A little practice

[Tom Bender]

My lunchbox would not handle this 15" wide board (there are two of them) so I am getting some practice hand planing. This #4 scrub is holding it's edge pretty well. Arms, not so much.

Planing the top.jpg

[Joe A Faulkner]

You have more courage or confidence than I do. I would fear ramming my plane into that rather stout looking C clamp. I usually use hold fasts and battens and even then, some times slip a little wooden guard/sleeve I made over the hold fasts. When hogging off a lot of material sometimes things move with a lot force and speed and hand plane meeting iron is something I hope to avoid. What species is it that you are working?

[Jim Koepke]

You have more courage or confidence than I do. I would fear ramming my plane into that rather stout looking C clamp.

+1 on that. Mine are usually up against dogs or battens. Holdfasts close to plane travel also scares me.

Cams, wedges, dogs and battens can hold the work without clamps or holdfasts:

Scrub This.jpg

That is a 16/4X10"X7' piece of poplar. Three different sizes of scrub plane were used, a #40, a converted #5-1/4 and a converted #5.

What species is it that you are working?

My first guess is purple heart.

jtk

[Tom Bender]

These are 15" x 48" x 4/4 pieces of Purpleheart. They are remarkably flat from an excellent supplier. There is plenty of room to avoid the clamp. It can be moved of course but just reversing the board lets me get to that spot. The board is secured by three planing stops but the clamp is still needed. Planing goes so much better when the stock is rock solid.

[Alan Schwabacher]

I find it easier to plane nearer the edge of the bench, rather than leaning over more. I would take advantage of your split top, and put the clamp nearer the center of the bench.

[Frederick Skelly]

Good for you Tom. Planing a piece that big is hard work!