Work Holding - Thin Panels for Smoothing?

[Jason Lester]

I was working yesterday on tuning up my band saw in preparation for some frame and panel stuff I'll be building soon. I don't have a belt or drum sander and the panels are right on the edge of what is safe to send through my planer. I decided to try leveling them with my freshly sharpened Veritas #4. It worked well, except for actually holding it solid. I tried clamping it in between a dog and my end vise. The panel was so thin (1/4") though, it was tough to get a grip on it. If I tightened it too much, it would flex up in a slight curve.

What's the proper way to hold a thin panel for planing? I thought about a batten clamped across the bench, but it would have to be thinner than the panel.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I don't know if it is the "proper" way, but your idea of using a thin piece of stock as a stop is what I do. If I need to thin a strip of something (like a batten to use for a stop), I sometimes clamp one end, and plane away from the clamp with a block plane, then flip it around and even up the end I had clamped, or you can just cut it off if your piece is long enough.

[glenn bradley]

I came up with these:

Thin Stock Dogs (1).jpg . Thin Stock Dogs (2).jpg

Thin Stock Dogs (3).jpg . Thin Stock Dogs (5).jpg

Thin Stock Dogs (4).jpg . Thin Stock Dogs (6).jpg

[John Crawford]

Thin stop + doublestick tape! (That's how they did it in the 17th century, according to my sources. )

Glenn: I love the screw-in-the-bench-dog idea; somehow I never want to put a screw right in my benchtop, and this is a nice work around.

[Chris Fournier]

Double dog rows in my bench and the tail vise allow me to work panels as you describe with no trouble. If you don't have a second row of dogs simply clamp a , 1/4" batten across your bench to trap the panel between the tail vise and the batten.

[john zulu]

If you have the time and space create a jig. I did not.... I used double sided tape and release it with alcohol.

[Reinis Kanders]

I use a scrap of 3/16 or so plywood they sell as underlayment in Home Depot. Usually I just but the scrap against something, sometimes I clamp it down. Never have had a need for a tape, but I do not do this often. Panel does not have to be that precise anyways as long as the edges fit in the groove.

[Derek Cohen]

I was working yesterday on tuning up my band saw in preparation for some frame and panel stuff I'll be building soon. I don't have a belt or drum sander and the panels are right on the edge of what is safe to send through my planer. I decided to try leveling them with my freshly sharpened Veritas #4. It worked well, except for actually holding it solid. I tried clamping it in between a dog and my end vise. The panel was so thin (1/4") though, it was tough to get a grip on it. If I tightened it too much, it would flex up in a slight curve.

What's the proper way to hold a thin panel for planing? I thought about a batten clamped across the bench, but it would have to be thinner than the panel.

If you are just smoothing it down, place the panel on something non-slip, or use clamps at the near end. Then work with scrapers.



This 1/4" thick panel was heavy enough to stay put.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jason Lester]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm getting ready to make some new dogs and may have to try the screw idea!

[Prashun Patel]

I dislike planing INTO a stop when stock is thin. I prefer to clamp one end or one side, and plane away from the clamp. There's usually a way to do it so you never have to go against the grain.

[paul cottingham]

I plane thin stock against a planing stop. Mine is about 1/4" thick screwed to a thick block I clamp in my vice. I rarely find I need to plane stock thinner than my stop. If I did, I suspect I would just make a thinner one, but I doubt you could make one thinner than 3/16", and have it be strong enough.

[Chuck Hart]

Make a couple of doe's toe's or deer toe's and clamp them to opposing corners. Use material the same or lessor thickness of the piece you are trying to smooth.

[Chuck Hart]

There called doe's feet sorry here is a link to Schwarz: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wo...-traction-foot

[Allen Jordan]

There called doe's feet sorry here is a link to Schwarz: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wo...-traction-foot

First I've heard of those, I'll have to make some.

[Phil Mueller]

Nice idea Glenn. Thanks!