Smoothing cherry

[Mark Rainey]

Just did a 3 board glue up for cherry hutch table top. I want to smooth this without resorting to sand paper. Is it possible? The grain is mostly straight but cherry frequently has grain changing direction, especially where the boards are jointed. My weapons include a LN #7, Stanley jack, a Lee Valley bevel up low angle jack 61B4D89A-0385-4C14-AE1E-F24880D431AF.jpg & a beautiful Clifton #3. I am not well practiced in scrapers.

[Jim Koepke]

If you marked and followed your grain direction on the boards before gluing you should have no problem.

My choice would be the #3 to smooth it out. The blade should be sharp and the chip breaker set close. Take light shavings and all should go well.

jtk

[Jessica de Boer]

My choice would be the #3 to smooth it out. The blade should be sharp and the chip breaker set close. Take light shavings and all should go well.

I agree with the #3 to finish it. The bottom plank (left plank) has the grain running in the opposite direction so you have a take a very light shaving to avoid tear out. Set the chip breaker as close as possible to the edge of the blade and you should have no problems. And your blade needs to be slightly cambered so the corners don't leave marks in the wood if you're not planning on sanding it.

[Derek Cohen]

As Jim points out, align the grain, if possible. However, this is not possible with book-matched panels.

This is especially a time when the double iron outperforms all other plane types. A closed up chipbreaker can be used into the grain where a single iron with a high cutting angle may not. The other tool to smooth is a cabinet scraper.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mark Rainey]

Thanks Jim, Jessica & Derek, I’ll get my #3 as sharp as I can and get my chip breaker close to the edge

[brian zawatsky]

Hey Mark. I've found that with a very sharp cutter, very close set of chipbreaker, and a nice light cut, I can smooth flatsawn cherry even against the grain. Of course try to plane with the grain whenever possible, but as you mentioned the grain in FS cherry can get wavy and change direction. I don't use a No 3, but this works with my Nos 4 & 4 1/2 so should carry true for the 3.

I've never had any luck determining grain direction just by looking at the flat sawn face grain. You really need to see whether the edge grain is rising or falling so you know whether to plane with or against the cathedrals shown on the surface. This is why Jim suggests marking grain direction on the board prior to glueup, while you can still read the edges of the boards as well as the faces. You may already know this, just stating for posterity

[Mark Rainey]

Thanks Brian, I was able to use my #3 sharpened with close chipbreaker with slightly cambered blade. I am happy with my results with just a few hard to see areas of tearout. Right near the “cats paw” tiny knot holes in the center there is a bit of roughness 246CADD9-B567-4108-911C-3CAB1D820933.jpg but I will live with it.

[David Eisenhauer]

The slight problem areas you ended up with can now be handled by a card scraper.

[Mark Rainey]

Thanks David.

[Robert Engel]

You're very lucky. I looks like alternating grain.

Keep that in mind in the future.

[Jessica de Boer]

I use this instead of a card scraper. I have the wide and narrow one. With a low bevel angle and a slightly cambered edge on it it delivers a beautiful surface.

[Kevin Perez]

I've had good luck with the LN #63 with a high bevel angle.

[Warren Mickley]

I've never had any luck determining grain direction just by looking at the flat sawn face grain. You really need to see whether the edge grain is rising or falling so you know whether to plane with or against the cathedrals shown on the surface. This is why Jim suggests marking grain direction on the board prior to glueup, while you can still read the edges of the boards as well as the faces. You may already know this, just stating for posterity

The best way to determine grain direction for flat sawn boards like this is to look at the face surface and the end grain. The two lower boards in this example would have the grain going the same direction if one has the bark side showing and the other has the pith side showing. If both have the bark side showing, they would be in opposite directions.

[Mark Rainey]

I've had good luck with the LN #63 with a high bevel angle.

A LN 63??? Do you mean a LN 62 with a 38 or 90 degree blade?

[Mark Rainey]

I use this instead of a card scraper. I have the wide and narrow one. With a low bevel angle and a slightly cambered edge on it it delivers a beautiful surface.

intersting Jessica. Pretty cheap at $10!! If it gets the job done...