I have a very weather beatened old plank,  cupped a bit.  Got a few nails in it as well.    Got most of those out, other than along one edge, and a singleton in the face.     Drove that oddball down, trying to pull it out.    It just kept breaking of.   Finally got the thing well down below the surface. 

 So, next, after clamping this plank in the old Monarch Vise, and truing up the non-nail sick edge with a jack plane, it was time to work on one face.   One thing at a time, right?

Got after the high spots by scrub plane.   First was a clean off with the little scrub plane.This is an apron board for the table to be.  The plane is a #33 Windsor from harbor freight.   I just reground the iron to a 3" radius.   Plane is used just like you see here.    I got the worse of the dirt, grit, and other weather related junk off the plank this way.     Next was a Jack Plane, also with a cambered iron.    Not just any jack, mind you, a PARPLUS #5 with a pressed steel "toad", er, Frog.This time, the plane was going along at the diagonal to the grain.   Hmm, that don't look like Pine?  Ok, after going along and getting the hump in the middle down to the level of the rest of the board, I moved on to a longer plane.   It was used earlier as a jointer, now it is a "Trying Plane" by angling across the grain until I got decent shavings all the way across.   For being over 100 years old, it still works decently.Just an old Stanley #8c.   With most of the face flattened down, and cleaned up, I thought I would try a smoother plane.   Just to see if there are any little bumps left. Shove this old Stanley #4c, type 11 around until things felt nice and smooth.  Yes, that USED to be a crack in the handle.  Now all glued back up, and working just fine. 

And, just because I canTried out the little #18 Knuckle cap near the ends.  Still don't think that plank is Pine......

Ok, next up for this plank?    Divide it into four equeal parts, and make them into four tapered legs.   Ripping will be by circular saw ( no tablesaw available in the Dungeon) and the tapers will get the hand plane trick.   I THINK I might have one or two planes for that job.....

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

OK Steve, after reading your post I figgered out why I'm not a hand tool guy.  I'm plain and simply too lazy.  That sure looks like a piece of ash to me.

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Ron Dudelston
Site Administrator

Above and Beyond WoodWorks

 It sure turned any nails in a nice ugly black colour.  Canceled a Doctor's visit this morning, due to TOO MANY Donuts being done on the roadways.   Tires aren't the greatest, safer to be home.  Might just try to rip a plank down. 

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

Thats a nice looking #8c Steve. Do you prefer the short knob over the tall knob?

I kind of like the tall but that is just because thats what I started out with.

Looks like you whipped that board into shape too.

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Good, Better, Best never let it rest
Till your Good is Better and your Better is Best.

 Short knob was the style that came with the Type 9 I have.    It's not too bad.    I have a mix of tall and low knobs in the "group" of planes. 

Wait until you see the other side of that plank.    It is very UGLY!   Going to take a lot of scrubbing on that side.

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...

 Went after the other face of the plank today,  wasn't as bad as I thought.  I even used another smooth plane on the second face,, just to try it outBoard is now surfaced three sides.  One edge, and two faces Looks a lot better than the other half of the plank.   Looks more like firewood to me.   Next up, trying a circular saw to rip some leg blanks out.    They don't have to be "pretty", as I think I have a few planes to clean them up with.     Plan right now is to taper two sides of each leg.    Until next time...

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Planer? I'm the 'planer', and these are what I use...