If you liked this video I bet you will like this video where I show you how to thickness a board by hand: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pmeTxJJ8eLannNo.html

That "dirty bench" trick is just gold !!!!!! Thanks rob ... I always learn something from your videos

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting

I'm more impressed with your dust extraction Rob, I don't think I saw a single chip exit that thicknesser.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Yup its a good system. Go watch my 2021 shop tour we shot a few weeks ago and I give a complete detail on it

@ryananthony4840

Жыл бұрын

Lol

Thanks so much for this clear explanation of how a planer actually works. I'm new to woodworking and have seen so many people just say "Send it through the planer!" not realizing that it wouldn't actually flatten a board without a flat side for reference.

So glad I watched this video! I was already familiar with this process, but that trick with burnishing on the "dirty bench" at 11:50 is fantastic!! Will definitely improve my efficiency hand-jointing a board!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

It works great

Another extremely informative video, here clearly outlining different methods to dimension rough timber using a thickness planer alone. Your initial description on how the thickness planer operates and the implications if cupped or twisted boards were fed through it was most useful. Your 2nd sledge approach was a great and simple alternative to the scrub plane method. That said, the tips for removing high spots with the scrub plane and a dirty bench were important points to note and use where appropriate. Your concluding remarks indicating that a thickness planer can do the same job as a jointer and allows wider stock to be milled was an important point for small workshops or individuals with a limited budget. Team Cosman never ceases to inform and educate us in ALL things wood - MOST GRATEFUL for all your contributions in this regard!!!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Wow thanks. So glad our vids are helpful. Thanks so much for the comment

I was panelling a room with 5 x3/4 clear red spruce boards. The shiplap boards ran horizontally, nailed to the studs. Many we're cupped and it bothered me. I tried running a board with the cup up through my table was, cutting a kerf 3/4 way through the middle of the back side. It worked like a dream. The nails we're able to flatten the boards enough that the cup remaining was not visible. I think that kerf also helped take up some of the expansion and contraction that than occurs with the seasons because the gap between boards changes much less than I expected. Red spruce, also know as Adirondack spruce, is a beautiful wood that is often used to make premium guitar tops.

Thank you Rob. Excellent lesson.

As always, a useful video!

totally enjoyable and skilled instruction!

As fast and simple as method 2 was, I can hardly imagine opting for method 1.

Excellent video. I've done method #1 multiple times even with a 12 inch jointer. With severe twist it is actually quite difficult to joint a board flat without it rocking to and fro and you risk losing a lot of material. The targeted approach Rob showed saves material and gets you close enough to flat. A scrub plane is nice and you can get some cheap old ones. You can get by with a jack plane and a highly cambered blade. A patient gifted me an old #3 with a badly pitted sole. I had another patient of mine who has a machine shop flatten the sole for me. In doing so it nicely widened the mouth. I purchased a nice thick Hock blade, put a heavy camber on it, and I had my own version of a scrub plan and in the process brought an old antique back to life.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Doc you did great. Nice to have a friend / patient with a machine shop

Good stuff!😊

Awesome video. I love videos that show the versatility of tools and how to use tools for other purposes other than their primary use. Edge Jointing a board would be a great one next. Thanks again Rob and the team!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting

Thanks for sharing those tips and the make!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting

Thanks as always, Rob, for a clearly articulated explanation and set of options to deal with the challenge of working wood with limited machinery. Great video

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

You bet. I hope it was useful to you

Great explanation of those techniques~! I'm crossing off "clean the workbench" from my shop maintenance list. Excellent burnishing trick~!

Enjoyed how you teach .thumbs up to you 👍..

Great explanation. Thanks for sharing!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching

A useful video, thanks Rob. I had it down low so as not to disturb my wife. I thought that you'd be amused to know that when your planer chatters lightly on the in and outfeed, KZread's captioning interprets that sound as applause. Or maybe it's giving me instructions, like being in a TV audience. :)

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

I didnt know that… funny

I'm building a desk with black walnut boards that are 8" wide and all I have is my Dewalt planner but no jointer. That MDF trick is going to be a perfect solution. I love the video and thanks for the help.

Thank you for sharing!!🙌💜

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for wAt hing and commenting

Perfect timing I have some warped maple and will try this technique to flatten.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

good deal. please let me know how it comes out

One hand scrub planing LIKE A BOSS!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Plus one eye closed!! !!!!!!

I have always skip planed it slightly, got my spots to plane then followed Method #1 from there. It saves a good bit on the hand planing, and make the high areas a little easier to identify.

Nice 5RGC patch! Cheers from Valcartier!

Thanks. This is something I encounter frequently.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Now you can deal with it

This video has helped me decide between getting a jointer and/or thickness planer - I'll be getting a thickness planer and trying the methods Rob demonstrated for the initial board preparation. I hadn't seen the 'rub the board on dirty bench' tip before and think this should make a difference to my efforts flattening the first side of boards by hand, which until now have been taking a lot of time. Thanks to Rob and the team for another great video.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

I agree with your decision. When you do get a jointer do not get anything less than 8” wide

@thomasarussellsr

3 жыл бұрын

As my limited space and lack of 220v power left me with the choice of one or the other and no good options for a combo machine, I went with the thickness planer too. It has been a helpful tool as I often select the direction of cutting-board assembly by look rather than by grain direction, hand planing the assembled boards is quite difficult. The power thickness-planer is really helpful prior to ROS use and finishing.

@CrimeVid

3 жыл бұрын

You can buy a thicknesser that will work pretty well for not too much money, that is not the case with jointers, a good one costs a lot of money

@thomasarussellsr

3 жыл бұрын

@@CrimeVid yeah, my Wen 12.5 inch thickness planer was a good price at Home Depot online. And it works great. The chip extraction isn't the best on the market, but I'm sure that likely depends on the dust extraction setup you have, mine isn't that good to begin with, so I have to take that into consideration. It may be better than my personal experience as compared to what I've seen in other shops on videos with other planers and better extraction systems.

thanks for sharing your video

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and commenting

thanks

I really like the scrub plane method. Now I need to find a scrub plane. Great video thanks!!!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Good point. I always seem to find them on the used market. Folks don’t like using scrub planes.

@kentboys5017

3 жыл бұрын

What kind of scrub plane did you use in the video

@ilikewaffles3689

3 жыл бұрын

@@kentboys5017 you could just use a harbor freight plane and put a heavy camber on the blade. Doesn't really matter for scrubbing.

@krenwregget7667

3 жыл бұрын

I turned an old, beat up #4 into a scrub plane following instructions on a Paul Sellers video. It works great.

I use your second. Method and it works well. I buy the shim packs at the big box store instead of cutting them.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Great tip thanks for sharing

What a great video. I had no idea the planer just gives you a parallel surface. I always thought it makes everything perfectly flat. Great info, Rob.

@deborahrouchon7740

3 жыл бұрын

Lots of people think that. I still think my husband does not believe me when I try to explain what's really happening with a planer. You're in good company!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

No no thats where you can really go wrong. You MUST have one flat surface before putting the board in a planer

@Brian-Burke

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking Thanks again, Rob.

@Brian-Burke

3 жыл бұрын

@@deborahrouchon7740 Thank you.

Yep every time i have a board wider then my jointer … i take out my jig 😉 Thx for sharing i’m sure you’re going to help a lot of peaple 😜🇨🇦

@thomasarussellsr

3 жыл бұрын

Thicknesser sled with an inset stop/lip at the rear helps push the board through as well. If you come across a business/school remodel that is doing the bathrooms/kitchen and is tearing out stalls/counters made from the high density poly plastic, like the cutting boards, that makes excellent sleds too.

Beautifully explained. I use both methods. I have 3', 5', and 8' sleds (double 3/4" mdf) for this purpose. The 8' gets a bit heavy but it works great. First I knock off the high areas with a scrub plane if the twist is really bad, then I attach it to a sled using wedges and hot glue. It works great and it's fast.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Great tips, thanks for sharing

@hardnox6655

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking My pleasure Rob. Please note, that I also added a full-width replaceable cleat that projects 3/8" above the sled to prevent the cutters from pushing the timber off the sled. I wax the sleds for easy hot glue removal. This method is so much easier than using a jointer.

Ok, I was thinking those would be the two methods shown. What I hadn’t seen before though was the dirty workbench top trick. Now THAT is a slick trick. I wonder if that could be duplicated with some graphite or something else if your bench top isn’t dirty enough.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

If you dont have a dirty benchtop the wood will still burnish itself and you can easily see the burnish spot in by holding the board to the light

@thomasarussellsr

3 жыл бұрын

Carbon paper, if you have any, old hand written (in pencil) shopping list or homework, or newspaper... rub it on the bench, or tape it on the bench for a rub spot?

@Borescoped

3 жыл бұрын

@@thomasarussellsr maybe a newspaper 🤷‍♂️ I’ll give Rib’s method of just checking for burnish a try though

If you don't have any mdf, do the widest board first with the hand plane method, then do the others with the wedges and hotglue. Best of both methods. Thanks, Rob.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Good tip

Hi Rob what sort of hearing protection you used when operating that noisy Planer? I use Over The Ear type

Nice vid. I have a jointer but I still do the majority of flattening the first face with my hand plane because I find the jointer does more “smoothing” than “jointing”

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Yup

A wooden double iron jack plane is generally the best plane for this kind of work (something around 15-17" long). It's as fast or faster than a scrub (and far less friction), more accurate and doesn't need anything following it if a thickness planer is going to be used.

I'll take option 2. Nice to see some power tool instruction.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it. What other power tool stuff do you recommend we do?

@CabinetFramingUK

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking routers! Tips and tricks

@dougprentice1363

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking I just watched the hollow chisel mortiser video. Very interesting. I bought the delta kit for drill press, but I never used it. It needs to be a dedicated set up. I'd love to hear your option on the kit. Would it make sense to but a dedicated small drill press for the kit? Or stick with a jig with plunge router.

Haven’t used my jointer since watching Rob’s videos and investing in some good hand planes. I am not doing this for a living, but flattening and jointing one edge with a hand plane is so much more enjoyable than fighting square and flat on my cheap jointer. Made a 36” shooting board for long boards. Works awesome. Method 2 works well with edge grain cutting boards.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds like you are doing great handwork. Keep it up

@gregoryselin9680

3 жыл бұрын

@robcosman.com just curious what abouts a general 8" is worth

@starseeddeluxe

9 ай бұрын

Ah, one of the dreaded 6" Craftsman jointers. I have one too, and I have yet to get it to actually work. I'm going to adjust the blades down to get rid of the snipe. There are 4 adjustment eccentrics under each of the 4 corners of the infeed table on the Craftsman, and so you have to magically find a way to crawl under the planer and adjust those 4 screws to get the infeed table level with the outfeed table. Also you have to adjust the blades to the exact height, because the outfeed table is fixed. The problem is, the cast iron machining of the tables is not flat on the Craftsman 6" jointers, so your straight edge will show gaps no matter how much you adjust the infeed table.

Can you also just use a flat sled and shims underneath the board, on the sled, to make it so it doesn't rock and then send it through the thickness planer?

I also use the sled/planer method when dealing with boards too short to run thru the planer.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

That is also a great use of a sled

Thumbs up for the dirty bench trick!

Gee, looks like a lot of work. I feel very fortunate that I was able to pick up a 12" jointer years ago. I've been doing more and more joinery with non-powered tools lately, but for basic milling in order to get all 6 sides flat and parallel, I much prefer getting it over with quickly with power tools.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

You are one of the lucky ones having a 12"jointer. Gives you lots of options

@thomasarussellsr

3 жыл бұрын

How long to turn a 6 foot log into a usable square post? (If you've tried it?)

@barryomahony4983

3 жыл бұрын

@@thomasarussellsr Haven't tried it. The first trick would be to get one face roughly flat enough so that it could then be safely flattened on the jointer. Maybe with a bandsaw with the log fastened to something to keep it it line(?)

1. If you use the "wedge n sled" system is there a risk of the board springing in areas where there are hollows on the underside with the pressure of the rollers with thinner (1/2" - 3/8") board. 2. Is that also the case where a scrub plane is used. Always impressed with the quality of the education you provide and the altruistism of trying to save the viewer a $.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Thats what the wedges are for, prevent any springing. But if there is band twist or hollow yes take it down a bit with a scrub so its not hollow. The wedges really are just supporting around the edges so any bad hallow in the middle is a good idea to remove with yhe scrub

Ah,ah ah the whack of a flat board against the bench!! Also, you might explain why you flip the board in for end as you re planed the other side. Thanks for the video

Rob, that's an expensive pry bar😂. Great video. I've used the sled option several times in my own shop. At the furniture factory where I work, we have a really old (but good) 16" jointer and a 25" helical head planer. Do you know if anyone makes a helical head that we can put on the old jointer?

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Check out Byrd. They make one for every thing

Question - After milling/planning your stock for a project how long do you have until those pieces start to warp, cup or twist ? How should you store them if your not using them right away ?

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

That is super variable. They can move on you immediately as you release tension in the board. You should let your wood acclimatize to your shop for about 2 weeks before milling and then after milling let them sit at least a couple of days to see if they move. Before using torrified wood for our winding sticks I use to let them sit for 3-6 months after milling to see if they would move

@Robertojax

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking so for a medium/large projects you don’t put everything together for a couple days after milling or doesn’t it depend on the joinery ?

Thank goodness Rob, I was having no luck flattening that board by running my F-350 over it in my driveway!!! This looks a lot better! Lol thank you sir great stuff as always!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Ever since Ford went to aluminum bodies that method dosent work

@danielgeng2306

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking lol, this has to be a Luther comment ! Great come back !!!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Was it the spelling??

@danielgeng2306

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking nah my spelling is so bad spell check called me an idiot one time ! It was the fact he knew Ford was using aluminum bodies, but I think that was on the 1/2 tons but then I thought it could be Super Dave, lol either way your wit it wicked shaaarp as T Mac would say !

Does the glue come off the sled easily?

I don't use the sled and wedges. I just glue or brad nail 2 x flat strips onto either side while the board rests on a perfectly flat surface. If there is any cup, that must be down against the bench (supporting the centreline of the board). I make multiple light passes, and bring it down slowly.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Send me a pic please

Buying thickness planer before jointer is the way to go. I bought mine before table saw. A circular saw with a straight edge can get your straight cuts, and parallel and square cuts if you take the time to set it up. Jointer is convenient and efficient if you have a lot of stock to mill. I agree with the conclusion. When I need to get a lot of wide boards done, I use sled method. If I only have a few pieces to finish, I reach for hand planes. After all, there should be reasons for buying planes.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

I agree with you. If you have a Jointer plane you can do everything a Jointer does and fairly easily unless you are lucky enough to have a wide jointer 12" wide or better

@What_Other_Hobbies

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking when I bought my hollow chisel mortiser, they were also selling a big jointer, I wanna say 10” wide, for just a few hundred dollars. I didn’t have the room or the means to transport it, I still don’t. Big regret. I might build one with a 13” wide thickness planer head, but that’s on the bottom of the todo list since I have a 6” jointer and it can do most what I want to.

That’s not a glue gun, that looks more like a glue bazooka! I love it

Does wood river make a scrub plane?

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

No they do not

Hi Rob...Does the hot glue residue cause any issue with "nicking' the blade edges?

@BobAbbott

3 жыл бұрын

Dried hot glue is a lot softer than almost all woods

@Mr_Rick

3 жыл бұрын

@@BobAbbott good point. Thx.

Wouldn't sighting down a couple of winding sticks have helped to see where it was twisted?

@daw162

2 жыл бұрын

It's unnecessary work to get sticks out and play with them and then squat down to look at them, etc. It doesn't sound like a big deal, and it isn't if you're just facing one board, but if you're going to do a whole bunch, you'll tire of winding sticks pretty quickly.

Is there a decent tickness planer on the market? In Germany it is hard to find some old ones with a solid casting.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Yes there are, but I always prefer the older heavy casting. Depends on how much you can afford and what space you have avaliable. Dewalt 735 is a great small planner, Rikon, jet, powermatic make good bigger new ones. Still there is nothing like one built in the 1960’s or earlier

@TheMenap

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking thank you

I did not hear you mention grain direction, which I find is kinda tricky when using power planer. Do you have a secret for not worrying about it (?) Or you just do it automatically?

@artswri

3 жыл бұрын

Forgot to say... Really enjoyed the video, as always! Best explanation of the power planer operation I've heard.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Great point and I should have talked about it. I use a combination of feeling the board (you can usually "feel" the right grain direction) and reading the grain direction on the edge of the board. You just have to remember the cutter is on the top and spinning toward the board

@artswri

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking Thanks, and I do both the feeling and reading of the grain, but still get surprised more than I'd like

Just another question, do you have to get a certain thickness to the plywood or mdf. Cause my logic is if it flexes then wouldn't the machine technique be redundant, it has to be at the least 1 inch thick?

@sudsy18

3 жыл бұрын

Not necessarily, it’s function is to work as the “sled” and your warped material that rides on top should be wedged so it has no movement and essentially moves thru the planer as a single unit. I would still recommend MDF 3/4” minimum. Melamine for your top sled surface is nice as hot glue etc isn’t going to damage it when you remove your wood

@konmingyew7282

3 жыл бұрын

@@sudsy18 thks

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Sudsy 18 is correct. However it never hurts to have a stout board for the base. I use 3/4 or 1 inch MDF whichever i have laying around the shop

Wouldn't the #7 work well for something like this? Am I not understanding?

@jewishmafia9801

3 жыл бұрын

Scrub plane is meant for quick material removal and leaves a rough surface. Sure you could use other planes but this is the main purpose of the scrub plane(to quickly remove material for flattening)

@daw162

2 жыл бұрын

A wooden jack plane is more ideal for this. A jointer is for truing up a face that's near finish, but you don't need to have the face finished to get it in a planer, you just need it to be flat. You can use the planer to remove the marks from the jack. Scrub planes, on the other hand, are a good way to take chunks out of a board that take much more work or much more thickness removal to eliminate. They're a bad choice, but nobody makes a good double iron wooden jack plane now. In a cycle of true hand use, the jack plane does the vast majority of the work, and the jointing and smoothing are quick. Sort of a lost art, I guess.

A bit of isopropyl alcohol helps to unglue the hot glue

Adding a 1/2 inch tall cleat to one end of the sled eliminates the need for the hot glue.

Why has the planer/thicknesser not become popular in the USA as it has in the U.K. and Europe , it is cost effective and saves on workshop space. Ideal for the home workshop and even popular in commercial ones where 16 and 20 inch machines can be found.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Great question. Good combo machines like available in Europe are not available for purchase in North America. At least not yet. I dont know why. The few combo planer/ jointers available are small and very poor. I don’t know whats going on or why

Hmm clicked as soon as the notification popped up, but shows a comment from a day ago? Interesting!

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

How is that possible?

@Borescoped

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking well, as wise man once told me about Occam’s Razor - “All things being equal, the simplest solution is often the best one”. So two easy things. Video released yesterday accidentally and the fellow commented before it was withdrawn, video was private and they commented... but quite possibly the easiest solution is KZread messed up. 🤷‍♂️ Anyways, no matter how that happened, thank you for what you are doing Rob, and I hope things are going well up there for you and yours! And a Belated Happy Father’s Day!

@beerymr

3 жыл бұрын

The person commenting was in a time zone behind Rob. Rob posts it after midnight, the video is watched and commented “the day before”. You get used to these things living in Asia.

a sled with wedges/shims for the planer would be about 10 times faster and more accurate. you might have to use some double faced tape.

or you can attach on both sides of the board some straight 1x1's and just let the planer do the job on both sides, easy and fast

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

I gave never tried that

Rob, i certainly appreciate your videos but i cant help to notice that flattening wood less than 3 feet is a lot easier than flattening wood that is maybe say 5 feet. Could you show a video or maybe just explain how you would go about flattening a piece of say 5 feet oak board that is one inch thick. Thks a lot

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Do you mean flattening by hand or machine?

@UnjustifiedRecs

3 жыл бұрын

I flattened an 8 foot piece by screwing it to a piece of ply wood similar to the 2nd technique in this video

@konmingyew7282

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking I mean hand flattening, sorry.

Using a fine chisel as a wrecking bar? :-)

Go cougs!

Seems like winding sticks would save a bunch of flipping the board over & rocking it. I've flattened boards with sticks and a straightedge while never flipping the board.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

Well I am not trying to get a flat smooth surface, just a surface that is flat enough to prevent the planer from deforming the board under the roller pressure. I could have followed the scrub up with a jake plane and refined the surface more snd once smooth used winding sticks to check but that is not the subject of this video

@kennnva551

3 жыл бұрын

@@RobCosmanWoodworking I'm sorry, but I guess I was wrong. I thought the title of this video was, "How to Flatten a Board Without a Jointer." I hope you can forgive me.

Rob I have a vintage falls machine co 24” jointer for sale … interested ?

@ilikewaffles3689

3 жыл бұрын

Pretty sure he has a jointer already and was just showing us a way to do it without a jointer for those of us who don't have one.

@gixxa7500

3 жыл бұрын

@@ilikewaffles3689 oh I know … but he loves restoring machinery and not too often do 24” jointers come along

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

@@ilikewaffles3689 I prefer General jointers and I have them coming out of my ears right now

So today we find out that Rob has a hot glue gun and could have been building furniture with it all this time instead of all those time-consuming dovetails. Also too, planer sled is a great idea.

@johncoops6897

3 жыл бұрын

No, silly! Glue guns are only used for life hack videos.

hey rob, you have sexy ears. PLease make sure i dont see them when using your LOUD tools. hint hint. great vid.

Another video, another trick - the dirty bench trick - dully noted.

@RobCosmanWoodworking

3 жыл бұрын

I am all about the tricks