Planing edge of table top
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I am making a table top consisting of 4 x 2m x 200mm x 35mm planks of maple. Assuming I squared all 6 faces and edge jointed them, what is the best way to plane the ends? Clearly one cannot put a 2m long table on its end to reach the other end. Planing at 90 degrees when the top is flat will be very awkward. It also seems impossible to join them having the edges perfectly aligned.
How do you do this?
I would do it by putting some blocks on the floor, in front of my bench to keep it off the floor and give some run off for the plane, stand it long edge on to the blocks, and clamp it to a leg or apron to keep it vertical. Mark the line you want to square to, take your time, keep your plane sharp.
Colin, Czech Rep.
You could put a straight edge across the table and use a router with a trimming bit or use a round-over bit if you want radiused edges. You could also ‘bread-board’ the ends of the table so you don’t see any end grain (although you will see some end grain on the ends of ‘bread-board’ timber). Then there is the option of running a decorative trim round the whole table with mitred corners……probably the least favourite option – but it’s your table…
have a look at the video “how to make a workbench episode 1″ from about 26’30”
I would do it by putting some blocks on the floor, in front of my bench to keep it off the floor and give some run off for the plane, stand it long edge on to the blocks, and clamp it to a leg or apron to keep it vertical. Mark the line you want to square to, take your time, keep your plane sharp.
Umm unless I am misreading you, I am not 3m tall. The top is taller than I am.
have a look at the video “how to make a workbench episode 1″ from about 26’30”
Yeah I did watch that a while ago, and is probably what I will do but my table is going to be 800mm wide so it will be a bit hard to put it sideways like that…
You can clamp a board under the top that sticks out a couple inches which would allow you to use a plane on its Side like a shooting board.
Alternatively, clamp a board to the Side of the plane to use as a fence to hold it at the correct angle. Either method will reduce the awkwardness.Stanley did made a fence that clamped to the side of planes ( Google Stanley 386) but they are pretty dear in the collector market and not really needed for 90°. Copies tend to be cheaper.
In both cases wou will need to add a spacer so the iron cuts the whole width if you dont have a large rebate plane.
Sharpen up with any hand plane version of this. Wetting end grain with alcohol or mineral spirits helps.
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