All, I "Scary Sharpened" my #4 plane iron and practiced on pieces of scrap.
After this, I thought I was a 1/2 step above totally inexperienced to smooth
my glued up panel of red oak, or at least trying to even out the glue lines
(yes I'd removed the dried glue squeezeout beforehand). Aiggggh! My first
attempt however I must have had the blade set too deep as it skipped along
the surface and left 3 or 4 gouges or ruts about 1/8" wide, 1/2" long, maybe
1/16-1/32" deep - definitely noticeable.
I am not sure how to fix. I was going to try and finish this piece without
sanding, but... Should I try and plane the entire piece down to the depth
of the gouge? I'm a little gun shy about picking up the plane again...
maybe just sand out around the entire area and try to not make larger
depressions? The piece is probably 18" across, too wide for my planer, and
I don't have access to a wide belt sander. Advice, suggestions!?
Cheers!
Duke
If you scrape, you're going to want to change angles over the same area.
The rays on the oak are pretty hard, and you tend to ride up on them, giving
an undulating surface.
"GerryG" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> An "undulating" surface? Do you mean ripples appearing even though it
feels
> smooth? Or something else?
> GerryG
>
> On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 19:57:52 -0600, Patriarch
<[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
> >I have found that scraping red oak leads to a smooth, but undulating
> >surface. At least that 'shows' that the surface wasn't fixed with a ROS.
> >Which is always a possibility.
> >
> >Patriarch
Different angles to be construed as dragging/pushing the scraper across the
same point at skew left/skew right to get a better average.
"GerryG" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My thoughts exactly; I just stopped with the question part to see if
that's
> what he means. I also have a couple of scrapers with different angles, and
one
> with just a squared edge for fine work.
> GerryG
>
> On Fri, 4 Mar 2005 06:58:01 -0500, "George" <george@least> wrote:
>
> >If you scrape, you're going to want to change angles over the same area.
> >The rays on the oak are pretty hard, and you tend to ride up on them,
giving
> >an undulating surface.
"Dukester" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:
> All, I "Scary Sharpened" my #4 plane iron and practiced on pieces of
> scrap. After this, I thought I was a 1/2 step above totally
> inexperienced to smooth my glued up panel of red oak, or at least
> trying to even out the glue lines (yes I'd removed the dried glue
> squeezeout beforehand). Aiggggh! My first attempt however I must have
> had the blade set too deep as it skipped along the surface and left 3
> or 4 gouges or ruts about 1/8" wide, 1/2" long, maybe 1/16-1/32" deep
> - definitely noticeable.
>
You know that old saw the finishing gurus use? "Practice on scrap"?
As you've learned, there's more to tuning and adjusting a handplane than
getting the blade sharp. And this fellow, Jeff Gorman, has more than
sufficient to help you, here: http://www.amgron.clara.net/index.htm
There's a reason that an apprenticeship was longer than 6 weeks...
Patriarch
"George" <george@least> wrote in news:[email protected]:
>> On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 19:57:52 -0600, Patriarch
> <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >I have found that scraping red oak leads to a smooth, but undulating
>> >surface. At least that 'shows' that the surface wasn't fixed with a
>> >ROS. Which is always a possibility.
>> >
>> >Patriarch
>
> "GerryG" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> An "undulating" surface? Do you mean ripples appearing even though it
> feels
>> smooth? Or something else?
>> GerryG
> If you scrape, you're going to want to change angles over the same
> area. The rays on the oak are pretty hard, and you tend to ride up on
> them, giving an undulating surface.
>
What George said. And how George fixes it. Just something to which one
must pay attention.
Patriarch
An "undulating" surface? Do you mean ripples appearing even though it feels
smooth? Or something else?
GerryG
On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 19:57:52 -0600, Patriarch <[email protected]>
wrote:
>I have found that scraping red oak leads to a smooth, but undulating
>surface. At least that 'shows' that the surface wasn't fixed with a ROS.
>Which is always a possibility.
>
>Patriarch
You might try honing a small back bevel, closing up the throat, and
practicing on the reverside side of the top. Regards, Jim
"Dukester" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> All, I "Scary Sharpened" my #4 plane iron and practiced on pieces of
scrap.
> After this, I thought I was a 1/2 step above totally inexperienced to
smooth
> my glued up panel of red oak, or at least trying to even out the glue
lines
> (yes I'd removed the dried glue squeezeout beforehand). Aiggggh! My first
> attempt however I must have had the blade set too deep as it skipped along
> the surface and left 3 or 4 gouges or ruts about 1/8" wide, 1/2" long,
maybe
> 1/16-1/32" deep - definitely noticeable.
>
> I am not sure how to fix. I was going to try and finish this piece
without
> sanding, but... Should I try and plane the entire piece down to the depth
> of the gouge? I'm a little gun shy about picking up the plane again...
> maybe just sand out around the entire area and try to not make larger
> depressions? The piece is probably 18" across, too wide for my planer,
and
> I don't have access to a wide belt sander. Advice, suggestions!?
>
> Cheers!
> Duke
>
>
My thoughts exactly; I just stopped with the question part to see if that's
what he means. I also have a couple of scrapers with different angles, and one
with just a squared edge for fine work.
GerryG
On Fri, 4 Mar 2005 06:58:01 -0500, "George" <george@least> wrote:
>If you scrape, you're going to want to change angles over the same area.
>The rays on the oak are pretty hard, and you tend to ride up on them, giving
>an undulating surface.
>
>"GerryG" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> An "undulating" surface? Do you mean ripples appearing even though it
>feels
>> smooth? Or something else?
>> GerryG
>>
>> On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 19:57:52 -0600, Patriarch
><[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >I have found that scraping red oak leads to a smooth, but undulating
>> >surface. At least that 'shows' that the surface wasn't fixed with a ROS.
>> >Which is always a possibility.
>> >
>> >Patriarch
>
On Thu, 03 Mar 2005 10:31:42 -0600, Patriarch <[email protected]>
wrote:
>"Dukester" <[email protected]> wrote in
>news:[email protected]:
>
>> All, I "Scary Sharpened" my #4 plane iron and practiced on pieces of
>> scrap. After this, I thought I was a 1/2 step above totally
>> inexperienced to smooth my glued up panel of red oak, or at least
>> trying to even out the glue lines (yes I'd removed the dried glue
>> squeezeout beforehand). Aiggggh! My first attempt however I must have
>> had the blade set too deep as it skipped along the surface and left 3
>> or 4 gouges or ruts about 1/8" wide, 1/2" long, maybe 1/16-1/32" deep
>> - definitely noticeable.
>>
>
>You know that old saw the finishing gurus use? "Practice on scrap"?
>
>As you've learned, there's more to tuning and adjusting a handplane than
>getting the blade sharp. And this fellow, Jeff Gorman, has more than
>sufficient to help you, here: http://www.amgron.clara.net/index.htm
>
>There's a reason that an apprenticeship was longer than 6 weeks...
>
>Patriarch
As he said, start with Jeff Gorman's site, but don't expect that to solve it
all. From the above, I take it your practice scraps were not oak, so that was
the first mistake. There are also harder woods to plane, and you need to try
an appropriate sample before comitting your actual work to it. And for just
removing glue lines, I'd suggest you try a hand scraper or scraper plane, as
it's much easier to avoid tearout. Although, of course, you'd need to read how
to sharpen and use them, so there's a bit more learning there.
As for fixing, easiest is to use the other side and hide this one, or apply
some filler. Failing that, it sound like you'd have to remove maybe 1/16 from
the surface, which may be tough with only a #4.
Finally, realize that even the best with everything tuned up will sometimes
get some tearout. You have to carefully watch the grain and how the first few
passes go.
GerryG
"Dukester" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> All, I "Scary Sharpened" my #4 plane iron and practiced on pieces of
> scrap.
> After this, I thought I was a 1/2 step above totally inexperienced to
> smooth
> my glued up panel of red oak, or at least trying to even out the glue
> lines
> (yes I'd removed the dried glue squeezeout beforehand). Aiggggh! My first
> attempt however I must have had the blade set too deep as it skipped along
> the surface and left 3 or 4 gouges or ruts about 1/8" wide, 1/2" long,
> maybe
> 1/16-1/32" deep - definitely noticeable.
>
> I am not sure how to fix. I was going to try and finish this piece
> without
> sanding, but... Should I try and plane the entire piece down to the depth
> of the gouge? I'm a little gun shy about picking up the plane again...
> maybe just sand out around the entire area and try to not make larger
> depressions? The piece is probably 18" across, too wide for my planer,
> and
> I don't have access to a wide belt sander. Advice, suggestions!?
>
> Cheers!
> Duke
>
I have my best luck with translucent shavings. I will start without blade
contact and then advance the blade until it starts to make shavings. I may
advance it a bit more until I get a definite continuous shaving that is
translucent. I then will fiddle with the lateral adjustment if the shaving
is not full width. Sometimes reversing the direction helps if your getting
chatter. Don't despair, have fun.