When attempting to plane a board to a consistent thickness, the end 6" or so of the board tends to get cut down fastest. I'm sure it's a technique issue, but what am I doing to cause this? Too much pressure on the front of the plane?
Puckdropper
Many years ago, I was taking a basic woodworking course. I had to cut and plane some wood into a perfectly square board to specific dimensions with hand tools. I got the dimensions OK. I just had a nice curve towards the end of the board. I went through several pieces and had the same thing happen over and over. The instructor hovered over me and watch me closely. We finally made an adjustment in my feet. By widening my stance, I did not "push over" at the end of the stroke. It was totally unnatural and awkward. But I finally got it right and passed the course.
I don't know what you are doing. But with me, it was just experimenting over and over again until I found something that worked. I much prefer power tools. The most planeing I do these days is with a small block plane to make a small adjustment on an edge. Planeing requires a certain amount of eye hand coordination. I just don't have that much of that kind of touch going for me. I have seen some masters at work with hand tools. I greatly admire that sort of thing. I just can't do it all that well. Or if I do, I have to work extra hard at it. It is a slow, cumbersome process for me.
Good luck with coming up with a solution.
As Lee says, having a good comfortable stance is important.
I re-work salvaged lumber, often, and use a hand plane often, rather than r isk running an old board, with a hidden nail, throught the powered planer.
I've found: Don't think of your planing as ending at the end of the board. Imagine the board extends a foot beyond what you actually see. Plane to the end of the imaginary board. Also, focusing pressure at the end of the board or on the front of the plane, as you assume you're doing, is likely p art of the problem. As you plane to the end of the imaginary board extensi on, focus on keeping even pressure on the whole plane, not just the front. After a while, that imaginary board extension will "reduce itself" to a fe w inches, when you get the feel of the board being planed flat to the end, and not curved downward at the end.
There have been times, when I have short boards to plane, I butt 2 or 3 end
-to-end, rather than imagining more of 1 board is there. I like "the feel " of having that extra length, imagined or real, to work with.
When my blades get dull, I have a tendency to not only make shorter strokes , but press harder at the end of a stroke. For me, that pressing harder at the end of a stroke often equates to pressing harder at the front of the p lane, as well, and I'll get results as you describe.
Sonny
Sonny wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:
Thanks to both of you guys. I'll give it a try and report back.
Puckdropper
As others have written, stance is important. Also some other factors. Keenness of blade primarily, condition of the plane sole, setting of blade to plane mouth, setting of the frog with regard to the timber being planed etc. As you plane a board, start with pressure on the knob. As you move along the board gradually transfer pressure from the knob to the handle. At the end of the board you should have more pressure on the handle. Sorry, this may not translate v well from UK to US English. Harry Doncaster, my woodworking teacher of 50 years ago, drummed into me the three P's. Practice, Practice, Practice.
Good luck, Nick.
Chris Schwarz says to plane as if you are trying to scoop out the middle part of the board. Works for me.
risk running an old board, with a hidden nail, throught the powered planer .
d. Imagine the board extends a foot beyond what you actually see. Plane t o the end of the imaginary board. Also, focusing pressure at the end of th e board or on the front of the plane, as you assume you're doing, is likely part of the problem. As you plane to the end of the imaginary board exten sion, focus on keeping even pressure on the whole plane, not just the front . After a while, that imaginary board extension will "reduce itself" to a few inches, when you get the feel of the board being planed flat to the end , and not curved downward at the end.
nd-to-end, rather than imagining more of 1 board is there. I like "the fe el" of having that extra length, imagined or real, to work with.
es, but press harder at the end of a stroke. For me, that pressing harder at the end of a stroke often equates to pressing harder at the front of the plane, as well, and I'll get results as you describe.
Excellent advice. The imaginary boards that I plane always come out perfect ly. I still have too much trouble with the real ones and that is why most o f my best work is imaginary and man that stuff is beautiful!
of the board. Works for me.
I like that explanation/visualization/technique, also. I think I subconciously do that, as well, now that you mention it.
Sonny
much trouble with the real ones and that is why most of my best work is imaginary and man that stuff is beautiful!
Long ago, I had the same conflict with girlfriends, imagined ones vs real ones.
Sonny
There is also the strong possibility you are planning the ends of the board much more than the center. If you plane from the middle to the end, 50% o f the board is touched by the plane iron. Do the same going the other dire ction and the whole board is touched by the plane iron once. But then you start planning at the 1/4 and 3/4 positions. And plane to the end of the b oard. Now the two quarter ends of the board have been planed twice. But t he center 50% has only been planed once. When you plane the edges twice as much as the center, the edges will get thinner than the center. Think abo ut how often you are planing every part of the board. And try to keep the number of plane strokes about the same on all parts of the board. If the p lane touches the edges three times, make sure the plane touches the center of the board three times.
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