Results 1 to 3 of 3

Thread: Japanese planing board: Should the feet be remove-able?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Tokyo, Japan
    Posts
    885

    Japanese planing board: Should the feet be remove-able?

    I notice that most Japanese planing boards have their feet attached via sliding dovetails, which are not glued.

    Is this to allow them to be taken out? Is there an advantage to having the feet be remove-able?

    I'm making one currently, and considering just gluing on the feet (as I'd like to go ahead and use it). Partially because I want to go ahead and use it, and partly because the leg pieces I have aren't that tall and cutting joinery would shorten them further.

    I guess I could glue them on temporarily to use, and find slightly larger pieces to use and cut proper joinery later.

  2. #2
    Hi Luke,

    There are a few considerations with the planing board.

    1. If you want the board to be more transportable, being able to remove the feet means it can be much easier to pack into a car, van etc. as it lays flat.

    2. One of the reasons sliding dovetails are used is to help the board from warping so much.

    3. Some people like to be able to adjust the height of the board, particularly the far end, as to angle the board towards you and make it easier to plane, so dovetails help here.

    I would be wary of using glue, as it could be a pain when you want to remove them for whatever reason, or they might not stand up to planing/mortising forces too well. I would probably toe nail them on, if I wanted something temporary.

    Dom
    Last edited by Dom Campbell; 08-24-2018 at 2:36 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Cupertino, California
    Posts
    361
    Quote Originally Posted by Luke Dupont View Post
    I notice that most Japanese planing boards have their feet attached via sliding dovetails, which are not glued.

    Is this to allow them to be taken out? Is there an advantage to having the feet be remove-able?
    I made tapered sliding dovetail supports for my small floor bench without glue (here). I would not characterize them as removable. They are tight fitting, so I had to use a clamp to assist closing the joint the last 2 inches or so. The joint seems solid enough without glue. If needed, I suppose I can always add glue later, but I do not anticipate the need.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •