Easiest way to trim length of wide boards

[Doug Dawson]

Doug you must be much better with a saw than I, I cannot get a handsaw to stay on track if there is only 1/32" of material on the outside of the cut. I can follow a line very nicely with at least 1/2"...

At least in the case of a Japanese saw, the kerf is quite narrow, thus the saw is very easy to pull (not much wood removal) and, started properly, it's hard to get the saw to veer appreciably off course (enough to require more than a few swipes with a block plane.)

But a Western saw is not much different (particularly with a back saw,) just has a slightly wider kerf. An eighth of an inch leaves a lot of wiggle room.

[Jake Rothermel]

First, secure the board to your CNC table. . . .

[Pat Barry]

Assuming the long board is if manageable length I suggest to use the bandsaw to rough cut the length and then finish with a plane going from each end to the middle to minimize chance of blowing out / chipping off the corner.

[Doug Dawson]

Assuming the long board is if manageable length I suggest to use the bandsaw to rough cut the length and then finish with a plane going from each end to the middle to minimize chance of blowing out / chipping off the corner.

Even if the board is not of manageable length, roller bearing work stands are very useful tools to have.

[Prashun Patel]

I would clamp them face-to-face, and plane the high side down to meet the low side. It will go quicker than you think.

The tricky part is orienting the boards so they're ergonomic to plane. If they are less than 60" long, I'd stand them up on the floor in the bench vise, then stand on the bench and plane.

[Kevin Hampshire]

Prashun, Even if they’re longer, why couldn’t you simply clamp them on the bench faces together and use the end of the shorter board to effectively be the fence for shooting (e.g. the edge of the plane rides against shorter board) and end up with perfectly matched boards? Sort of like using a modern router bit with a pattern.

As far as sawing goes, I share in the OPs condition of sawing that fine with my current crosscut saws.

That said, why bother when you can quickly plane the stock (from both ends) and reach the same objective. I would use my 5 1/2 or even No.5 without hesitation. Assuming that they’re very sharp...which they are. I was always under the assumption that many people used a BD plane to shoot with. My No.7 works beautifully. I used it because of the extra mass that would plow through end grain.

Historically speaking, we’ve only had readily available low angle BU planes for a relatively short time. The vintage versions were pretty scarce.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I just tried using a chisel. Scribed a line at 1/8 inch. Hand screw on the line. Pared with a chisel. Hardest part was getting the hand screw lined up on the lines.

[Kurtis Johnson]

I have two 18" wide board sitting on my bench that are just a fraction of an inch different in length, maybe 1/8". What's the easiest way to take that off the longer one? It's kind of a lot to plane, but too little to use a panel saw. Only machine saw I own is a bandsaw.

I'd be tempted to pare that.

[James Pallas]

Clamp the board flat. Clamp another board against the end, tightly. Saw to the line. Done like this for centuries to fit butt joints. Rather than do this, for other than making a butt joint, I would just plane to the line
.
Jim

[lowell holmes]

You need a sharp 8 or 10 pt Disston crosscut saw. You will love it.
Of course they grow like puppies when you start.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

James, I am not sure I understand the clamping part. Are you clamping it across the board to make a fence for the saw, or what?

[steven c newman]

Clamp the shorter board on top of the longer board....use a pattern bit in a router like a flush trim bit, with the bearing above the cutter.....even a regular flush trim bit, with the shorter board under the longer board will work....

[James Pallas]

James, I am not sure I understand the clamping part. Are you clamping it across the board to make a fence for the saw, or what?

Clamp the boards end to end tight together. One board acts as a back up to keep the thin cut from breaking off. If you are trying to make a butt joint just clamp the ends together and saw right down the line cutting both boards at once. It's a bit like match planing. In the OP's case he would just be supporting the off cut to keep it from breaking out and not supporting the saw. Hand saw, hand held power saws works the same. Having two saw benches or two horses the same height to clamp to helps. Can be done on your bench too if the boards are blocked up so your not sawing into your bench.
Jim
i should also have mentioned that you do the same with a miter box. When you need to take that 32nd or a sliver off of a miter get the work set for the cut than clamp a block also mitered to the box at the end of the work and the saw will be supported on the off side and not try to jump out of the cut.

[Bill McDermott]

I understand the question. It is a common enough thing that gives me pause as well. At this point, I am less hesitant to use the saw, almost as a file sometimes.

I'd saw then plane. I would need to press the plate of the saw into the board to keep it tracking straight with that little material. If the cut wanders toward the edge, back up an half inch and cut down again with stronger pressure on the side of the plate to straighten out the kerf.

Without sawing, I would plane bevels (chamfers) on all four sides down to the marked line. They will all overlap until the remaining material is easy to plane away... right down to the edge of the chamfers,

[Nicholas Lawrence]

Will have to give that a try one of these days.