Originally Posted by Mark Rainey
And here is the same board with a coating of oil and paste wax. I did the best I could with what I have to simulate your lighting.
IMG_20221015_155442039_HDR.jpgIMG_20221015_155038179.jpg
Contributor
And here is the same board with a coating of oil and paste wax. I did the best I could with what I have to simulate your lighting.
IMG_20221015_155442039_HDR.jpgIMG_20221015_155038179.jpg
[OP]
Contributor
Impressive hand plane work Rafael. I like the raking light picI don't know if there's a difference between the raking light he used and a flashlight, but if he was seeing scalloping marks, then my guess is that he was taking shavings that were too thick. I'm just guessing, I don't think I run into that kind of problem as I reduce the thickness of the shavings as I get close to my final smoothing passes. I also do not worry too much about having to get full shavings, since if one puts a moderate camber then one may feel tempted to take thick shavings and create grooves
This is just a test piece of very dry oak, about 3" wide. It tears out if you retract the chipbreaker. With a sharp plane and fine shavings you can get it like this. It looks flat and feels flat, I can't see scalloping marks.
Attachment 488056
Listen, I do not presume to be an authority on this, there are probably several ways to achieve a nice flat finish. This is what I do to my flat surfaces, for better or worse.
Here are a few examples of more hand planed pieces I made in the shop. This one is a two piece laminated mahogany little board, just a test piece, before and after oil finish.
Attachment 488059Attachment 488060
A crotch walnut oilstone box lid, with an oil finish.
Attachment 488061
At the very least, with small pieces, the plane works well.
On large table tops, perhaps it is not as straightforward.
Rafael
[OP]
Contributor
Thanks for the pics Jason. That surface is baby bottom smooth.
Contributor
If I may offer two techniques for your consideration.
The first, which you may know already, is grabbing a handful of shavings and rubbing them across the surface with pressure can help burnish things out and smooth the surface of the wood. The wood is slightly abrasive and acts almost like, dare I say, sandpaper.
The second, and I have no experience with this, is a pollisoir from Don's barn. Don Williams made a tool from Roubo's book that is used to prep the surface of the wood for finish. Again, I haven't tested one, but Don has a convincing video and writings on it use. It apparently acts as a burnisher and a grain filler.
The tool and writings can be found here:
http://donsbarn.com/pollisoirs/
And the video of it in use can be found here:
https://youtu.be/AtUN8obqB-A
I wish you all the best in your pursuit of the perfect finish.
Jason
Member
About 40 years ago, Robert Mussey correctly identified Roubo's polissoir as being made of rush, not broom corn. It is designed for spreading wax not for burnishing. In the same section, Roubo identifies several other tools which he calls brunisoirs for burnishing. A rush polissoir is much too soft for burnishing.
Contributor
Thanks for the kind words, Mark, though I'm sure there are others who could leave even less evidence of hand plane use than I. I am less than a decade into hand tool use and definitely still improving, including in my hand plane skills.
Contributor
I am not disagreeing with anyone. I didn't even read a lot of the answers. But if applying pigmented stain, controlling the color can be difficult without sanding, because there is no place for the pigments to adhere. Oak is usually stained never sand to over 150 grit. Some wood like Cherry and Walnut just beg for just finish over bare wood so it is a different horse, however using a cabinate scraper tends to burnish the wood so a light pass with a high grit sandpaper isn't all that bat of idea.
My disclaimer is it is your work and you are the one responsible for its outcome. Choices
Tom
Contributor
I wanted to add this as well but wasn’t sure if it was what the OP was asking for. I’ve really gotten into the habit of using osmo polyx. I like the variety of colors and it is just fool proof. Not always the prettiest option but it is consistent. It doesn’t work well on a plane finished surface in my experience. It can cause a lot of blotchiness. I do most smoothing by plane(kanna) and scraper because I enjoy that type of work, but I always follow up with 180-220 to help penetration of the finish as much as to erase any imperfections. It can be quite overwhelming to try and convince a client that that plane track just adds character, regardless of our personal beliefs.
Last edited by chuck van dyck; 10-16-2022 at 2:03 PM.
Contributor
These folks put on a clinic for smoothing to final finish. Seems like a simple process. LN 4 1/2, razor sharp iron, and shavings so thin they only have one side.
https://www.youtube.com/c/Doucetteandwolfefurniture
Sharp solves all manner of problems.
Contributor
LOL! My feeling is the sharper the blade and thinner the shaving, with a properly set cap iron, provides the least possibility of tear out.shavings so thin they only have one side.
That video is mesmerizing. It is a beautiful piece being made and the presentation is wonderful. I kept trying to stop watching it and finally at 15 minutes it was either watch the rest (12 more minutes) or close the window. The rest will be watched after breakfast & coffee.
Thanks for posting the link Rob.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Guest
Nothing stops a debate about Lie-Nielsen hand planes dead in its tracks like posting a Doucette and Wolfe video. Scott Wolfe doesn't seem to have any trouble at all getting them to work.
Contributor
What was the plane he was using in the video for end grain leveling of dovetails? Had a knob for a rear tote if I remember.
Member
I don't know about Scott Wolfe, but I have seen Matthew Wolfe plane a number of times on promotional videos. It seems he takes a layer off with the hand plane in between planing by machine and sanding. That is not what we have been talking about in this thread.
There is nothing wrong with Lie Nielsen Planes that an upgrade iron, a good cap iron and an experienced worker cannot fix.
Contributor
Lie-Nielsen No. 9 Iron Miter Plane: frequently available on eBay, for a price.
Contributor
What is there to discuss about a highly curated video showing taking a few shavings?
The final products are very nice looking pieces and that's a credit to these woodworkers, they know how to make fine furniture.
To draw a causal connection between these pieces and using LN planes is just perpetuating a myth, in my opinion.
We've shown already that a good surface can be achieved with a decent vintage plane. Boutique planes can do the same, if you want to use them, then go for it.
This gets rehashed over and over all the time. Boutique planes are good planes, but very expensive. Vintage planes are as good and are much more affordable.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote