Basic plane technique question...

[Tom Henderson2]

OK -- this is really a basic question.

Suppose you are planing the edge of a board -- your intention is to get it flat and square.

In the process, you realize that the edge is not square to the faces.

Do you:
1) tilt the plane slightly, until it is square, and begin planing again. The first stroke will result in a narrow shaving along the "high" edge, but after a few strokes, the entire edge will be square -- if you were holding the plane in the proper orientation.

2) adjust the blade to take a thicker shaving on the "high" side, and after a few strokes, the edge will be properly square to the face. At that point, readjust the plane so that it will take an even shaving across the entire width.

I know this is old hat to most of you. But us newbs need to learn the right way to do this stuff...

Thanks in advance. I dunno where I'd be without you.

-Tom H.
Ventura, CA

[philip marcou]

OK -- this is really a basic question.

Suppose you are planing the edge of a board -- your intention is to get it flat and square.

In the process, you realize that the edge is not square to the faces.

Do you:
1) tilt the plane slightly, until it is square, and begin planing again. The first stroke will result in a narrow shaving along the "high" edge, but after a few strokes, the entire edge will be square -- if you were holding the plane in the proper orientation.

2) adjust the blade to take a thicker shaving on the "high" side, and after a few strokes, the edge will be properly square to the face. At that point, readjust the plane so that it will take an even shaving across the entire width.

I know this is old hat to most of you. But us newbs need to learn the right way to do this stuff...

Thanks in advance. I dunno where I'd be without you.

-Tom H.
Ventura, CA

The right way is the way which suits you.
I determine which side of the edge is "high" and favour that side when shooting the edge. I will also be looking through the mouth of the plane to be sure that the shaving comes from the high edge. I would be using my #51/2 or #7 for this. Fiddling with lateral adjust on this type of plane is not worth the time I think so I just keep it square to the sole.

[Mike Cutler]

I cheat, and use an edge guide.:o
I don't feel too bad about it though, because Stanley, Miller Falls and Keen Kutter, all made a clamp on fences for edge jointing.;)
Make a fence out of a scrap of stable wood, clamp it to the plane, and be done with it.

[Michael Faurot]

1) tilt the plane slightly, until it is square, and begin planing again. The first stroke will result in a narrow shaving along the "high" edge, but after a few strokes, the entire edge will be square -- if you were holding the plane in the proper orientation.


It depends on the width of the edge and the size of the plane I'm using.

If the edge is wide enough, I'll divide up the width into thirds and then hit the high side (first third) with just the far side of the blade. For example, if the right side is high, I'll hit it with the left side of the blade. On the second pass, I'll hit both the right side (first third) and center (second third). On the third pass I'll take a full width shaving (getting all three thirds) and check again with a square. If it's still high--repeat.

If the width of the edge is narrow, then I'll try to hold the plane at a slight angle or try putting more pressure on the high side.

If the edge is wide enough, but the plane is too big or wide to use just one side of its blade, I might switch to a smaller plane temporarily that I can hold/control better.

The lesson that took me the longest to learn was to remember to frequently stop and check with a square.

[Pedro Reyes]

1) tilt the plane slightly, until it is square, and begin planing again. The first stroke will result in a narrow shaving along the "high" edge, but after a few strokes, the entire edge will be square -- if you were holding the plane in the proper orientation.


This is my approach. I prefer not to mess with the lat adjustment, not for this anyway. Like someone said I keep an eye on the shaving.

Furthermore, if the edge I am planing is meant to be glued to another edge, I don't even bother, I plane them together and then any slight deviation from square is compensated once you glue the boards.

/p

[Derek Cohen]

This is something of a trick question.

Why would one be concerned about squaring an edge precisely if it is a stand alone? No one will notice if it is slightly out.

If the edge needs to be jointed to join another board, then I match plane them together. Square is irrelevant.

If the board is sandwiched with another board(s), I square them together (see the first point).

If I was to seek to square an out-of-square edge, I would alter the angle of the blade, not plane at an angle. By planing at an angle you will lose your reference. If is much easier to adjust the one side by the amount that needs to be removed.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Belair]

I prefer using a blade that is cambered and taking a stroke or two with the plane centred over the high point. The deeper cut in the centre of the blade then makes the needed correction. David Charlesworth explains this in one of his books. Maybe someone has a link to a more detailed explanation of this technique with illustrations.

Jim B

[David DeCristoforo]

"I cheat, and use an edge guide..."

And why not? For a "novice" or someone who simply does not have unlimited time to "practice" or gain experience, this is completely acceptable. After a while the feel of the plane will become second nature and the "training wheels" will suddenly be in your way and you will take them off....

[Johnny Kleso]

If youer having a hard time you can add some pencil marks on the board to gauge where youer cutting..

Are you useing the method to gripping the sole of the toe between your thumb and first finger?

This will help you tweek the plane a little and hold it there square..

[Ron Petley]

Like the last post, some pencil on the top of the board to see where you are taking wood off, and a straight line on the side to give you a reference of depth and evenness along the length of the board. With a lot of practice you will be able to do it without pencil lines.
And why, well because the Tom wants to, a good skill to have.
Cheers Ron.

[John Dykes]

Cambered blade... Easy, fast, and precise to the point of perfection - as well as being a historically accurate way to perform this task. I would also venture to say that many well known hand tool experts of our day teach this method.

Strongly recommended...

- jbd in Denver

[Dave Anderson NH]

Either way works, but Derek is correct about losing your reference by tilting the plane.

There is a third choice which works well, Lay the board flat on you benchtop (assuming it's flat). Adjust your plane blade for a square cut. Use the benchtop as a shooting board after clamping the board in place so it doesn't move. This might require shimming up the board depending on what kind of plane you use.

[David Keller NC]

And a 4th choice if you find that you can't get the board edge square enough to be to your liking with a jointer plane - you can use one of these: http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1225. If you do a lot edge jointing with hand tools, it might be worth owning a pair (Lee Valley sells a nearly identical tool).

Personally, I prefer the Charlesworth cambered blade approach, unless I'm fitting a bunch of boards together for a panel, in which case I switch to a #7 with a blade ground straight across, clamp the successive pairs of boards together, and match-plane them.

[Mark Singer]

It is best of course to start with a square edge and check it as you plane. If it is really off then using an edge guide , the bench as Dave suggested or another board to insure the plane stays square

[Tom Henderson2]

Thanks to all for your comments. As usual, I learned a lot.

-TH

[Mike Cutler]

"I cheat, and use an edge guide..."

And why not? For a "novice" or someone who simply does not have unlimited time to "practice" or gain experience, this is completely acceptable. After a while the feel of the plane will become second nature and the "training wheels" will suddenly be in your way and you will take them off....

David

I think in fall into the second category. just not enough time.
I envy the guys that can just grab a plane and edge joint a board. It's truly a talent.
In my case the need arose from trying to plane 10' long, 10"-14" wide,8/4 boards on my 6" Jet Jointer for a wide glue-up, and it just wasn't happening. I clamped the material back to back, clamped a "cheater fence" to the plane and had at it. I'll admit the initial results weren't pretty, but eventually I got it. I also ended up buying a quality plane, #7 from LN, which has helped immensely.

You're also right about the training wheels coming off. I'm "OK" on shorter boards, and the fence gets in my way when if I want to skew the blade slightly. I'll still keep that scrap fence around. I just don't do it enough to remain proficient at it.

[Jim Koepke]

I tend to look at an edge before putting a square to it. After a while of doing this, the eye becomes calibrated.

When planing the board, my plane is held level, another calibration of the body that comes with time and practice. The mouth of the plane is watched. The small flat area produced then becomes the place the plane is registered for the next pass. The shaving gets wider and wider until the full width of the piece is being cut. At this point, it is checked again.

My blades are always set to take an even cut across the whole width. I sharpen my blades without a camber. When the blade is taking an even cut, they do not leave tracks on wide stock. It takes a little care and practice, but it seems to work.

Of course, as with everything else, your milage may vary.

jim

[John Schreiber]

I may be misunderstanding, but why not just keep the plane flat and level and keep on planing? At first, you will only make contact on the high side, but when you see the full width ribbon coming out, you know you are there.

Maybe I'm missing something obvious.

[Tom Henderson2]

I may be misunderstanding, but why not just keep the plane flat and level and keep on planing? At first, you will only make contact on the high side, but when you see the full width ribbon coming out, you know you are there.

Maybe I'm missing something obvious.

Hi John-

My original question is how to square up an edge that needs it. Some folks do as you suggest -- endeavor to hold the plane square and resume shaving. If you can do that accurately, it seems to work.

Others keep the sole of the plane solidly on the work, and let the blade take a thicker shaving on the high side -- either through using a cambered blade and moving the center of the blade (which gives the deepest cut) over the high side. When it is square, they move the center back to the center of the work.

Or if you use a non-cambered blade, you can adjust the lateral adjuster to give a thicker cut on the high side.

Lots of options; depending on teh worker and the work, any of them should do the job.

At least that is what I've taken away from this conversation.

As a newbie, I think the cambered blade option is probably best for me. At least I'm going to give it a try. I have the Charlesworth DVD so will give his method a try.

-Tom the newb