Reply To: Struggling with squaring small pieces of sapele
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For stock that thin you don’t need to remove the cupping. A board can be smooth but cupped. If you watch the joiners toolbox build, the stock he uses is noticeably cupped and he uses the dovetails to flatten it, so long as your joints are tight.
So scraping will definitely be a safer, albeit slower, option to smooth the edge of your stock. They are tricky to sharpen but its a straight forward process. Sanding is always the fall back, and has its place in every shop.
My advice is to keep on struggling with it. The no. 4, or any smoother, is the single most important tool in my shop and has really defined my current level of work. You are definitely right, squaring thin stock by hand is very hard. Almost impossible at first but your body will learn what it needs.
Also, I learned the hard way that a blade can be sharp but still not produce a cut. The issue comes from accidentally putting a steep micro-camber on the blade. Make sure the area near the cutting egde is flat. Flat blades make flat boards.
For edge planing, you have to rely on your left hand for registration, and use Paul’s trick of just planing half the surface at a time. Thin stock is especially hard but use a very shallow set and you will start to get the feel.
For edge grain, I would suggest learning freehand. I won’t say I’m the best but I have yet to make a shooting board because I want to really develop my muscle control. I’m sure a lot of people would say a shooting board is necessary for fine projects and economy of motion but hand skills require constant practice to develop, so take every opportunity when you’re starting out.
Also, invest in a no. 80 if you have the means. It’s a real work horse.
That’s all from me. Good luck and I’m sure you will be getting things squared away in no time.