Is this flat enough?

[AESamuel]

Hi,

I've been using a stanley #4 and a wooden jack plane to flatten my wood but I'm just wondering how flat is flat enough. I took a piece of oak that I had planed with my #4 and put a small piece of paper underneath the edge of my combination square's ruler. Apart from a 1cm wide strip along one side, I couldn't pull the paper out from underneath the ruler. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that standard printer paper is 5 thou but I don't know if that's right.

Is this flat enough for most woodworking applications? I'm starting out making dovetailed boxes and candleholders so I'm not exactly working to the highest tolerances but I would like to work to as high a standard as I can!

Thanks,
Asa

 

[Jacob]

Does it look flat enough to you (without straight edges, micrometers, magnifying glasses etc)? If yes, then it is flat enough.
One useful trick for checking flatness is to shine a bright torch over the surface - or hold it up carefully and point it at the sun. You see all the bumps and hollows.
If you can't see them in normal lighting conditions they don't matter.

 

[rafezetter]

Hi,

I've been using a stanley #4 and a wooden jack plane to flatten my wood but I'm just wondering how flat is flat enough. I took a piece of oak that I had planed with my #4 and put a small piece of paper underneath the edge of my combination square's ruler. Apart from a 1cm wide strip along one side, I couldn't pull the paper out from underneath the ruler. I vaguely remember reading somewhere that standard printer paper is 5 thou but I don't know if that's right.

Is this flat enough for most woodworking applications? I'm starting out making dovetailed boxes and candleholders so I'm not exactly working to the highest tolerances but I would like to work to as high a standard as I can!

Thanks,
Asa

Beware this way lies madness - I can say from experience that being more exacting than the thickness of paper can lead to all sorts of obsessive behaviour including buying a certified granite flat plate for "flattening" of everything around you, often of things that do not require such perfection.

Remember that wood moves and breathes, AND that this is a "hand made" object - sometimes the perfection lies in the imperfection so as long as there are no really glaring disparities, it's good enough.

I stopped obsessing and get more stuff done now as a result

 

[custard]

There's no one simple answer.

Are you making piston fit drawers for a Guild Mark submission? Then better get super obsessive.

Are you making a birdhouse that'll get nailed on a tree in your garden? Then relax.

Only you can decide where on that spectrum you want to place your pieces.

Good luck!

 

[heimlaga]

I agree with custard.

There is no general rule for what is flat enough. All depends on the purpose of the piece of wood. A post in a timberframe can easily be 10 mm out of flat. A very high end cabinet has certain parts where we are talking about a tenth of a millimetre. The drawer bottoms of the same cabinet may vary in thickness 2 mm or more.

Throw away those paper shims and start making something. In a while experience will tell you how accurate every single part has to be to produce the desired result.

 

[dc_ni]

You are making something out of a material that moves with the elements, you need to work on producing something other than wood shavings.

If you try to reach engineering levels of tolerance then you will grow to hate what you are doing.

Remember this is your hobby and you should be having fun.

 

[n0legs]

Remember that wood moves and breathes, AND that this is a "hand made" object - sometimes the perfection lies in the imperfection so as long as there are no really glaring disparities, it's good enough.

I stopped obsessing and get more stuff done now as a result

=D>

Remember this is your hobby and you should be having fun.

True, often forgotten but very very true =D>

 

[Mr T]

I think it's one of the skills of woodwork, knowing when to be super accurate and when to say "that's good enough", and it only comes with experience.

Chris