Should I plane first or edge join and then plane

I was wondering the same, but I think the planning should be part of the milling process – and should be done on each piece individually prior to glueing up – making the next step after glue up as simple as cleaning and some sanding.

Also it’s easier to mill smaller pieces then large ones – not to mention that it really depends on how large your glue up are going to be – sometimes they are larger than the planer all together. plus you won’t have to plane those glue joints – which is only a good thing…

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

face joint to get them flat then plane to thickness then edge joint with the grain. I sometimes face joint then edge joint then plane if the wood has strait grain. just glue will be fine but biskits help with alignment. you can also use culls clamped accross the boards to keep the flush with each other. I’ve never notised the glue hurting the knives. I do scrape off the exess glue before final thicknessing. the rule is you want a nice flat side to run against the fence for edge jointing. it keeps things square.

skeez

-- hey honey! watch this!

I,m with skeezics on this I,v just finished a project and i biskit my edge joints first then planned to correct thickness your knives should be fine

be nice to see finished project to

andy aka poomy

-- cut it saw it scrap it

Definitely plane after glue up. This assumes you have a planer that will handle the width. If you think you can glue them up all in the same plane and get a flat smooth surface, I’d say you were kidding yourself. Planing after is also the time saving, don’t have to think about it method. you just get it done.

-- arborial reconfiguration specialist

I’d split the difference.

Take the boards down partway to final thickness, square the edges, then edge glue. Clean up any excess glue and plane to final thickness.

I always use biscuits. They’re quick and easy, I think they add strength, and as skeez says they help with alignment

-- Jake http:/www.adirondackchairscentral.com

One thing—if you decide to plane after glue-up, make sure to orient the grain of each strip the same way. Otherwise, you would get tear-out planing in either way, because some strip(s) would always be in the wrong direction.

-- -- Jim E., Oswego, NY. Create, have fun, and work safely!

I would:

1. face joint
2. plane
3. edge joint one edge
4. rip opposing edge on tablesaw

Hardened glue proud of the wood will damage planer knives.

Denny Bell
http://www.bellforestproducts.com/

-- Denny, Upper Michigan

Plane to the same thickness.. whatever they both hit first.

Edge join.

Plane to final thickness.

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

I would face joint first, the edge joint. That will make the edge square to the face that you jointed. Then rip the other edge to width + 1/32, and finish off the final 32nd on the jointer. Your edges will now be parallel to each other. Then finally plane the other face to thickness, this will make this face parallel to the other face, your board will now be square.

Depending upon how picky you are you may want to face joint your inside face first then plane your outside face to thickness. If you hit some preaty figure on the outside face, as long as you are already parallel to your inside face you can flip the board over and take the inside face down to thickness.

Hope this helps.

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

I agree with gizmodyne and sIKE. And I think that biscuits on long grain joints (edge to edge) are a complete waste of time. They’re too loose fitting to be of any real value in alignment and they don’t add any strength along the joint as the glue joint will be stronger than the wood. They “might” aid in adding shear strength. Use cauls for alignment.

I just noticed grumpycarp’s reference to biscuits being loose. Are we talking about the same thing as in UK? Compressed beech ovals 4mm or 5/32” thick. I’ve never found them loose here. They normally need a tap with a hammer to get them started and/or pulling into place with sash cramps. I always use them in this sort of situation for accurate alignment.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

mine fit nice and snug too. get one now and them that is thicker oe thinner but these are rare. with my old PC-556 they fit loose! with the lamello they are right. I’ve also found that certain brands of biskits are not uniform in size and run a little on the small side. I recomend lamello biskits no mater what brand cutter you use.

skeez

-- hey honey! watch this!

I never use biscuits in a close fitting flat glued joint either.

If your biscuits are tight, that means they’ve gathered up moisture, & causing them to swell.

I store my biscuits in a tightly sealed jar.

Biscuits aren’t supposed to be tight. The glue is supposed to make them swell.

Another thing that I’ve heard, the swelling of the biscuits

have caused raised humps along the surface, on certain wood types.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

I saw once in a post that if you put biscuits that have expanded because of moisture,in the micro-wave for a few seconds,they will return to normal.

-- GEORGE

Biscuits will telegraph through the surface when still wet. Make sure you use a good glue, like titebond 3, so the glue becomes more stable when dry. Sanding is always necessary after using biscuits. I use biscuits, a glue joint shaper cutter, splines, and sometimes just edge gluing methods. I think you can get by just fine edge gluing when making drawer boxes.

-- Oldworld, Fair Oaks, Ca

This is the company that makes the biscuits for, PC, & Ryobi.

There plant is about 20 miles from my cabin.

They also sell hardwood lumber, & veneers.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

Thanks for all the input. Now I just have to decide if I want 1/2 thick drawer sides as the plan called for or make them 3/4 ” . Boy, I hate to plane away good wood, but the drawers would be a bit heavier.

-- "I don't know, we haven't played Alabama yet." -- Vince Lombardi after being asked what it felt like to be the greatest football team in the world just after winning the '66 Super Bowl.