Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Using a flat plane on a turned piece?

  1. #1

    Using a flat plane on a turned piece?

    In the following Ishtani video a piece that was turned on a lathe seems to be finished with a flat plane. I don't understand why this is necessary. Doesn't it leave the finish with flat spots? The part that shows the sequence begins around 7:25 minutes into the video.


  2. #2
    I always finish my turned table legs with a plane. The vertical flats are negligible compared to the benefit of removing the horizontal ridges. If your tapers are straight then it trues them up perfectly.

    I have even used a block plane while the piece is on the lathe. Know your speed, wood, and plane though....

  3. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    I always finish my turned table legs with a plane. The vertical flats are negligible compared to the benefit of removing the horizontal ridges. If your tapers are straight then it trues them up perfectly.

    I have even used a block plane while the piece is on the lathe. Know your speed, wood, and plane though....
    I thought that might be the answer but couldn't the same thing be accomplished with the proper use of a skew chisel?

  4. #4
    this makes it easy to make the leg straight, not just smooth.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    San Diego, Ca
    Posts
    1,647
    I suspect that if a person glued a, say, 6" -10" long piece of sandpaper to a flat board, etc. that it could do about the same and wouldn't leave any flat areas. In fact, maybe use one of those sanding guides for automobiles that are about 10" long.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Schenectady, NY
    Posts
    1,500
    It's also possible that the plane and cutter are concave. I tried to go through fame by frame and think I found 1 or 2 that seem to show this. It would certainly put a nice smooth finish on the leg.
    Happy and Safe Turning, Don


    Woodturners make the world go ROUND!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Colby, Washington. Just across the Puget Sound from Seattle, near Blake Island.
    Posts
    931
    This conversation triggers a thought I have carried over from my cabinet-making:

    The last step before applying a finish is ALWAYS sanding WITH THE GRAIN with a very fine grit, yet we turners often sand strictly with the machine on, creating an across-the-grain orientation. With the lathe off, I hand sand with 400, following the grain. That makes a huge difference.

    The cutting action of an extremely sharp plane grainwise will give the piece an appealing hand-hewn look. Of course, this may be nearly impossible with many bowls, and it probably is limited to vessels with endgrain orientation. I haven't done it, but now that you've mentioned it, I will.

Posting Permissions

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