For flattening a fairly large solid wood table top (approximately 45 inch x 92 inches) I was thinking about using hand planes. I currently have a 4-1/2 smoother, but I believe I’d need a larger plane to do the initial flattening.
My question is what plane should I choose to buy? Would it be a Fore or Jack? I’m not sure how to figure out what is the right plane for this type of work.
Replies
A jointer may be best. It depends on how rough the surface is.
Jointerman:
Unless the surface is really rough, I would suggest getting a jointer plane rather than a jack or fore. The longer the plane the easier it is to get a large surface like you are working flat. For this kind of work I prefer a bevel down plane. A vintage Stanley #7, a Lie-Nielsen #7 or even better a #8, or a Clark & Williams jointer would all work for you. The #7 is 22" long with a 2 3/*" wide iron while the #8 is 24" long with a 2 5/8" wide iron. Good vintage Stanley #8s are hard to find, but the #7 Stanleys are all over the place and generally work fine.
Start by taking a fairly heavy cut working diagonally first one way, then the other. Check for flat often with winding sticks and a straight edge. High spots can be worked down with a few localized shavings. Finish up by taking thin shavings with the grain. If you are a member, there are several FWW articles on flattening a board. Just do a search on plane use.
gdblake
The Veritas Fore Plane that I'm looking at is 18-inches whereas a #7 Jointer plane is 22-inches. Is it still better to go with a Jointer Plane to flatten a glued up table top? Does the extra 4-inches lenth make that much difference? Would a Fore Plane be more versatile than a jointer plane? These planes can be pretty pricey and they don't even come with a motor!
A jointer can used as a fore plane
Jointerman:
If you are only going to have one or the other, the 22" long plane is the better choice over the 18" long plane. The longer the plane the easier it is to get a surface flat, which is what you need to do here. You can also use a #7 as a fore plane by opening up the mouth and giving the iron a heavy camber (say match the radius of a 10 or 12 inch circle). Yes, it is a little heavier than the fore plane, but the weight actually helps. I would suggest getting an additional iron, sharpen one with the heavier camber and the other with just the hint of a camber. Use the heavier cambered iron for thick shavings and the lightly cambered iron for wispy thin shavings. if I had to do with only one bench plane, it would be a good jointer.
gdblake
Jointerman,
That is a large table!
I bought a Clark & Williams 30" jointer for surfacing large tops. Normally, I like the heft of iron planes, but my back likes the light weight of a wood plane for such large surfaces. I think the C&W planes are kind of a special order, so you might want to look at the Primus planes. The C&W plane has the advantage of being bedded at 50 degrees, while the Primus has the advantage of a threaded depth adjustment. Neither plane is cheap. If budget is a concern and really when isn't it, I would look for a good transitional jointer plane. These are fairly plentiful and easily tuned; throw in a good after market A-2 blade with a back bevel and the wood won't know you didn't spend nearly $400.00
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
http://www.rlmillard.typepad.com
Planes
Personally I would go for a #7. I use it quite often!! I was a bit intimidated by the size and weight when I first picked it up but after tuning her up I found that the heft worked to my advantage. And have used it many times to flatten one side of a warped board prior to power plane. But you won't stop whith the #7 ;-) My collection runs from a #3 through #7 and keeps growing.
It sounds as if the consensus is to use a jointer plane. I think that the shear size of the jointer plane is intimidating. I was thinking that the Fore Plane was the way to go based on an article I read in FWW #204. It talked about partnering the Jack Plane with a Smoother Plane. That said, I've checked the Lee Valley website and they have a nice looking bevel up jointer plane... hmm...
BTW: I'm still likely to be at least 6 weeks away from glue up. I've only just gotten the rough lumber dimensioned on two sides this weekend. 10-feet plus rough lumber are tough to flatten, I couldn't imagine how people do it with a hand plane! The cost of the materials have me second guessing every step and the shear size of the top is making me nervous!
I am assuming that I'll need a fair amount of practice in order to get good enough with the jointer plane.
Jointer plane
Jointerman:
Bevel up planes are great for taking thin shavings, not so great for the thicker shavings flattening a top requires. There have been several bevel vs. bevel down discussions here on Knots if you want to do a search. The Clark & Williams jointer really is an outstanding tool, but there is a long wait time. The Lie-Nielsen #7 can be had with either the standard 45 degree frog or a 50 degree frog. Some would consider it pricey, but it is a life time tool. Don't let the size of the plane intimidate you. Learning to flatten a board is easier than learning to joint an edge because the plane is fully supported by the wood. Check out some of the Christopher Schwarz videos, I think you would find them helpful.
Once you have the plane learn to use it on a couple of pieces of 2 x 12 pine from the home center. If you have any woodworking friends see if anybody would lone you a #7 to try out.
gdblake
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