Colarris
Established Member
Some of my dovetails butt out too far and I need to shorten them. Whats the best way to do it? I know if I try and plane them it will probably split the wood.
Planning dovetails
- Thread starter Colarris
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woodbloke
Established Member
Essentialy you're planing the end grain down on each bit of the joint. I use a finley set, low angle plane (eg a block or LA jack) to do the job, with a 15deg 'skewed' approach as opposed to square on...stop when the long grain is reached or the joint is level - Rob
Colarris
Established Member
Thanks.
I have a Stanley block plane but no experience with it. No sure what side to come at it from. Should I try and plane one side down then the other to prevent going right across and splitting the edges?
I have a Stanley block plane but no experience with it. No sure what side to come at it from. Should I try and plane one side down then the other to prevent going right across and splitting the edges?
If you chisel a chamfer on the opposite side you are planing from, it will help prevent breakout.
For the non-purist, a belt sander (if you have one) is very effective for this job, but be careful not to take too much off and spoil the shape or fit of the workpiece.
For the non-purist, a belt sander (if you have one) is very effective for this job, but be careful not to take too much off and spoil the shape or fit of the workpiece.
LuptonM
Established Member
Flush cut saw then plane?
Jacob
New Luddism. Awake and resist!
Flush cut saws are a pointless PITA and dead slow in my experience (limited!).LuptonM":2sde0ydo said:
If these DT ends are sticking out by more than say 4mm you might try sawing them off with a DT saw as they are at the corner and hence accessible.
Otherwise sharp plane very finely set i.e. start with no set and wind it up until it just shaves the high points - cutting in towards the drawer, from just a slight skew inwards to the full 90º. Never out over the edge. Hold the drawer very solidly to avoid chatter - often not easy, some ingenuity demanded with vice, or G clamps on bench end. Hold the plane down very solidly so it is floating over the tops in a nice straight line.
Or yes - belt sander, why f about?
Colarris
Established Member
Ended up with the joint made and just hacked at it with a block plane. Done the job but reminded me how 'random' planes seem to behave! I've found, with my brief experience of them, that there is only ever one part of the blade that actually makes contact with the wood. With the dovetails I had the move the plane in all manner of positions to find a section of blade that started to cut.
woodbloke
Established Member
That sounds a little odd to me :-k It could be that the blade is skewed in the frog or that it's actually cambered. In my LN block the blade has been honed dead square with just the sharp corners knocked off so that it'll cut at whatever part of the blade I choose. I'd sight the blade along the sole to check that there's an even projection and adjust accordingly - RobColarris":2yroqaod said:
custard
Established Member
If the tails protrude by more tham a mill you're asking for trouble by just whacking them flush without some preparation, if the woods feeling in an easily split mood then a splinter can easily breakout and run below the surface which would leave a nasty gap.
In these circumstances I'd use my Veritas flush cut saw resting on a piece of paper to bring them within a tenth of a mill of the surface, and then clean them up with a freshly sharpened paring chisel.
In these circumstances I'd use my Veritas flush cut saw resting on a piece of paper to bring them within a tenth of a mill of the surface, and then clean them up with a freshly sharpened paring chisel.
Jacob
New Luddism. Awake and resist!
It can only nick the high points until you've brought them down to a levelColarris":p3akjl53 said:
That's OK. With a cambered blade (or just tilted) one bit will cut better than another, so you move it about, or change the tilt.
It's down to practice, and looking very closely at what is happening - so it sounds like you are getting there!
Colarris
Established Member
Thanks for all your help once again. Appreciated
Benchwayze
Established Member
Colarris":17lpxtwh said:
Planes behave most randomly when they are randomly cared for. :wink:
Seriously; Cleaning end-grain needs a sharp, finely set plane. So, disregarding the make of your planes:
Are you sharpening and using them correctly?
Is your plane fettled and flat on the sole?
To avoid the problem in future, when setting out flush dovetails, adjust the cutting gauge as close as possible, to the thicknesses of the parts of your box.
As per:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix3mphsKGJg
You'll see you don't even need a cutting gauge!
Don't go at the work like the proverbial 'bull at a gate'. Have a good stance and keep the plane flat. Using hand tools should be a pleasant experience, giving us time to reflect.
HTH
John
