Handplaning panels for a finished surface

[sjeff70]

Some questions popped up after watching Marc's, 'Planing vs Sanding video.'  I've never seen anyone finish panels with a handplane before they went straight to finishing.  It's always orbit sanding or card scraper.  So I went over to youtube and in about 5 minutes, found only one video where someone handplaned a flat for a finished surface.  My question is if the results are as drastic as they appear in Marc's Planing vs Sanding video how come it appears to be a rare practice?  Experts seems to gravitate toward scraping. 

Here's the video for those who don't remember or haven't seen it:

https://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/videos/planing-vs-sanding/

Also in the comment section of the video I linked with Marc's early video, 'Low-angle Jack Plane: The Only Handplane You Need?'. I got a lot out of this video and was wondering if this content was covered in Marc's Hybrid book as far as the different knives needed to make a 3 or 4 in 1 handplane, etc:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-WTasbr5hY

 

 

[Tom King]

Few have the equipment, or know-how to be able to do it these days.  I do it all the time, but it's for house parts, and not furniture, but having done thousands of square feet now, I'd do little sanding on a piece of furniture.  It would just add a finer cutting smoother, and scraper to the process if a perfectly flat surface was required.

[Tpt life]

This is somewhat dependent on the finish schedule chosen. Most use planes to avoid heavier grits, but will sand with a finer grit for finishes that rely on mechanical attachment properties. There is some good reading out there by some dry authors if you chase the rabbit. 

[Ronn W]

 

9 hours ago, sjeff70 said:

Also in the comment section of the video I linked with Marc's early video, 'Low-angle Jack Plane: The Only Handplane You Need?'. I got a lot out of this video and was wondering if this content was covered in Marc's Hybrid book as far as the different knives needed to make a 3 or 4 in 1 handplane, etc:

Firstly, I do not go directly from hand plane to finish but have finished planed a surface or 2.  I use a low angle smoothing plane (12 degree bed just like a low angle jack plane).  The lower the balde angle the more likely you are to get tear out so I have 2  blades for this plane. One is has a 35 degree bevel and one has a 50 degree bevel.  The 35 degree blade mimicks the typcal 45 degree blade angle found on most bevel down smooth planes.  But for pieces with challenging grain or when I wnat to play it safe, I use the 50 degree blade which gives me a blade angle of 62 degrees.  It's harder to push and I use it only for the thinnest shavings but I get no tear out.  I know that there are lots of posters with more experience but that's what I have.

[wtnhighlander]

I think @Tom King hit the nail on the head. Most of us just have never developed the skills to hone and use a plane well enough to leave a perfectly flat surface, so a bit of scraping or sanding is needed. And frankly, its really hard to see the extra smoothness of the planed surface, once the finish goes on.

[sjeff70]

There are many areas you can't plane so I suppose it depends on what you're creating for a finished product too.  But I had to ask because it seems hardly anyone is doing it, anywhere.   I guess the finish isn't the most important part of a build but it seems to get the greatest attention.   

 

[Tpt life]

7 minutes ago, sjeff70 said:

There are many areas you can't plane so I suppose it depends on what you're creating for a finished product too.  But I had to ask because it seems hardly anyone is doing it, anywhere.   I guess the finish isn't the most important part of a build but it seems to get the greatest attention.   

 

It is quite often the easiest to mishandle, and it can reveal many flaws. 

[sjeff70]

28 minutes ago, C Shaffer said:

It is quite often the easiest to mishandle, and it can reveal many flaws. 

Oh... well...there had to be a reason.  

[wdwerker]

You might be able to feel & see the difference on oiled or waxed surfaces. But any film finish would quickly obscure the subtle differences.

[Gilgaron]

I skip the sandpaper whenever possible, but since you'll have a mix of planed and scraped spots if you're like me, then it is good to go over it with something, be it steel wool (if not using water base finish) or burnishing it.  I like shellac, though, and it is very forgiving on surface prep.

[Immortan D]

If you apply polyurethane with a paint brush (as I do most of the time) you will immediately notice the difference between a sanded surface and one you smoothed with hand planes. The finish flows a lot easier on the latter. But the end results are the same, just like Steve pointed out.

[bradpotts]

I think that it comes down to two things: One already mentioned that there is skill required to not tear the grain out. I think the main reason is because it is more work to sharpen the plane blade rather than slap on some sandpaper. It is also more work to get all the pieces in a vice and push a plane. 

[Tom King]

I was reading a book about technology before 1850 this morning.  It was expected that one worker could prepare 7  12-1/2 foot long, 9" wide floor boards from rough "clapboards" in a 10 hour days work.  That included getting one surface flat, and tongue and groove on the edges. The bottoms of the board were thicknessed over each joist as they were put down.   This was just preparing the boards.

Those guys would be doing back-flips if they saw my sharpening setup, and the results it gets today.