Back about a week ago, I mentioned that I was building a dog ramp that went out my back door onto a deck. (See page 46, reply 676). During that post, I mentioned that I was going to use my Stanley Bedrock #605 ½ to flatten some angled supports. One may remember way, way back in the thread, I stated that one of my objectives in creating this thread was to hopefully inspire some of the readers who may have considered using a plane, but hadn’t yet tried, to try! Now I know many of you are old pros so this post probably won’t be very informative, but for those of you who are thinking, “I’d like to try using a plane, but what the heck am I really ever gonna use one for?” Well, this post might be all you need to get going.
Hand planes are so useful. Very often they’re more simple, efficient, and more accurate than a power tool. They’re also a lot more quiet than power tools. This dog ramp project is typical of something that one might encounter around the house, and it provides a perfect and natural opportunity to use a plane. So lets get into it.
I needed to make a small ramp for my dog. It needed to be about twenty inches long and about seven inches high. Not only would it need to support a seventeen pound dog, but also people. Treated lumber would do the trick. It’s a simple project. The most difficult part would be making four identical right triangles to act as the angled supports. I started by cutting two blanks that measured nineteen inches long, by six high, from a 2 x 8. With a straightedge, I drew a line diagonally from one corner to the other with a red “sharpie” marker. Using my band saw to freehand cut right down the middle of that fat red line, I ended up with four almost identical right triangles. While both legs of all four triangles lined up nicely with each other, the hypotenuses weren’t exactly coplanar with each other. Making those cuts freehand on my band saw left a little inaccuracy. Close, but not close enough for my liking. I can’t think of anything more annoying than a project leaving my shop that’s not “square.” Also, if the hypotenuses aren’t all coplanar, the ramp is very likely going to rock every time someone steps on it. That’s totally unacceptable in my world. I have a shop full of tools and machines. There’s no excuse for things not to be right.
Now, some of you may have thought that running the angled supports across a powered joiner might flatten things out, and you’d be right. I could get those hypotenuses flat with a joiner, but that would take a lot of trial and error to get them all the same. The key is cut them all at one time, as a unit, so the high and low spots on each part can be brought into a coplanar state. Consequently, the only question one should ask is, “Which hand plane am I going to use?” On a project of this size, my go to plane is the Stanley #605 ½. (I promise to feature this plane soon!!)
Okay, so the procedure goes like this. Place all four triangles on a flat surface like a table saw wing. Line up all the legs on the four triangles so they match perfectly. Clamp them together. Those legs should all be coplanar if you cut the blanks using your table saw and miter saw. Once all four triangles are clamped together, the small inaccuracies that resulted from cutting the hypotenuses free hand on the band saw should be apparent. That’s an easy fix with a hand plane and a straightedge.
Now secure your work. I used my Black and Decker Workmate. Since I'm planing downhill, I extended the work piece a little past the end of the Workmate top. Doing so allows me to plane from one end of the work piece to the other without the toe of the plane banging into the top of the Workmate. I like to use my old Workmate because it has a set of jaws that open to secure various shaped objects, and I find it to be VERY handy for planing operations. It also comes equipped with bench dogs that add versatility to clamping and holding things, like wood. (If you go back to page 43, reply 630, you’ll see that I used the Workmate to plane some end grain on a maple coffee table leg.) By standing on the step of the Workmate, my body weight holds the Workmate down, keeping it from moving as I push a plane across a work piece. I like the positioning particularly because it allows me to stand above my work while I’m using my weight in a controlled manner to move the plane. Anyway, by planing down each triangle with some overlap cutting on the triangle next to it, I’m able to start knocking down the high spots. Follow the straight planing with some diagonal planing across multiple triangles, and the parts become coplanar very quickly. Occasionally checking for flatness with straightedge is a good idea too. After about ten minutes of planing, all four hypotenuses were coplanar and ready for some 1 x 6 decking. Add some outdoor grade carpet for traction and the project is done.
Again, the point of this post is to demonstrate how valuable a hand plane can be when engaging in simple, everyday projects around the house. If you still haven’t tried a plane but want to…. TRY IT!!
Jim C.