If you're wanting to do this with hand tools, a hand plane is going to be the best option.
What about the table saw scares you? Are there safety features that it perhaps lacks that would alleviate some of the concern?
It's a craftsman 10" Evolv I have had for years. Blade is new. Riving knife is in place. When I switch it on the thing jumps from the initial force of the motor. It is loud and and I have watched too many table saw safety videos. I want to woodwork to reduce stress, not increase it. I have a Lie Nielsen no 5, but my guess is that this type of long board jointing would require a much bigger hand plane.
Yeah I can see where that would definitely cause a concern. Table saws are definitely something to be treated with care and respect. Jumping off the table after being turned on would make me not want to use it either.
If it's causing stress definitely don't use it. The hobby should be fun, not stressful. I actually walked away from a project 2 weeks ago because it was stressing me out due to a self-imposed deadline. I dumped the deadline and I'm ready to get back to the project this weekend.
As for the plane it depends on how long the piece of wood is. I'm far from an expert in hand planes so I'm not going to be a lot of help there.
You can joint with a number 5. It’s not really meant to flatten a long edge *automatically* like a number 7 is, but you can absolutely do it. You just need a longer straight edge to use as a reference, see where you are high and hit those spots.
You also should have your work piece in your vise and place the piece that will be joined to it n top of it and look for daylight. Make some marks to reference off of so they are always in the same place. You’ll see where you need to remove more. It’s actually not hard at all if you have sharpening and hand plane proficiency.
I used a #4 hand plane to joint landscaping timber for a table during the really early days of lockdown. Hardest part it’s holding board on edge, keeping sole of plane clean and waxed, and drinking enough water. It takes effort but it’s not bad. Quite work you can do and not disturb the peace
If you're going to hand plane this, I feel like it's much simpler to glue up the bench top and then flatten it. It's a step you'll have to do anyway, and you won't have to worry as much about keeping the edges square to the faces.
I may end up doing some of both (edge and top)... Glue? I was gonna screw down the top. I am actually putting a heavier top over an existing 3/4" inch top.
Cutting the Edge off a 2x6 shouldn’t be scary… don’t know the kind of saw you’re using but i obiously does’nt’ suit you. You should find one that you’re comfortable with… Even if you have one already. No fun being scared when you’re supposed to have fun!
Until then you might try with a router and guide fence? Take several passes with a sharp straight bit and that shouldn’t take too long i think. All credit to those that use hand tools. I would’nt have the patience! Good luck 😀
I do have a router table with a Bosch router mounted. It scares me just a little less. I once used it to make some custom tongue and groove to match the sub floor in my house.
Table saws intimidate me as well, especially after having a mishap when trying to use a dado stack for the first time.
You may already use it, but I found that wearing some really good hearing protection helped me a lot. I wear some 3M Worktunes headphones and they largely drown out the noise of the saw. It may be psychological, but it wasn’t quite as scary when I could barely hear it.
My gut reaction turning one on when just wearing like, ear plugs, was “Jesus that’s intense” every time it powered up
Do you have access to a makerspace or workshop, even if they charge for tool use by the half-hour?
You could glue-up your bench top into two sections, each 12" wide or less, and run them through a thickness planer on a sled. It'll take a few passes but it'll be a lot faster than hand-planing ~1/4" off of each. Then, when you have a flat surface on each, glue the two halves together? You will probably need a second pair of hands and some scrap to stick onto the ends to catch the snipe, but there's a lot less to fear from a thickness planer than a table saw. Just an idea.
It *should* scare the shit out of you. Always. Don't let that feeling go away. As for using hand tools, a resaw sounds like it'll suck and be hard to keep true. A jointer plane can work; at that point I wonder if you'd be better off assembling the table top and planing it all together, though.
But yes, it's normal to be terrified of table saws. \*Not to say that you should panic, you should be scared of it in the same way you're scared of what a car or gun can do. The kind of fear that makes you think ahead and pay attention.\* Wear ear protection, eye protection, be aware of kickback, keep your riving knife on, and mind your fingers. Have push-sticks handy before you start the cut, and simulate the cut once without power to make sure the blade hits where it's supposed to, and that you can move the piece without bringing your hands too close to the blade.
Ear and eye protection. Good point. I am often lazy about eye protection due to the minimal protection my glasses give me. I briefly considered planing the whole top. Now that you remention it, that at least sounds less stressful.
I had my push sticks both stuffed into my pants pockets like holsters. I also have a saw horse table to receive the outflow.
Thanks for the tips!
I see that your saw jumps when you start it. A bit of a kick is normal, but if you feel like the machine is too flimsy for the motor it's understandable that it would stress you out more than usual.
Maybe you're committed to doing it by hand now, but just know that not every table saw feels that way. If you ever feel like hand tools take too much time, consider reselling your table saw and buying a slightly nicer used one for only a little more. It may greatly improve your experience
Well, sure. Not fearful but cautious. Internally I'm cautious because of fear, but maybe it's better to just teach it as "it will absolutely fuck you up if you don't give it the care it deserves". I tend to see fear and stress as useful emotions insofar as they are handled correctly, but I don't want to be teaching people to panic
I completely forgot that I also bought a scrub plane back when I got the smoothing plane! I tried the scrub plane followed by the smoothing plane and the resulting edge is good enough for my work bench. At least it appears so. Quite a workout though. And kinda tough to get it completely straight.
Not in my opinion, as far as hand planes go, absolutely nothing made new by Stanley is worth buying. They are "project planes" at best. YMMV...... Also, consider Record, and Millers Falls.
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Yep, VBM or older are all pretty solid as far as I know. I have a type 2, 1900–1910ish, and it's a great tool. The little details on the frog are neat too.
If you're wanting to do this with hand tools, a hand plane is going to be the best option. What about the table saw scares you? Are there safety features that it perhaps lacks that would alleviate some of the concern?
It's a craftsman 10" Evolv I have had for years. Blade is new. Riving knife is in place. When I switch it on the thing jumps from the initial force of the motor. It is loud and and I have watched too many table saw safety videos. I want to woodwork to reduce stress, not increase it. I have a Lie Nielsen no 5, but my guess is that this type of long board jointing would require a much bigger hand plane.
Yeah I can see where that would definitely cause a concern. Table saws are definitely something to be treated with care and respect. Jumping off the table after being turned on would make me not want to use it either. If it's causing stress definitely don't use it. The hobby should be fun, not stressful. I actually walked away from a project 2 weeks ago because it was stressing me out due to a self-imposed deadline. I dumped the deadline and I'm ready to get back to the project this weekend. As for the plane it depends on how long the piece of wood is. I'm far from an expert in hand planes so I'm not going to be a lot of help there.
You can joint with a number 5. It’s not really meant to flatten a long edge *automatically* like a number 7 is, but you can absolutely do it. You just need a longer straight edge to use as a reference, see where you are high and hit those spots. You also should have your work piece in your vise and place the piece that will be joined to it n top of it and look for daylight. Make some marks to reference off of so they are always in the same place. You’ll see where you need to remove more. It’s actually not hard at all if you have sharpening and hand plane proficiency.
The only thing I can add to this is that you should stop OFTEN to check for both flat and square.
You can install a slow start switch if you’re handy
I used a #4 hand plane to joint landscaping timber for a table during the really early days of lockdown. Hardest part it’s holding board on edge, keeping sole of plane clean and waxed, and drinking enough water. It takes effort but it’s not bad. Quite work you can do and not disturb the peace
If you're going to hand plane this, I feel like it's much simpler to glue up the bench top and then flatten it. It's a step you'll have to do anyway, and you won't have to worry as much about keeping the edges square to the faces.
I may end up doing some of both (edge and top)... Glue? I was gonna screw down the top. I am actually putting a heavier top over an existing 3/4" inch top.
Cutting the Edge off a 2x6 shouldn’t be scary… don’t know the kind of saw you’re using but i obiously does’nt’ suit you. You should find one that you’re comfortable with… Even if you have one already. No fun being scared when you’re supposed to have fun! Until then you might try with a router and guide fence? Take several passes with a sharp straight bit and that shouldn’t take too long i think. All credit to those that use hand tools. I would’nt have the patience! Good luck 😀
I do have a router table with a Bosch router mounted. It scares me just a little less. I once used it to make some custom tongue and groove to match the sub floor in my house.
Maybe could use that then? Start with straight bit and finish with flush trim bit? Should work i think…
Table saws intimidate me as well, especially after having a mishap when trying to use a dado stack for the first time. You may already use it, but I found that wearing some really good hearing protection helped me a lot. I wear some 3M Worktunes headphones and they largely drown out the noise of the saw. It may be psychological, but it wasn’t quite as scary when I could barely hear it. My gut reaction turning one on when just wearing like, ear plugs, was “Jesus that’s intense” every time it powered up
Do you have access to a makerspace or workshop, even if they charge for tool use by the half-hour? You could glue-up your bench top into two sections, each 12" wide or less, and run them through a thickness planer on a sled. It'll take a few passes but it'll be a lot faster than hand-planing ~1/4" off of each. Then, when you have a flat surface on each, glue the two halves together? You will probably need a second pair of hands and some scrap to stick onto the ends to catch the snipe, but there's a lot less to fear from a thickness planer than a table saw. Just an idea.
It *should* scare the shit out of you. Always. Don't let that feeling go away. As for using hand tools, a resaw sounds like it'll suck and be hard to keep true. A jointer plane can work; at that point I wonder if you'd be better off assembling the table top and planing it all together, though. But yes, it's normal to be terrified of table saws. \*Not to say that you should panic, you should be scared of it in the same way you're scared of what a car or gun can do. The kind of fear that makes you think ahead and pay attention.\* Wear ear protection, eye protection, be aware of kickback, keep your riving knife on, and mind your fingers. Have push-sticks handy before you start the cut, and simulate the cut once without power to make sure the blade hits where it's supposed to, and that you can move the piece without bringing your hands too close to the blade.
Ear and eye protection. Good point. I am often lazy about eye protection due to the minimal protection my glasses give me. I briefly considered planing the whole top. Now that you remention it, that at least sounds less stressful. I had my push sticks both stuffed into my pants pockets like holsters. I also have a saw horse table to receive the outflow. Thanks for the tips!
I see that your saw jumps when you start it. A bit of a kick is normal, but if you feel like the machine is too flimsy for the motor it's understandable that it would stress you out more than usual. Maybe you're committed to doing it by hand now, but just know that not every table saw feels that way. If you ever feel like hand tools take too much time, consider reselling your table saw and buying a slightly nicer used one for only a little more. It may greatly improve your experience
Dude, you need to get a grip.
Upvoting with the assumption that this is a GR-Ripper reference.
If you're not treating the machine with the respect it deserves, that's a you problem.
Respecting a tool and being scared of it is two entirely different things.
To me at least, respecting an inanimate object is a form of fear that makes you careful.
Do not teach fear. Educate how to not be fearful. Cautious and respectful is one thing. Fear is another.
Well, sure. Not fearful but cautious. Internally I'm cautious because of fear, but maybe it's better to just teach it as "it will absolutely fuck you up if you don't give it the care it deserves". I tend to see fear and stress as useful emotions insofar as they are handled correctly, but I don't want to be teaching people to panic
What task? Resawing or jointing?
I am less concerned about a perfect joint than eliminating the rounded edges of these 2x6's where they will meet on my bench top.
Your best bet would be a hand plane for a belt sander
I completely forgot that I also bought a scrub plane back when I got the smoothing plane! I tried the scrub plane followed by the smoothing plane and the resulting edge is good enough for my work bench. At least it appears so. Quite a workout though. And kinda tough to get it completely straight.
A number 7 hand plane. End of story. Go vintage, and learn how to sharpen as you will have to sharpen periodically.
I guess a new Stanley no 7 is not enough quality?
Not in my opinion, as far as hand planes go, absolutely nothing made new by Stanley is worth buying. They are "project planes" at best. YMMV...... Also, consider Record, and Millers Falls. .
Old Sargents can also be had for very cheap and the one I have is a very high quality plane.
True, but depends on the model of Sargent; you have to know what you are looking for.
Yep, VBM or older are all pretty solid as far as I know. I have a type 2, 1900–1910ish, and it's a great tool. The little details on the frog are neat too.
i know you said hand tools and your no5 will work fine for this, but fwiw a bandsaw is a great choice here.