Tip - edge planing long thin pieces

[AndyT]

Here's a tip that is obvious when you know it but might be useful for someone.

Recently, I needed to plane a bit off the edge of some long thin pieces of softwood which I was using to edge some shelves. They were too long to hold in the vice and would have bent if not supported. They were too narrow - about 6mm - to stand up on their own.

I find the easiest answer is an old fashioned wooden handscrew. These have the great advantage that they will lie flat and stable on the bench. If need be, you can clamp them down, but in this case it wasn't necessary. I could plane up against the bench stop in the ordinary way.

If you don't have a handscrew you could do something similar with a block of wood and a modern clamp, if it was narrow enough, but this is quick and easy.
I think it's a good reason to look out for one or more of these versatile tools, or make some for yourself.

 

[MikeG.]

I think they would have ended up clamped between two battens in the jaws of my vice. I might also have been tempted to plane a few up at the same time.

 

[bugbear]

A Stanley 702 (at the far end) would also work well for this.

But I think Mike.G's batch idea is EXCELLENT!

BugBear

 

[El Barto]

Andy where did you find your handscrews? I wouldn’t mind a couple - they look very useful.

 

[AndyT]

Hmmm...
If I held these strips between some stiffer battens it would have taken me longer to find something suitable (if I have anything) and I'd have needed to use some clamps... I found it easier to just use a clamp.
Would they have stayed clamped together if just held in the vice? Maybe. Would they have sagged down? Maybe. Thin softwood, only 6mm x 30mm. Support from the bench top just seemed simple!
I could have batched them together, but they were three different lengths, so that would not have gained much. And I thought it was useful to show that if you only have a single piece, the method works.

As for where to buy the handscrews, I think this one came in a mixed box of tools listed on eBay as a local collection lot which I got cheap. I've bought others on eBay and in Bristol Design. (Postage soon gets disproportionate on large ones.)

However, they are easy to make if you buy a thread box and die set. This one has 3/4" threads. You need two rods with handles (easy on a lathe but possible without). One bar has two threaded holes. The other has a clearance hole towards the tip and a blind hole nearer the back.

Oh and I have a Stanley 702 but the bench top is too thick to use it!

 

[Sideways]

Always fun to see someone applying ingenuity to solving a problem. Neat. Thanks !

If I had to solve the same problem, my first reaction would be that a thin workpiece will stay straighter under tension so i would be looking for a way to clamp the far end (somehow), so I could use a japanese pull cut plane on the job

 

[Ttrees]

I just use a wee square of plywood with a birds mouth cut into it for this
I wouldn't mind one or two of those clamps though

 

[MikeG.]

.......If I held these strips between some stiffer battens it would have taken me longer to find something suitable (if I have anything) and I'd have needed to use some clamps... .....

Clamps? Why? I'd stick it all in the vice. As for finding battens.........those who haven't got a decent scrap bin with plenty of off cuts to choose from are probably spending too much on tools and too little on timber.

 

[Ttrees]

.......If I held these strips between some stiffer battens it would have taken me longer to find something suitable (if I have anything) and I'd have needed to use some clamps... .....

Clamps? Why? I'd stick it all in the vice. As for finding battens.........those who haven't got a decent scrap bin with plenty of off cuts to choose from are probably spending too much on tools and too little on timber.

Stick it all in the vice? Have you got a huge version of one of those Veritas twin screws Mike?
Sounds well impressive :mrgreen:

Tom

 

[Jacob]

I'd wonder about shooting it on edge - have it sitting on another batten with a hold-down or two (screw cleats simplest) and run a long plane on edge. It'd be square then - or as square as the plane anyway.
NB you often don't need a shooting board to shoot things.

 

[MikeG.]

.......If I held these strips between some stiffer battens it would have taken me longer to find something suitable (if I have anything) and I'd have needed to use some clamps... .....

Clamps? Why? I'd stick it all in the vice. As for finding battens.........those who haven't got a decent scrap bin with plenty of off cuts to choose from are probably spending too much on tools and too little on timber.

Stick it all in the vice? Have you got a huge version of one of those Veritas twin screws Mike?
Sounds well impressive :mrgreen:

Tom

No, I've got a normal vice, but clamped between a couple of battens the length of the strips for planing (what are they, 600 long, maybe?), they'd be held absolutely rock solid. The jaws of my vice are about 300 wide, at a guess, so that leaves about 150 sticking out either side.

 

[paulrockliffe]

I'd wonder about shooting it on edge - have it sitting on another batten with a hold-down or two (screw cleats simplest) and run a long plane on edge. It'd be square then - or as square as the plane anyway.
NB you often don't need a shooting board to shoot things.

I'm making a desk at the moment, I edge joined done 4mm ash exactly this way, but without clamps. If I did similar again I would use some toggle clamps to hold the pieces down, but it worked well enough without.