I haven’t been shaping since the beginning of summer. Been embroiled in an ugly crazy neighbor dispute which has consumed my time and my bank account to keep the lawyers fed. Been victorious in every aspect so far and hopefully that mess will be a thing of the past and my attourney’s fees paid by the defendants in the near future.
Got back in the shed today to make a board for my grom to take on our upcoming California trip. Shortly after I started skinning the blank with my power planer I decided I better quiet things down before the crazy lady calls the cops. I grabbed a vintage Craftsman Low Angle Block Plane my father gave me a while back. He is a retired old school carpenter and always took pride in having razor sharp chizzels, saws and block planes. I set the blade all the way down and opened the throat all the way up. I started by truing up my outlune with it. It worked fantastic for this as I could really feel any dips or warbles in the outline. Next I finished up skinning the blank and to my amazement it worked really well for this too. I ended up shaping the entire board with this block plane including some of the most accurate rail bands I’ve ever done. Finished it off with the WilKro razor plane and a sanding pad.
Having done a board this way I will likely do it again. I would HIGHLY recommend this process for backyarders!!! The block plane is not as aggessive as a power planer and it is 1000% more accurate than a Surform or sanding block. The keys to it are you have to have a quality LOW Angle Block Plane that is razor sharp and you have to use an angle of attack with the plane pretty much the same as you would with a power planer. The beginner will learn to feel the high and low spots with their hands and the tool. Its also pretty hard to mess up when the block plane probably only takes 1/32nd of an inch on each pass…but keep in mind its taking a very accurate 1/32nd of an inch.
If you have a look through an old second hand shop in a small town somewhere you can sometimes come across an old plane like this. I guess there are millions of them in people’s garages and they basically never wear out. I have a Stanley block plane which I use at work for fitting plywood, timber flooring, doors, architraves etc. I never thought to use it for shaping. I’d have to get the blade nice and sharp though!
One of the reasons I enjoy the wood bodied Japanese Kana Planes so much. I’ve shaped both foam longboards, and balsa longboards, using only the Kana, and a low angle Stanley # 118 plane. (sandpaper too) Ahhhh, the good ol’ days! What must it have been like to shape a 10 or 11 foot solid Redwood Plank, with only a Jackplane, Blockplane, and sandpaper? I shudder to think about it !
My father has a few block planes that would make short work of that redwood but you’d need bigger forearms than the guys that shape with Rockwell planers.
I tell you what, after having done an entire board this way this is actually how I’d now recommend a beginner do their first few boards. Forget the Surform and Harbor Freight planers. They will get much better results from a low angle block plane and they will learn a lot about technique in the process.
One of the first tools I tell guys to get when they are assembling their shaper stuff is a good low angle block plane. Get it before a spoke shave or anything else. Learn to use it it will be your go to plane for life. Those old school ones are pretty nice I had one somebody stole it while cleaning my room for me. Guess he figured it was so old and dusty looking I would not notice it being gone. My right hand instictivly went to the planes spot and IT WAS GONE…He said “I don’t know?” I have cleaned my own room ever sense.
I suspect that New Stanley is head and shoulders above the cheap ass Buck brothers model which disgraces my tool shelf.
I’ve also screwed up the blade by using a belt sander, but have managed to get it usable again and fairly sharp, But I suspect a good plane and sharp blade will blow my mind. I am slowly building my next and likely final HWS.
Check out flea markets and garage sales for used tools. Sometimes you will find good quality “antique” tools for next to nothing. With a little work and determination you can turn a little used tool into a fine, and better tool than what is produced today without spending a lot of money. Just make sure all of the parts are there. for low angle block planes I prefer the Stanley 60 1/2. They are not cheap if you buy new, but worth it. If you want to spend a bit more try the Lie-Nielsen low angle block plane. They have a few to choose from and are built so well you can give them to your great grand children. In all honesty they are a bit over kill to shape a foam board with, but nice to have if you are a tool junkie.
Seriously… no need to overthink this. For shaping foam? It doesn’t have to be the best tool ever made. Just sharpen the blade until you can shave a few hairs off your arm with it. Maybe take a Dremel tool cutoff wheel or grinder and round off the corners. Set it shallow and go at it with the plane held at an angle to the stringer… don’t plow it straight ahead.
A nice sharp block plane is the best tool next to a power planer for skinning a blank. As Bill Thrailkill mentions, they work OK for shaping too. I’ve shaped quite a few boards with a hand saw, block plane, and some sanding pads. If you’re careful they even work for knocking down a proud stringer as a final step.
