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After 12 years building guitars, and dozens of attempts, I finally managed to joint a few panels with a plane. Can't tell you how many times I turned a jumbo top into a parlour top into a Popsicle brace...

Fortunately, I always has access to a tried up jointer, so I just did it at lunch at work. I then bought a big ass jointer for my own shop that just isn't doing it right either.

So I tuned up a #7 plane today, got all scary sharp on it, dragged out the shooting board, and lo! Finally! Easy peesy!

Pleased as punch I am!


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Can I say "I told you so"? Na.. that would be acting smug.

I have tried with other planes like my #5 but until I bought my #7 I was never very successful. I could get really close but never a perfect joint. For some reason the #7 has the right length and weight to plane a really straight edge. I have found part of the trick is also not thinking to much. I hold mine in the middle and don't worry about putting pressure on the front/back through the stroke. I just stop thinking and push it through smoothly... Seems to work for me almost every time.

Good to hear you had success.

Cheers,
Bob

Nope, you can say you told me so, cause you did.

Your post reminded me that I had a #7 that I got a few years ago for 10$ at a garage sale. Spent a few hours trueing the sole using my granite bed steel city jointer that I bought for jointing tops (hey, wait a sec...) and it was good to go. I only had 240 grit, it could probably get a smoother feel if I took it to 600 or so.

Anyway, you're right about just being able to make a straight shot. I still had a tendency to clip the first and last 1/2", but it's outside the pattern, so meh.

Might have some space where a seven foot long jointer once stood...

dang, you guys are making me feel guilty. I used a plane on my first one but quickly switched to my jointer for which I just ordered new blades. Now I may have to go into the garage and find that shooting board and plane and give it another go.

Can really empathize with you meddling. My first shooting board experience was humbling to say the least. Took forever to get a true joint but I did it and was very pleased with myself. I've got a new edition #5 Stanley Sweetheart and if it's sharp enough and I'm taking really small bites it goes fairly quickly and I can get a great joint now. Took some practice but now it's routine.

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Thank You and Best To All

Good job!

Once you've done it a few times you'll find it becomes a lot easier. I use a #7 Stanley (fairly cheap plain) with an upgraded blade. As long as i have the blade sharp it usually just takes a couple passes to true up the joint.

Josh

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Josh House

Canadian Luthier Supply
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House Guitars - Custom Built Acoustic Instruments.
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meddling, what's your name?

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Thank You and Best To All

Well all this talk about shooting with a no. 7 jointer motivated me to dust off a jointer I bought a few years ago and give her another chance.
I bought this new, origins unknown now, no markings except for "No. 7".
I'm sure it was cheap, thinking it is either Indian or Chinese.
Checked for flatness and guess what, it's concave right at the mouth.
So, I will try to get a machine shop to flatten it (if it's not to much money)or I'm putting in a garage sale.
In conclusion, no more piece of junk cheap planes for me.


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I prefer a shorter plane, but if it works... Congrats!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Congrats!!

After 15 years of using a jointer followed by a sanding beam on a shooting board I am going to have to take the plunge. Of course they have looked good and no failures but I've always felt a little lack of testosterone amongst the plane crowd.

I've never had a really good bench plane. I was looking at a #6 Veritas from Lee Valley Sound OK?

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Here's a great video from a familiar name. It's how I built mine.

Terrence a #6 sounds perfect to me although I use a #5 and have no problems at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npd0wnpjKa8

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Thank You and Best To All

Great!!! I have exactly the same story. Glad you got things set up.

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EddieLee

What's funny to me is that I never really knew there was another way other than the plane and shooting board. I guess a little ignorance goes a long way.

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Thank You and Best To All

Grats Ed, I wish i could say i have done so as well! I am still struggling

Would you say a Stanley No7 be adequate ? Thinking about ordering a new one around 130 Eu.

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久保
美智え

Martin,

The only reason I cracked out a plane for the umpteenth time was because my brand new very expensive jointer won't cut a straight line. Something is out of whack, the cut line goes 'closed gap closed gap closed gap'. So I don't think it is the knive too high, or too low, but something rhythmic and cyclical, perhaps an unbalanced motor, or the knife drum not true or something...

Larry,

My name Ed Bond

I build under two brands, Tinker, and Halcyon. Check out the Halcyon Guitars FB page if you're curious. I also built my shooting board off that design, though I question if the sloped board is helping or hindering. It seems that you need to set the blade depth exactly right across the length of the mouth as the cut travels across the sole. Just a flat one would probably be a touch easier. I plan to redo it one day with the platform up near the top of the blade, then just adding shims as the blade wears to lift it higher. Or, if I'm lucky, I can't get my jointer tuned and go back to forgetting all about it...

Terrence,

I'm not sure whether or not that would fill all your needs, but all the veritable planes I've seen are pretty nice...

Glad I saw this. I did not consider adding the wedges, but it makes sense.

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Rusty, before you pay to have your plane tuned, look it over carefully. Some of the cheaper ones have bendable parts. Once you get them right, they won't stay. For those, no amount of work is worth it.

For a modern, relatively inexpensive, good plane, look at the Woodriver at Woodcraft. I have one of their #4 planes that I have been using for jointing for quite a while. It's actually a pleasure to work with. I look forward to my jointing sessions. For jointing harder woods, I have an old Stanley #4 that I honed a back bevel onto the cutter. It also is a pleasure to use. Getting a good tool set up right is really worth it.

Say what?
At my age, don't much care. Have always done the same as you, Terry. Never too late to teach a creaky old misanthrope a new, old trick, especially when it doesn't involve turning on a switch and using 'lectricity.
Just found an old #7...

You're gonna be walkin' tall now Haans.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Not that tall, I'm a full 2" shorter than when I was 20. Must be the slump.
Like your postscript...reminds me of Firesign. "Everything you know is wrong!"

You can find old Bailey #7 planes in good shape on ebay for good prices. You just have to be persistent to find the good price. I picked mine up for under $60 including shipping from Iowa to Windsor, and it was in excellent shape.

Bob