It's my first real plane, a Stanley #4 of current manufacture, made in
England. I've read lotsa stuff about tuning planes, and have spent a lot
of time futzing around with this thing. I've got it tuned to the best of
my ability, and I think it has turned out pretty well.
So now I've got the thing ready to go, and fooled around to get a feel for
how to set the iron just so. I'm making whispy thin shavings, and the
plane is just singing along.
So far, so good, but here's where I need help. The surface I've planed is
dead flat, but it isn't parallel to the opposing face. Not by a long damn
shot. I've been practicing all day, and I've shaved this board down to
about nothing without ever getting it flat. I keep ending up with
something that looks like this:
==========__________________
========================================
========================================
========================================
========================================
Of course it's not actually stair steppy. Perfectly flat, just angled
wrong. Not only across the width of the board, but along its length too,
so I wind up with something that might want to be a structural member in a
doll house built by M.C. Escher.
If I try to take off the high side, I eventually end up with a crown in the
middle, or wind up making the high side the low side. I've been chasing my
tail like that for hours.
The board started with a reasonably flat surface, and I was originally just
trying to remove some tooth marks. I don't think the plane is riding on
anything to cause this.
I have a really cheap face vise (one of those $12 Columbian deals from
Lowe's) with the board clamped in that, if it matters.
Anyway, I could use some tips here. There's a lot more to this than just
making whispies, obviously.
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
In article <[email protected]>, Silvan
<[email protected]> wrote:
> Anyway, I could use some tips here. There's a lot more to this than just
> making whispies, obviously.
Check out:
<http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=41716&category=1,41182&ccur
rency=1&SID=>
djb
--
There are no socks in my email address.
"Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati"
Silvan wondered:
> It's my first real plane, a Stanley #4 of current manufacture, made in
> England. It isn't parallel to the opposing face. Not by a long damn
> shot.
> Of course it's not actually stair steppy. Perfectly flat, just angled
> wrong. I don't think the plane is riding on
> anything to cause this.
> Anyway, I could use some tips here. There's a lot more to this than just
> making whispies, obviously.
Here're a couple of things to look at. You should read through Jeff's
site, it's a goldmine.
http://www.amgron.clara.net/planingpoints/shootingboards/shootingindex.htm
http://www.amgron.clara.net/planingpoints/planingaction/planingactionindex.htm
Dave in fairfax
--
reply-to doesn't work
use:
daveldr at att dot net
I'll add to Eric's advice:
Plane diagonally across the board first one way, planing down the high
spots first, then turn it around or walk around to the other side and
plane diagonally in the opposite direction. Then, when it's reasonably
flat and even plane straight lengthwise down to your marked line.
A tip I learned is to take a mechanical pencil and run it through the
groove left by your marking gauge. This allows you to easily see the
line as you're planing down to thickness. Once you've split the line
your at your desired thickness. This is called "splitting the line".
:-)
Layne
On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 01:06:32 GMT, "Eric Lund"
<[email protected]> wrote:
>Just like with a jointer, when you do the first side and get it flat, it is
>not referenced to the other side. What you need to do next is use a marking
>guage set for the thickness you want and mark that distance from the flat
>side, all the way around the edges of the board. Now, place the board with
>the flat side down, and plane the other side to the line you just created.
>You then have two sides flat and parallel.
>
>Cheers,
>Eric
>
>
I work by the "hog and smooth" method. Hogging is done almost to the scribe
mark, obliquely. Smooth is the last 2-3 lengthwise shavings, each of which
removes almost nothing anyway.
Remember, most boards don't need to be perfectly parallel (or even flat)
except at the joints. Little bit lower on the standards might get you
there earlier.
Put your board on the bench, against a stop, for thicknessing. That way you
can eyeball three sides worth of marks without effort.
"Silvan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It's my first real plane, a Stanley #4 of current manufacture, made in
> England.
I'm making whispy thin shavings, and the
> plane is just singing along.
>
> So far, so good, but here's where I need help. The surface I've planed is
> dead flat, but it isn't parallel to the opposing face. Not by a long damn
> shot. I've been practicing all day, and I've shaved this board down to
> about nothing without ever getting it flat.
What Eric said.
-JBB
"Eric Lund" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > So far, so good, but here's where I need help. The surface I've planed
is
> > dead flat, but it isn't parallel to the opposing face. Not by a long
damn
> > shot. I've been practicing all day, and I've shaved this board down to
> > about nothing without ever getting it flat. I keep ending up with
> > something that looks like this:
> >
> > ==========__________________
> > ========================================
> > ========================================
> > ========================================
> > ========================================
> >
>
> Just like with a jointer, when you do the first side and get it flat, it
is
> not referenced to the other side. What you need to do next is use a
marking
> guage set for the thickness you want and mark that distance from the flat
> side, all the way around the edges of the board. Now, place the board
with
> the flat side down, and plane the other side to the line you just created.
> You then have two sides flat and parallel.
>
> Cheers,
> Eric
>
>
Dave Balderstone wrote:
> Check out:
>
> <http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=41716&category=1,41182&ccur
> rency=1&SID=>
You know, Dave, that makes me feel like a real doofus. I've even SEEN that
before.
Shouldda thought of that.
I'll get the hang of it some day... :)
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
0) Practice more.
1) Mark the sides and plane to them.
2) Google for shooting board
-Jack
"Silvan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> It's my first real plane, a Stanley #4 of current manufacture, made in
> England. I've read lotsa stuff about tuning planes, and have spent a lot
> of time futzing around with this thing. I've got it tuned to the best of
> my ability, and I think it has turned out pretty well.
>
> So now I've got the thing ready to go, and fooled around to get a feel for
> how to set the iron just so. I'm making whispy thin shavings, and the
> plane is just singing along.
>
> So far, so good, but here's where I need help. The surface I've planed is
> dead flat, but it isn't parallel to the opposing face. Not by a long damn
> shot. I've been practicing all day, and I've shaved this board down to
> about nothing without ever getting it flat. I keep ending up with
> something that looks like this:
>
> ==========__________________
> ========================================
> ========================================
> ========================================
> ========================================
>
> Of course it's not actually stair steppy. Perfectly flat, just angled
> wrong. Not only across the width of the board, but along its length too,
> so I wind up with something that might want to be a structural member in a
> doll house built by M.C. Escher.
>
> If I try to take off the high side, I eventually end up with a crown in
the
> middle, or wind up making the high side the low side. I've been chasing
my
> tail like that for hours.
>
> The board started with a reasonably flat surface, and I was originally
just
> trying to remove some tooth marks. I don't think the plane is riding on
> anything to cause this.
>
> I have a really cheap face vise (one of those $12 Columbian deals from
> Lowe's) with the board clamped in that, if it matters.
>
> Anyway, I could use some tips here. There's a lot more to this than just
> making whispies, obviously.
>
> --
> Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <[email protected]>
> Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
> http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
>
> So far, so good, but here's where I need help. The surface I've planed is
> dead flat, but it isn't parallel to the opposing face. Not by a long damn
> shot. I've been practicing all day, and I've shaved this board down to
> about nothing without ever getting it flat. I keep ending up with
> something that looks like this:
>
> ==========__________________
> ========================================
> ========================================
> ========================================
> ========================================
>
Just like with a jointer, when you do the first side and get it flat, it is
not referenced to the other side. What you need to do next is use a marking
guage set for the thickness you want and mark that distance from the flat
side, all the way around the edges of the board. Now, place the board with
the flat side down, and plane the other side to the line you just created.
You then have two sides flat and parallel.
Cheers,
Eric