There was an episode a few years ago on The Woodwright's Shop that had Chris Schwarz on it.   Describing how to focus on the Jack planes instead of the Smoothing plane.     I happen to come across a pine plank that looked about the same size as the one CS was beating up on, so....First off, there was a large knot on one end that HAD to go.   hand sawn off.    I then planed the edge grain smooth and square.   It was clamped up that way, so why not do the edges?     Flipped the plank so I could work on the face grain.     First was some Jack plane action.   I went across the grain at about a 45 degree angle, all the way in one direction,  then back the other way, with a 45  the other way.   Then out came the "Try Plane".  On the show, it is a big,old wood bodied son-of-a....gun.   In MY shop, it is a DE6c.    Still 18" long, though.   Went along, across the grain ( like the jacks did) until a decent shaving started to show upThis gets rid of those high and low spots left by the jack planes.  Once the shavings started to be all the way across, time for a few swipes with the grainI'd say the board is about FLAT?     Time to get out the Smoothing planes?    Roy would be going off about the Gosemmer Shavings...Well... the Millers falls #9 made curlies.    Try again?The one that Millers Falls made for Dunlap #4D BB made it's own style of shavings.   So, how about the "Fan Favourite"?   The Wood River #4 V3?It even liked going over that knot,  Made a bunch of "Gosemmer Shavings for St. Roy.    Board is now flat, square, and glass smoothTook longer to take all these photos than to plane the board.  Did both faces, and a  edge.    the other edge has that big old knot in it.    I might have been down in the shop for maybe half an hour??

Why all of this work on a scrap of Pine? Well, you see, I have a project underway.      I will need to make four legs out of this little piece of WalnutShould be enough, if I split it down the middle, and then  cut the two pieces exactly in half.     Then the planes will take over.     Might even taper the legs....

Also have three planks of Barn Siding .     Looks like Fir.      Longest one is at least 8' long.     One side is a double dutch siding look alike, the inside is flat.  T&G edges, too.  Should clean up nicely.   A few nails are still in there, though.   I guess I'll start looking for something to make out of these..Like I said, every bit of 8' long.....

I saw that same episode Steve, very interesting, in a nutshell Chris was stating the beloved No. 4 is really kind of a so so plane and not really needed, as the 5 jack can do anything the 4 can, and the 3 does what it's supposed to do in smaller areas. I was kind of sold on his philosophy, although, I'll never give up my 4's!!! They just fit the ol hand so nicely!

 I even have a #5 Jack with that cambered edge they didLooks more like a shark?      Takes a nice big bite, too.    It works really fast on rough sawn surfaces.    The other jack has a straight edge on it's iron, more of a big smoother.   

I'm drooling over your walnut and old barn siding.  

SQ