Newbie : Which Plane to use

[Scott Willett]

I am making my first bookcase and have made the facing out of maple.

I want to know which plane would be best in smoothing out where a perpendicular and horizontal pieces come together. I used a the Kreig pocket hole to put the face frame together and I want to make it perfectly flush. The pieces are bout 2-3 inched in width.

Thanks Scott - Woodstock GA

[Toller]

I always sand it. I don't think you even could use a plane for that.

[dadiOH]

Depends on how far off they are. If not much, just a palm sander will work OK. If more, I'd just use a small, block plane. Even better is to belt sand it. Problem in both cases is that the grain is going at right angles one piece to another...no problem when one piece is sticking out considerably but as you plane/sand they get closer together and it is easy to dig into the other crossgrain piece as you whittle down. When you get close, take *thin* cuts at an angle, outside toward center or use a scraper. BTW, you don't have to skinny down all the piece that is sticking out, just the area in the vicinity of the joint.

-- dadiOH ____________________________

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[C & S]

Are you not using the Kreig clamp? If not, use it. It makes alignment much easier. If you are making a double-hole joint place the clamp right under/over the first hole The move the clamp for the next screw. Use the big side of the clamp on the show side of the face frame.

ROS from there.

-Steve

[CW]

None. Use a scraper.

[Mark Woodward]

Scott Willett said the following on 24/10/2005 3:12 AM:

Hi Scott, From a fellow newbie! I'm not sure if you've done this but I'll mention it anyway. Next time try and square everything up,sand/plane etc

*before* you join them. Remember 'measure twice cut once'. The same idea can be applied to assembling a piece. Check everything first beforehand.

-- Mark

[Scott Willett]

Thanks so much for all your replies. A little sanding did the job.

[Nate Perkins]

"Scott Willett" wrote in news:IjW6f.2761$ [e-mail]:

Ah, too late now ... but for that I'd use a sharp smooth plane. Just turn it to follow the grain as you go around the corner. No problem.

Either sanding and scraping works fine, too. But there are some times when a handplane is better. For example, leveling drawer dividers where you don't want to round over the edge with a sander ... or leveling a M&T frame after you have the panel in, when you might accidentally gouge the raising with the scraper corner. DAMHIKT.