cross planing????

Can anyone explain cross planing??  I just watched epoxy 101 for the 10th time and Greg mentions "cross planing" but never expains.  Can anyone explain??

I have a modified Clark Hitatchi and as soon as I make the first longitudinal pass there is the lip in the foam on the next pass to be made. There is a “feel” that the sole plate seems to index into this lip when the planer is slightly skewed and allows for smooth tracking down the blank. If I keep this locked in (the index) there are very little ridges left and the blank is more on an even plane. Less highs and lows. But after all is said, the eye is the most important tool we have. If something looks off, it probably is.

I am trying to remember which vid, I think it was something on the net, there is someone(i believe and old pro??) using planer strokes perpendicular to the stringer to adjust the rocker at the nose. Is this a valid technique?  And what GL might be referring to?

If you are crossing the stringer, most likely that’s what you are doing either adding rocker, or flattening the bottom out. Some scoop the nose flip on the deck with a planer (production guys). You’ll see most pro do this all the time, just be careful crossing the stringer and tear out. Make shallow passes, very shallow until you get the hang of it. Realize also the sole plate of the planer is always askew from path of direction. This engages more of the plate on the blank to keep it flatter. Whether parallel or perpendicular, turn the planer at a slight angle from your direction of travel. If you have seen or used a belt sander, it’s the same principle.

Never seen the video, but I’m guessing he means using the planer in a perpendicular direction to the stringer.

I habitually do the same number of lengthwise runs on each side of the stringer and then do a series of lateral runs from rail to rail to flatten out any highs and lows. Because Im not a pro shaper it keeps my planing on a smoother curve and balanced from side to side.

 I think the pros have enough control to do it smoothly without this kind of cross check.

I found the video. Its Terry Martin, here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUjExeKTq80      (about 2:15 min)

I’ve seen stringer tear out the first time I was doing a beak nose on a fish. Wasn’t too bad but, it can get ugly quick I would imagine. I usually do the curve on the deck side near the nose by hand. I find that turning my planer at an angle to get into that curve I usually end up cutting a gouge … as in the edge of the planers barrel cuts into the foam. Either the leading edge or the trailing edge depending on how I was tilting it trying to get it right.

 Any advice on how to do that  properly tblank?  Seeing as we’re talking planer use, and if it isn’t a highjack of the thread.

I go crosswize all the time in the deck nose area

go very slow when crossing the stinger and shallow cuts for sure

it leaves a stair step that has to be cleaned up with a spoke shave or small planer at the stringer

blend the foam in with a curved sureform

then sandblock then the plane on the stringer again to knock it down

 

For some reason I just cant do a full nose sweep with the power planer

I must be missing some brain cells,,,,dang 70's!

the end result is what counts

 

In the video, Mr. Martin is adding rocker to the tail at 2:15 in. Right after, he sets his thickness at the stringer and blends the foam out to the rails. One thing, notice how often he eyes the blank. After every phase he’s constantly eyeballing. This is crucial. Do it all the time. With the lights and your eye you will pick up the anomalies to fix. He also mentioned just replacing the blades in the planer. SHARP BLADES ARE A MUST! Especially going across the stringer. This is how most of the pros do it mostly for the expediency. I like to plane the rocker with the power plane, but when doing a flip beak on a deck, I prefer a Makita Sander with a drill body and a hard 4" disc for roughing and a Porter Cable random orbit to blend in. You would need a very short sole plate or a curved one to plane a perfect flip nose. This sweep is important because it is arguably the weakest spot on a board. I think it is a personal choice a “to each his own” type of thing in how you do it. Remember it wasn’t all that long ago when it was all done outside with bench and block planes and draw knives or spoke shaves. If time is not an issue, do what is most comfortable for you.

Kensurf, you can take a 4x6 cut off and radius one side. Wrap sand paper around it and it blends that tight curve smoothly and with more control. If you have access to a band saw this is easily accomplished.

tblank wrote

Kensurf, you can take a 4x6 cut off and radius one side. Wrap sand paper around it and it blends that tight curve smoothly and with more control. If you have access to a band saw this is easily accomplished.

 

so tru

Im in process of making some custom sanding blocks for that very reason

Thanks guys. 

He mentions one of the blanks having his rocker so he won't have to do any cross planing, so I think you guys are right.  He is definitly going perpendicular to the stringer with long passes the width of the board.

My next question was going to be about technique but you guys beat me to it.  Thanks again.

In one of Jim Phillips’ videos, he planes across the stringer to adjust tail rocker - but in his commentary, he says that he’s using a planer with a grit barrel, and that doing this with an ordinary (blade) planer would risk blowing out the stringer.

Really??? I would think the opposite considering how they both “cut”. A SHARP blade and shallow passes will plane especially with it slightly askew and a grit barrel would seem to gouge and grind. I’ve no experience with a barrel. Go Figure.

                                                                                                            From another Tim B.

That’s how I remember it, but I might be wrong (it happens occasionally - more than I’d like to admit, but less than my wife thinks;-).  I’ll check tonight - I’d hate to mislead people in the name of J-the-G!

In the late 60’s, early 70’s, the elf shoe nose rocker became very fashionable, Clark was adding as much as possible, but more was better.

Cross cutting was the “way” back then, but the sticks were redwood and the foam was harder, Clark slid in the X factor when Sitka Spruce sticks were the rage in Hawaii, they just exploded when you hit them sideways.

Any time I HAVE to get in the nose rocker with a planer, it is my grit drum, it DOESN’T blow out the wood, a sander with hard backed disc’s work well too, they all take a “touch” to not mangle the foam

Jim the G, Do you have a preference between the two? Cutters that is. Glad the Elf Shoes went away. They were goofy.

Blades any day, the drum makes too much continuous contact and burrows its self into the foam even more if you are not on top of it.

Yesterday I heard a squeal from a bearing, I had heard it the day before, but the complaint got louder, you know “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”, pulled it apart with my micro bearing puller and put in a set of freshly sharpened blades while it was apart, yes, sharp blades are my favorite

Gracias.

great discussion going here. I was wondering if I was the only one having problems planing out the nose on the deck side. I’m using a harbor freight planer. The first few attempts were terrible, ended up going cross ways and blending in by hand. But with some practice I learned turning the planer at an angle helps get a nice blend goin. I build my own blanks and usually have a but of extra foam to practice on so that helps the getting passed the gouge stage.I’ll have to post a site I watch from time to time of live shapers shaping it might be inbreeding to a few

Roger that J the G, sounds like you made your own pickle fork and yeah might be rough on the shaft/armature. I don’t believe I’ve seen a puller that small. Do you think a HARDwood fork (ironwood/lignum vitae) would stand up or be just as harsh? If I’m becoming a pain in your a$$ let me know, I’ll go away eventually.