Squaring and jointing stock with hand tools

the answer to your question is a complex one. I suggest that you invest in a good book to get all of this.

Getting things the same requires clamping pieces together and planing them as one. Think about taking a good course at a place like Woodcraft. They have great courses in most of their stores.

-- making sawdust....

Thanks,

Have you any recommendations on a good book, or perhaps an instructional DVD, that covers this thoroughly?

George

“The Hand Plane Book” by Garrett Hack, chapter 5 tells how to plane. A great resource on planes. Also check out “Arts and Mysteries” column in Popular Woodworking Magazine by Adam Cherubini. There’s ya a start. Get started and then come back with problems. We’ll be glad to help. Always remember, the important thing is the end result. The wood doesn’t care how you shape it. Do good work and say in touch.

-- Thos. Angle

George,

My jointer recently failed me and I flattened and squared the face and edge of a bunch of Ash recently. Now I took the short cut and trued the other side with my thickness planer. However, the first face and edge I did blog about over on my own site. Maybe this little description will help a little. I echo what has been said above though. There are some Chris Schwarz videos up on YouTube where he flattens a board that are helpful too.

-- Check out my blog and podcast "The Renaissance Woodworker" at www.rogersfinewoodworking.com/blog

It can be tricky and you won’t get it right the first time, but it can be done and is done often. There are a few resources online that you should be able to locate on how too. Google it and also check Popular Woodworking for info. I would suggest taking their methods and trying it out on a few spare pieces of wood to get the feel of it, then take your time on your project piece.

Best of luck.

~DB

-- He said wood...http://hickbyassociation.blogspot.com/

If you are a more visual person like myself, there are some DVDs that can help you get started in this area. The first two are by Rob Cosman “Hand Planing and Sharpening” and “Rough to Ready”. The other one is by Christopher Schwarz “Coarse, Medium and Fine: Fundamental Woodworking Techniques”. You can buy these DVDs from a couple of different places: Lie-Lielsen, Rob Cosman, and Lost Art Press. A class is even better if you can find one near by. There is nothing like having someone look over your shoulder and telling you what you are doing right or wrong.

-- http://theinquisitivewoodworker.com/

Thanks for all the tips. I ordered Hack’s book from Amazon and am looking forward to reading it over. He’s coming soon to Cleveland OH, so I may try to get over and see his presentation at Woodcrafters’.

I used winding sticks, a straight edge and square to work on my wood which was 3” red oak. I got to try out my newly acquired used Stanley Jack and No. 7 jointer planes on this. I must’ve gotten a decent edge honed on them because I was able to get very fine shavings off the boards. It came out well. I used my hand tools to flatten one face and one edge. Then I was able to use a thickness planer on the opposite edges, finishing up by running the hand-worked edges through to freshen them up and make them more precise. I was very pleased with this work. Planing such thick stock with heavy metal hand planes is hard work!

Thanks to all who replied!

George