Sapele, reverse grain, planing, scraping

[Sir Percy]

I posted a couple of topics recently on 'Planing Sapele' and a 'New Card Scraper', and I think the advice settled on was to finish the surface with a cabinet scraper.
Before I go ahead, this is what I'm actually working on - it's a sliding hatch cover with a (gently) curved top.
It's finishing the top that I was concerned with.
The picture was taken a while back; top boards are now cut to size and glued in place (pinning to take place after surface planing/scraping/sanding).
I beveled the boards so that they butted up against each other on the curve. What I also need to tidy up is where they meet.
So given that, what's the best way of going about it?

Thanks for replies.

Oh, and yes, I do know the boards aren't in order!

 

[custard]

Blimey, for a beginner that's an impressive piece of coopering!

Taking a scraper to an edge that you'll be jointing isn't common practise, in fact you can end up with an edge that looks a bit cleaner but actually the final glued joint isn't as strong. If they all butt tightly with no obvious gaps then you're probably good to go.

Is it for a boat by the way? If by any chance you're a Solent sailor then feel free to pop into my workshop in Lymington if you need a hand with anything.

 

[worn thumbs]

You have a challenge ahead.I would use a very sharp block plane with the smallest possible throat and take the thinnest of shavings at a 45 degree angle-first one way,then the other.A really sharp scraper would deal with any minor tears and then I would use 80 grit paper on a sanding board,not block,switching to 120 grit and then 180.It might take time and a lot of sharpening,just tell yourself that the final article will justify the work.

 

[custard]

Sorry Sir Percy, I misread your post, I now understand you've completed the glue up and want to clean it up. A scraper's perfect for that.

Good luck, and keep the photos coming!

 

[bugbear]

This question is too late, but it may help others who read the thread...

Did you check the preferred planing direction of each piece before glue up, and arrange
them so that all the planing directions are the same. Because otherwise, the glued up
item will have reverse grain even if the pieces didn't!

(this is why glued-up-of-blocks countertops are power sanded, not planed)

http://www.mitchellsworktops.co.uk/soli ... olours.php

BugBear

 

[Phil Pascoe]

On the same tack, I try to arrange plugs for counterbored screw holes with the grain running in same direction as the piece - it makes finishing easier with all the grain in the same direction.

 

[Racers]

Toothing plane and card scraper works on oak block worktop, it should also work on your Sapele.

Pete

 

[Sir Percy]

custard - it's for a narrowboat, so no immediate plans to go down the Solent. Thanks anyway!
bugbear - the wood has bands of 'reversing grain', and not parallel to the edges.
Pete - toothing plane sounds interesting, might have tried it out if I could have found an iron for my plane (Luban 102).