Video

Flattening a board with hand tools

All it takes to make a perfectly flat board is a jointer plane and some patience.

By Michael Cullen Nov 30, 2022

Video by Ben Strano and KT Kaminski

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Videos in the Series

Flattening a board with hand tools
November 30, 2022

All it takes to make a perfectly flat board is a jointer plane and some patience.
Squaring an edge with a jointer plane
November 30, 2022

Continuing with the jointer plane, Michael squares the first two edges to the face of the board.
Sawing and truing up the final edge of the board
November 30, 2022

In order to create a perfect octagon, the last edge of the board is sawn and planed to be perfectly square to the face, and the other edges—a difficult task.
Bringing the board to final thickness
November 30, 2022

Michael's jointer plane is the tool of choice for finishing off the milling of this perfect board.
Laying out an octagon
November 30, 2022

Michael demonstrates how to lay out a perfect octagon using only a compass and straightedge.
Planing an octagon
November 30, 2022

Michael planes the facets of the octagon using—you guessed it—the jointer plane.
Adding beveled facets to finish off the octagon exercise
November 30, 2022

Bringing it all together are the beveled facets, which will only meet up as they should if everything up to now has been done perfectly.

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About This Video Workshop

Michael Cullen demonstrates one of his favorite hand-tool exercises— making a perfect octagon—which tests a woodworker’s skill from material selection and careful layout to tool preparation, blade sharpening, and sawing and handplaning skills. Making the octagon was the final exercise of the first segment of the year at Leeds Design Workshops in Massachusetts, where Michael Cullen trained to be a furniture maker. Up to that point, the class had focused solely on tool preparation, sharpening,… More about this Video Workshop

Comments

chuck66 | Dec 05, 2022 08:27pm | #1
Outstanding video series, Ben. Can you make more like this?
martynhomestead | Dec 19, 2022 05:14am | #2
Great series. Zen-like indeed. Love to see more from Miachel Cullen.

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