[OP]
Member
Do any of you go right from the plane to applying finish? That is my goal if possible. I'm pretty sure I can do it with edges, not so much on wide surfaces. After this mornings sharpening and fettling with my 5 1/2 Stanley, I'm wondering if the finish would even stick to it.
Contributor
Yes, definitely. One trick is to burnish the surface using a fist full of plane shavings.
That shiny surface is the drug, no?
"You can observe a lot just by watching."
--Yogi Berra
[OP]
Member
Absolutely. Almost everything about hand planing is.Originally Posted by Christopher Charles
Contributor
I like to use oil finishes straight off the plane. No burnishing.
Here's a recent example.
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Member
I stopped sanding in 1978, when I realized that a planed surface was finer before sanding than after.
Contributor
That's the goal. I try to avoid sandpaper if I can, but I'm not afraid to dig it out if it's needed. I like sanding. It's meditative. But it's also slow.
[OP]
Member
Absolutely gorgeous!
[OP]
Member
Dang, why did it take me so long to realize this.
Contributor
I mostly gave up sanding about 10 years after Warren. I do sand between coats of finish (unless I am using tung oil or something similar. One time I do sand is if I am applying paint, sometimes the surface straight off the plane is too smooth.
DC
Contributor
I do sand, as NEEDED...as sometimes a plane or a scraper just can't get in thar..
"I stopped sanding in...." Yeah, that shark skin stuff is hard to come by, ain't it....
A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use
Contributor
I also prefer a handplaned surface to a sanded one. Sanding dust is nasty
Something I found out with Alder a handplaned edge is very water resistant. A scuff with 220 or scotch brute pad is good insurance for pva glue.
Alder trees can grow half in half out next to streams. They like it.
Aj
Contributor
I finish with a plane as well and avoid sanding as much as I can.
Are you also using a no. 4 or 3 smoother? It'd pay to contrast the surfaces, a 5 1/2 could be made to work as a smoother, but it's a pretty large plane.
If using a sharp and well setup smoother, you can achieve surfaces that are glossy and can produce a reflection. I've used wipe on finishes and shellac and have had good results.
Rafael
Contributor
Horse-tail reed has been around since the dinosaurs. Your kids probably won’t eat it, but make sure they don’t brush their teeth with it.
Grit range on my range is 180 to 220. Range of use is big ,running from new very old gimmick to ‘tried and true’ to ‘old timer’s delight’
Member
I took me a while also.
Fifty years ago most books said the ideal was to plane, then scrape, then sand. After a while I realized that my planing was good enough that the scraping was a waste of time, so abandoned I the scraper, but then it was still a couple years before I realized the sanding was degrading the surface.
Contributor
This remains a controversial area. A hand plane finish can be beautiful, but it requires expertise. Warren, who has profound hand tool skills, and several other Neanders above believe in this. I have pursued this also and finally got what I consider a (near) perfect table top with handplaning But, still, most expert woodworkers will use sandpaper, especially if their piece is displayed or large. Some possible reasons are that only a few are so skilled to use a hand plane to get that perfect finish, so they find it easier to sand. Another possibility is that with irregular grain and small knots, the finish with sandpaper is more regular than ever can be achieved with a hand plane. While very minor irregularity in surface rarely detracts from a piece, we don't accept this and will use sandpaper in the end. Additionally almost all the pieces shown are smaller pieces and I have not seen any pics of larger tables planed. Larger surfaces are much more challenging. I will keep trying.
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