions. it changes the inclusive angle, and makes it quicker to "re-hone" the blade when it gets dull. The inclusive angle is changed based upon task and wood. There are variable here. It takes some experience on different woods to get a feel for it. No hard rules. Sorry.

The blade of a block plane must be very sharp when cutting end grain. Blades are routinely honed up to 8000 grit,and even to 15,000grit using various methods. Oil stones, water stones, diamond plates, even sandpaper.
First order of business is to make sure the blade is honed so that it is shearing the end grain.

The fibers at the corner of the board are not supported, and the plane is able to catch them and tear them, instead of shearing them. The duller the blade, the worse the problem. People will place a "backer" piece at that edge so that the plane transitions to the backer piece from the working piece and no tear out occurs. Additionally if the blade is extended too far, or the mouth open too wide the plane wants to dig more, and the problem worsens.( Is worsens a word??)

Your well on your way it sounds to me. Just need to get some time in is all, and eventually play around and experiment with primary and secondary bevels, and find out what works best for you.
Don't be dismayed if you don't get good results right away. There is a learning curve, Once you learn to sharpen and use handplanes effectively though, you'll realize that it was well worth the time to learn. No machine( that can usually be found in a home workshop, can match the feel and finish of a handplaned surface. It's like liquid glass.
Here is a link to a website that may save you some $$$ on books.

http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDocs/Wood_How_To/INDEX_How_To.htm

Also, drop in on the Neander forum here on the board. There are folks with tons( decades) of experience that can literally write books on the subject that will help you out. If you can post pics of the issues you are encountering, that would be even better.


Once again welcome to Sawmill Creek.

[Jeff Urich]

Mike, thanks for the welcome! I must admit as I read your post I started to get the "deer in the headlights" feeling, indicating just how new I am to this. However, I am determined to learn and I understand the basic point that there are many variables involved. The plane I'm using is a cheapo $15.99 job from Home Depot I got just to have something to start with. I have actually been very successful in chamfering the corners on the long side of the piece I'm working with. The plane seems to operate smooth-as-silk on that task, and you're right-that surface is like glass. When I moved to the end of the board I had trouble. I'll take a photo of what I've done along with the plane so you can see what I'm doing. Thanks also for the link!

[Joel Ficke]

Another idea is to use a file and rasp for this application. You won't have nearly as much difficulty with the grain and will still get the smoothing benefits. Just a thought....

[Chris Friesen]

One thing that nobody has mentioned is that you can wet the grain with mineral spirits to soften it and make it easier to plane.

Also, a "shooting board" (look it up on google) will reduce tearout and ensure a square end.

[Michael Faurot]

One thing that nobody has mentioned is that you can wet the grain with mineral spirits to soften it and make it easier to plane.


I was doing exactly that, last night, to clean up some difficult African Mahogany. Using the mineral spirits made a big difference in ease of pushing the plane over the wood and reducing tear out.

However, I got to thinking as I was pulling those mineral spirit soaked shavings out of my #4 smoother--how should I dispose of these things?

Normally, when I plane something dry, I sweep up all the shavings into a bucket and just save them to burn in a patio fireplace periodically. But I got to thinking, if rags soaked with mineral spirits can spontaneously combust, so to should paper thin wood shavings.

So I wound up taking the bucket outside and fillied it full of water, let it soak over night, and then dumped it all out outside in an area I have for letting saw dust and such decompose naturally.

How do you dispose of your mineral spirit soaked shavings?

[Dave Anderson NH]

Mineral spirits will NOT spontaneously combust Michael. It is flammable, but it will just evaporate leavinga lingering odor in the air. The fluids you have worry about for spontaneous combustion are most commonly the drying oils, boiled linseed oil (BLO), walnut oil, danish oil, and many of the long oil varnishes such as Waterlox. Dispose carefully of the rags containing a drying oil, a good friend of mine had his professional shop burn to the ground a few years ago when an employee left a pile of bunched up rags filled with BLO unattended in the shop. He lost EVERYTHING.

[Michael Faurot]

Mineral spirits will NOT spontaneously combust Michael. It is flammable, but it will just evaporate leavinga lingering odor in the air.


I think I'll still err on the side of caution and not just toss mineral soaked shavings into my regular bucket with a bunch of other dry ones.



The fluids you have worry about for spontaneous combustion are most commonly the drying oils, boiled linseed oil (BLO), walnut oil, danish oil, and many of the long oil varnishes such as Waterlox. Dispose carefully of the rags containing a drying oil...

Thanks. I've got a separate bucket with a lid on it, filled with water for disposing of rags and such that have been soaked with finishing materials.

[jonathan snyder]

Jeff,

Welcome to the creek. Nice to see another Alaskan on here. If you get over to Anch, give me a shout, maybe I can give you a few pointers.

Jonathan

[Jeff Urich]

Jonathan, it is nice to see another Alaskan here! I just moved to Glennallen 3 months ago. I will actually be in Anchorage this Friday although much of my day will likely be spent waiting for my car to get work done. Are you a woodworker by trade or for pleasure? I would love to spend some time in a shop just watching and asking questions, as I'm trying to learn this through reading and trial/error. Perhaps in the spring because we only get down every 5-6 weeks now.

Can you recommend good places in Anchorage to shop for tools or for good wood stock? Home Depot and Lowes are the only places I know of.

Thanks!

[jonathan snyder]

Jeff,
I was going to send you a PM, but it looks like you have not enabled that feature, so check your e-mail.

Jonathan

[Rod Wolfy]

Also, any recommendations on good, comprehensive instructional books?
Thanks for helping the newbie!


Jeff,

I've got a lot of books. A few that I really like are by published by the Taunton Press. Two are "Getting Started in Woodworking" and "Your First Workshop" by Aime O. Fraser. The other is "Taunton's Complete Illustrated Guide to Using Woodworking Tools" by Lonnie Bird. They have a lot of photos, which really helps in understanding the text. Another book that I read recently from the library was "The New Woodworker Handbook" by Tom Hintz. I thought that it had a good amount of non-traditional information (Hintz has his own website that he got some of the info from: http://www.newwoodworker.com/)

Type the titles into Amazon or ebay and you'll find them.

Rod