Raising panels with hand planes

[rodger.]

After reading a pretty scary thread here on woodtalk, I thought maybe about trying to do some panel raising by hand. I enjoy hand tool woodworking regardless, so this may be a good fit for me and avoid the hassles of typical router operations (dust, noise, safety, etc).

I found a youtube video on using a smooth plane to raise a panel, but was wondering what other hand tool woodworkers use. Perhaps a rabbet jack plane? A fillister plane? Or do you also just use a standard bench plane like in the video by Paul sellers?

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MAezwdKjN2Y

[Tpt life]

This technique does not lead to a square stub tenon. (Is that the right way to refer to it?) It also lacks the shadow step reveal in the center portion. Does he really insert sloped shoulders into a frame? The panel looks half finished to me.

[rodger.]

This technique does not lead to a square stub tenon. (Is that the right way to refer to it?) It also lacks the shadow step reveal in the center portion. Does he really insert sloped shoulders into a frame? The panel looks half finished to me.

Good points. I hope shannon pops in on this one. Maybe I'll send a question off to woodtalkradio.

[Bob Rozaieski]

Here's how I do raised & fielded panels.

http://logancabinetshoppe.com/blog/2013/01/episode-48/

Part 1 on the frame in case you're interested in that as well.

http://logancabinetshoppe.com/blog/2012/12/episode-46-entertainment-center-doors-part-1/

[Bob Rozaieski]

Does he really insert sloped shoulders into a frame?

That is the traditional way of doing it when one does not have a dedicated panel raising plane, and even when you do have some styles of panel raising planes. The addition of the flat tongue to the edge of the panel is a later style. It's really not a necessary addition though. Lots of (maybe most) period door panels lack the flat tongue.

[Tpt life]

Thank you Bob. That answered more than I knew to ask.

[G S Haydon]

The first video shows basically an angle being planed on the edge of a piece of wood, choose whatever plane you want to do that with. A panel is often raised as well as fielded. To do this you would need to cut four grooves in the face of the panel to the depth of the raise. Hog of the bulk and finish of with a rebating plane, the size of which would depend on the size of the fielding. If you want the nice tongue detail on the edge define the tongue first with a rebate plane. You will then have the shoulder of the fielding and of the tongue to finish to. A narrow wooden rebate plane would be ideal for this.

[rodger.]

Here's how I do raised & fielded panels.

http://logancabinetshoppe.com/blog/2013/01/episode-48/

Part 1 on the frame in case you're interested in that as well.

http://logancabinetshoppe.com/blog/2012/12/episode-46-entertainment-center-doors-part-1/

Great videos bob! My first visit to your site. I'll be back, that's for sure. Do you have an RSS feed?

I would like to try raising a panel like the one in your podcast. Would you recommend this plane for the task?

http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=59999&cat=1,41182,41192&ap=1

[Bob Rozaieski]

Great videos bob! My first visit to your site. I'll be back, that's for sure. Do you have an RSS feed?

Sure. Rss, iTunes or YouTube. Take your pick.

http://logancabinetshoppe.com/blog/2014/01/new-rss-feed-for-podcast/

I would like to try raising a panel like the one in your podcast. Would you recommend this plane for the task?http://www.leevalley.com/en/Wood/page.aspx?p=59999&cat=1,41182,41192&ap=1

Yep. That will work.

[RenaissanceWW]

Pug I think like anything in woodworking you will find 20 different ways to accomplish the same task.  I have used the LV plane you link to above for raise panels and it does a good job.  The nicker is nice for defining the field and you can work down at an angle and leave the angled tongue, or you can set a square tongue first by creating a rabbet first then planing the bevel down to meet it.  

 

Another method is to use a plow plane to cut grooves equal to the bottom of the raised field, then plane away the waste in the bevel.  This can be done with any plane because now that the groove is cut you don't need a plane with a blade that extends all the way to the edge of the body. 

 

Of course there are other methods too including dedicated panel raising planes or a saw and chisel.  More than likely you already have some tools in your shop that will allow you to do it.

[derekcohen]

The first video shows basically an angle being planed on the edge of a piece of wood, choose whatever plane you want to do that with. A panel is often raised as well as fielded. To do this you would need to cut four grooves in the face of the panel to the depth of the raise. Hog of the bulk and finish of with a rebating plane, the size of which would depend on the size of the fielding. If you want the nice tongue detail on the edge define the tongue first with a rebate plane. You will then have the shoulder of the fielding and of the tongue to finish to. A narrow wooden rebate plane would be ideal for this.

 

Good points, Graham. The video of Paul Sellers was just a simple angle without the fielding. I assume he added a rebate on the rear, but I suspect that the video was more about demonstrating a #4 than showing how a raised panel is made.

 

I have made these with many planes. One was a rebate plane. There is a pictorial here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/Raisingapanel.html

 

Regards from Perth

 

Derek

[G S Haydon]

Nicely demonstrated Derek, you can skin that cat any way you like but you show a very good method for making a raised and fielded panel with hand tools. I have a nice method shown in "Planecraft" by C W Hampton which is where my concept came from. Truth be told most of my panel work is done on a spindle moulder. The times I have needed to do a special I just used a No 10 and a straight edge.

[Tom King]

For a long time, still now a lot of times when we are matching old panels, we cut the bevel on a tablesaw with a tall fence, and finished with a hand plane.  A lot of the old panels were not rabbeted on the back, but simply thinner overall so that the front ended up flush.

[Coop]

Guys, I am impressed and intrigued. So this is the way it was done before Bosch and Jet came along. And you don't even need a respirator!

[g_glasson]

I have a LV BU Jack plane that I use for most things, including making a raised panel for the back of a small cabinet. I can't recall whether I did the whole thing using a 37^o blade or whether I used the standard blade for most of it and then finished off with the smoothing blade. Either way, the plane did a good job of it