Page 2 of 11 FirstFirst 123456 ... LastLast
Results 16 to 30 of 152

Thread: How to read grain direction?

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Enchanted land of beer, cheese & brats
    Posts
    1,314
    Having learned to set the chipbraker correctly (thanks David Weaver) I don't really pay much attention any more.
    I got cash in my pocket. I got desire in my heart....

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Wild Wild West USA
    Posts
    1,542
    Most of the stuff I work the grain direction changes both directions over the length of say, a five foot plank. Add to that matching the grain for the most pleasing camouflage of the glue joints often puts the grain opposite to the board next to it. I have pretty much come to rely on my bevel up planes and careful selection of edge geometry (bevel steep enough to eliminate tear out and no steeper) and edge preparation (specifically no roundy bevels or backs but flat facets) to allow me to plane against the grain with flawless results. Sharpen to at least 8000 using a jig for the bevel.

    No I am not kidding.

    The first photo is bare wood (no finish) just finish planed.
    The next two photos is with finish. The grain is not filled. Bubinga.
    Same goes for the purple heart work bench. The last three photos. There is no finish on it and never will be. The extreme color difference in the photos of the work bench is due to different light bulbs and different cameras (first photo of the bench was taken with a first generation iPhone and the last two photos with a modern Touch iPod.

    PS: the fuzz mostly comes from sanding and wetting. I never sand so I don't have to wet.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Winton Applegate; 09-04-2014 at 10:39 PM. Reason: I don't relay I rely
    Sharpening is Facetating.
    Good enough is good enough
    But
    Better is Better.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Wild Wild West USA
    Posts
    1,542

    Which came first the chip breaker or the tearout free surface ?

    Ha, ha, ha
    I love the chip breaker comments. It allows me to slip in the awful comment:

    Hmmmmmm
    my bevel up does not even HAVE a chip breaker.
    So does that make chip breakers unnecessary ?
    or
    Important but only on flexy bladed planes. Or what ?

    I know, I know
    don't answer that but it is fun to plant seeds in young minds.
    Sharpening is Facetating.
    Good enough is good enough
    But
    Better is Better.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Location
    Wild Wild West USA
    Posts
    1,542
    "suck it and see
    ha, ha, ha, aaah, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, aaah, ha, ha, ha,
    ah ha, aaaaa . . .
    I hadn't heard that one before. That was funny

    try a thin shaving in both directions


    Oh now you tell me. ( I went back and finished reading the thread.)
    Can some body tell me the best way to get these purple heart splinters out of my lips ?


    Last edited by Winton Applegate; 09-04-2014 at 10:16 PM.
    Sharpening is Facetating.
    Good enough is good enough
    But
    Better is Better.

  5. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,469
    To read grain direction, as others have mentioned, look at the side of the board. The aim is always (where possible) to plane "down hill", that is, with the grain running away from the plane. This holds whether one is planing the face or the edge.

    In the example below, the arrows indicate the direction that the grain is running, as well as the direction the plane will run when planing the edge.



    To plane the face grain, simply imagine the board edge here as being the face, and vice versa.

    The grain at the top edge is straight forward since it runs consistently in one direction. However the grain at the lower edge reverses (as shown by the two arrows). One could turn the plane around here, or use tearout-resisting methods (chip breaker or high cutting angle) and plane though it all.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek
    Last edited by Derek Cohen; 09-05-2014 at 2:00 AM.

  6. #21
    Derek, just to confuse matters: I would say at the top arrow you are planing uphill, not downhill. When the grain represents the hill, you are walking the plane upwards.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,469
    Hi Kees

    You are probably correct. I deliberated on calling it up hill and down hill. I get spatially challenged in such situations. But you all know what I meant ..

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  8. #23
    Good

    That's my primairy indication of grain direction too. Then comes the direction of the cathedrals. And finally a testshaving with the capiron close, but not superclose yet.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    362
    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    I have one of these tacked on the wall

    Attachment 296105
    Thanks... I do too, now.

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Williamsburg,Va.
    Posts
    12,402
    "Plane in the direction that gives the best results". That is the best advice in this whole thread!!!

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    USA
    Posts
    5,582
    Don't rub your cat the wrong direction! Don't spit into the wind. Downhill is easier than uphill.

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    North of Boston, MA
    Posts
    357
    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    I have one of these tacked on the wall

    Attachment 296105
    I have a similar picture pinned up. For the technically minded, the reason it works is that the growth rings of the tree are like cylinders running up the trunk and the "cathedrals" are slanted slices through the cylinders (it took me a while to visualize that :-). To use this you need a clean end-grain cut; it is easy to confuse circular sawmill marks for grain on a rough end cut in wood with indistinct figure!

    Steve

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Mandalay Shores, CA
    Posts
    2,690
    Blog Entries
    26
    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    I wish I were better at reading it with my eyes. I've made enough errors that I now 'read' it with a block plane on the non-show side first, and then plane the opposite way on the show side.

    For some reason, I tend to find boards that have switchy grain, which moots the question of grain direction and begs for a sharp blade.
    Prashun, Like you, I seem to get wood where the grain reverses. I also test with a block plane first. Still, sharp with a close cap iron is indispensable.
    Shawn

    "no trees were harmed in the creation of this message, however some electrons were temporarily inconvenienced."

    "I resent having to use my brain to do your thinking"

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Milton, GA
    Posts
    3,213
    Blog Entries
    1
    What helped me more than anything was taking a class on making windsor chairs. Try working a glued up shield seat blank with drawknife and spokeshave. With all the curves and multiple boards, the grain often changes abruptly while working a given edge. Not seeing one of those transitions can result in major tear out when using a drawknife. I started to see the areas where these transitions would likely occur, even if I could not see or feel an obvious visual or tactile change. Even with a drawknife one can make very small test cuts in those areas to feel out exactly where those abrupt changes occur.

    Green woodworking in general is a case study in working with grain. The whole process is geared towards making wood objects with grain running very straight through the entire object.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Williamsburg,Va.
    Posts
    12,402
    It is a good practice to make sure when gluing up boards to make a wide plank,that all the boards plane in the same direction. If you do not do this,of course you'll have trouble planing the whole plank. But also,there will be a different chatoyance(shine) seen between those different boards when a finish is applied.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •