So I started on my blank today and block planed the stringer down. How do you keep from planing any of the foam in the surrounding areas. I kinda rashed up the foam next to the stringer It’s my first board so I don’t expect perfection, but damn close to it! 
well, eventually, you should be cutting down all that foam to the same thickness as the stringer, so it’ll all be even in the end. but if you wanted to only cut stringer and no foam, you’d need a tool that was no thicker than the stringer. i use a trim plane, which is about 1" wide.
Hey Bug,
I know what you’re talking about. Like Brandon said, use the 1 inch plane. You’re still going to gouge the foam (at least I couldn’t help from doing it). When just about done with the blank, I make some final passes with the small plane and then lightly sand those final scrapes out a sanding block. Seemed to work good for me.
I actually have more trouble with the nose and tail stringer - fussing around there and gouging. How are you making out with these areas?
Best,
HerbB
I bought a cheap small block plane from home depot and modified the blade to barrel shape on a bench grinder.
Works like a charm. Any roughness or damage to a blank can be easily repaired with lightweight spackling mixed with a little water.
“Second, to minimize the collateral damage, grind the blade not as a straight edge, but a curve, so there’s deeper cut at the center than the sides”
I already gave that tip dude…dont you read a post before responding to it?
I still have some to shape on the nose, but since the EPS was hotwired, I wanted to get it all level before looking at putting any V or Concave on the board.I actually started getting used to the 1" block plane that I bough from home depot as well toward the end. So what I ended up doing was just block planing down close, then sanding the rest of the way down with some 80 grit and a flat piece of 1x4 that I rounded all the edges off of.
First and foremost, the blade has to be sharp; an adequately sharp blade will not rash the foam.
Second, to minimize the collateral damage, grind the blade not as a straight edge, but a curve, so there’s deeper cut at the center than the sides. And did I say it has to be sharp?
A sharp blade will skin a blank nicely, leaving nice curly shavings instead of a shitload of gritty dust. May be easier to clean up that way too.
geeperz how bout rotate the angulation of der planer 45 degrees or so to reduce the cut down to the size of the wood …ambrose… simple but effective sharp and with the grain
I use a small Buck brother block plane. Homer Depot special. $4.
take the plane and do what Ambrose does and hold the plane at a na ngle while taking fast precise pases down the length of the stringer. the key is to get the stringer down below the level of the foam. Then all you need to do is sand dow the foam to meet the stringer.
And remmeber, once you glass the cloth will mask small undulations where the foam and stringer meet. You can test to see if you have the stringer to where you want it by taking a 12" square piece of dry fiberglass cloth and just lay it over the stringer. If you can feel any unlevelness, then you have more work to do. This test could save you some headaches from gauging the foam with the plane.
Drew