Frustrated with jointing

[Jim Koepke]

This just came to mind. The linked page is often suggested when people ask about making winding sticks.

Working an edge straight is different than 'matched planing' > https://www.scribd.com/document/5009...s-from-Scratch

It is helpful information if for nothing else than a lesson in how to look at an edge and maybe even do some trouble shooting to get two pieces to join better.

jtk

[Jim Matthews]

...I had carpal tunnel surgery 2 years ago. While I can now drive a keyboard (my day job) with no pain, I lost a significant amount of wrist strength and hand endurance. That ship has already sailed and its not getting fixed. I can earn a living but have limited endurance for holding a 5lb plane level while shoving it back and forth.

This is an important consideration.

I'm in parallel with this, as arthritis is wrecking my hands.

The height of your bench makes a *huge* difference to technique. I prefer to plane at the height of my belt line.

Pulling planes, and using the front (leading) hand mire helps spread the load.

Padded bicycle gloves or "grippy" yard work gloves help.

Drop me a PM for an offer of assistance.

[David Eisenhauer]

Let me echo Ken's suggestion of using a wooden plane rather than a metal plane for your jointing work. In my experience, there is a significant difference in the feel of both planes - same technique, different subjective feel due to less weight and the slick wood plane sole. Add this factor in with Jim's lower planning bench height and it should help with your physical issues. Also, as others have described above, (for a right hander) use your left hand fingers and finger tips to support the overhanging plane sole and maintain an 90* angle between the sole and the material. Give yourself some time to develop muscle memory. Finally, when I am consistently jointing slightly off square and I feel like I am holding the plane square as I usually do, I adjust the iron to cut square. sometimes you are planning correctly but the iron is cutting slightly deeper on one side. Adjusting the iron by comparing the thickness of the shavings from the right and left sides of the iron by feel is not an exact science. Make a few passes with an out-of-square set iron and you will not end up with a 90* jointed edge.

[Richard Hutchings]

That thing is amazing!!!

There are ways to hold a workpiece securely on edge without a vise:

Attachment 442239

A batten parallel to the front edge with another piece at an angle secured by dog holes can also be a way to hold pieces on edge. Depending on the set up a wedge may be needed.

These alternate ways can be handy when doing a lot of edge planing since it is much faster to change out a piece than having to work a vise every time you change the workpiece.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

That thing is amazing!!!

An old episode of The Woodwright's Shop was on Viceless Devices > https://www.pbs.org/video/woodwright...eless-devices/

My old post using this is here > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?223428

jtk