Hand planing

[Jerry Thompson]

I have not face jointed a board in a good while and I seem to have forgotten a good deal.
The pieces I am attacking are 10'' 4/4 cherry. I am using a SB #5 with a Hock blade and Hock chip breaker. The plane sole is flat and the frog has been fettled et al. The blade will shave curly's from end grain.
When I put a straight edge on the board to locate the high spots and start to knock them down it seems shavings stop after a bit but I will get shavings from the areas that showed low in the straight edge. This does not seem normal to me and I do not recall having this happen in the past
Next up: If the iron is high on one side do I turn the lever to or away from the high side? I know this sounds inane but I have to stop and fiddle with it when the plane is upside down. I would like to do this on the 'fly.'
It seem the birthday count is getting to big.
Thank you.

[Bill Houghton]

If "SB" means "Stanley Bailey," move the lateral adjuster toward the low side.

[Trevor Goodwin]

It's possible, if you are using a cambered iron, that sometimes the plane will follow the previous cut and the blade doesn't engage the wood.

[Jerry Thompson]

The blade is not cambered. I think it is operator error but what I don't know.

[Patrick Chase]

I have not face jointed a board in a good while and I seem to have forgotten a good deal.
The pieces I am attacking are 10'' 4/4 cherry. I am using a SB #5 with a Hock blade and Hock chip breaker. The plane sole is flat and the frog has been fettled et al. The blade will shave curly's from end grain.
When I put a straight edge on the board to locate the high spots and start to knock them down it seems shavings stop after a bit but I will get shavings from the areas that showed low in the straight edge. This does not seem normal to me and I do not recall having this happen in the past
Next up: If the iron is high on one side do I turn the lever to or away from the high side? I know this sounds inane but I have to stop and fiddle with it when the plane is upside down. I would like to do this on the 'fly.'
It seem the birthday count is getting to big.
Thank you.

Is the board poorly supported on the other side?

Among other causes, I've seen that happen when the board flexes under the pressure of planing, such that high spots become low and vice-versa.

[Pat Barry]

I have not face jointed a board in a good while and I seem to have forgotten a good deal.
The pieces I am attacking are 10'' 4/4 cherry. I am using a SB #5 with a Hock blade and Hock chip breaker. The plane sole is flat and the frog has been fettled et al. The blade will shave curly's from end grain.
When I put a straight edge on the board to locate the high spots and start to knock them down it seems shavings stop after a bit but I will get shavings from the areas that showed low in the straight edge. This does not seem normal to me and I do not recall having this happen in the past
Next up: If the iron is high on one side do I turn the lever to or away from the high side? I know this sounds inane but I have to stop and fiddle with it when the plane is upside down. I would like to do this on the 'fly.'
It seem the birthday count is getting to big.
Thank you.

You are correct. This is not usual, it is impossible. Is the opposite face fairly flat already and well supported? 'I'm going to tell you that your straight edge isn't. Don't sweat it though, just continue to attack it until you can get continuous shavings on the surface of the face and then trust that the tool did its job. By the way, what are you making with this board? Is it just this surface you are concerned with? Note, at this point its more important to take a decent thickness shaving and not produce tearout. Are you planing with the grain?

[Jerry Thompson]

I am making two doll cradles for 2 little girls. I will try my "for sure straight edge" tomorrow. I am not planing with the grain at this point. I am hitting it at a diagonal. I am jointing one face so I can run it through the thickness planer. I will let the wood rest for a few days to see what it does before going to final dimensions.
I have been taking decent shavings and no tear out. The iron stays sharp for a good while. All it takes, usually, is to drag it across my strop and it is good to go again. The piece is well supported and wedged and does not move.
I will give it all another shot Monday or Tuesday. I think I have just lost my touch from not doing this for a long time.
Thanks.

[Pat Barry]

Sounds good Jerry. Even with the diagonal strokes keep working with the grain as much as possible. I suppose that if the blade was set to take a very deep cut it would take shavings on the low spots, but then the high spots would be very hard to plane since the cutting depth would be causing quite a lot of resistance.

[ken hatch]

Jerry,

If the board is supported, and the shavens then stop is what you are looking for. One way to flatten a board is to first plane a hollow, plane just the high area until the plane stops taking a shaven then come back and take full lengths shavens. Sounds to me it is working the way it should. Of course not being there and seeing what is happening could mean I'm full it as well��.

ken

[Jerry Thompson]

Ken;
Thank you. That makes sense. As soon as the wood has a chance to do what it is going to do after taking off enough to let more air get to it I will give that a shot.
The moister level is at 8.2 now. I want to see it a little lower before I take off any more.