I'm currently working on flattening planks for the top of my Roubo workbench. I've got a Stanley No. 8 plane, which definitely helps thanks to its size, and I'm also using winding sticks to check for flatness. However, after laying the planks face to face, I noticed that the joints aren't perfectly aligned; there's still a gap at some points, measuring about 3mm. The planks are 2m long, 11-14cm wide, and 45mm thick. I use a 1m long winding stick as a ruler, and while things look good in theory, the gaps become visible when the planks are put together. Any tips on how to improve my results?
3 Answers
Check how much clamping pressure you need to close those gaps. If it only takes a little pressure, you might be fine once you glue them up!
Consider grabbing a long straightedge to identify the high spots on your boards. Focus your Stanley No. 8 on those areas to get a more precise flatness. It might be a bit more finessed than some of my methods, but I'm curious about what others think as well!
I suggest doing a dry fit first. Mark the spots where the boards make contact with a pencil, and then use a smoothing plane to take off just a bit where you've marked. I love my #7 plane for this, but sometimes a smoother might do a better job finishing up the flattening process. Also, check out this helpful video from Paul Sellers on preparing a workbench top; it might give you some insights!
Oh, nice! I didn’t realize Paul had a series on this. I’ll definitely check them out!