Planing Stops ( without
tail vise)
Planing stops are an alternative to a tail-vise setup and holdfasts for face planing
boards. Most flat, regular benches
can easily be modified to incorporate this hand planing setup using
planing or bench stops ( Roubo style)....
Photos below of the hand planing jig setup on a bench I have in my
workshop. This bench has been modified for
adaptation of the two hand planing
bench stops.
This can be expanded with longer planing stops, more holes for
versatility, etc.
I chose this particular spacing for the type of work I do.
Also, I am left-handed and planing left to
right. I set this up on the
back side of my bench
which is unencumbered by a face vise ( the face vise is on front
of bench ).
It is important to get the 3/4 in. dowel holes square to the bench and
to each other, this is to make sure the 12 in.
planing stops are perpendicular to each
other. The side planing stop does a great job of preventing the board from
rotating sideways while hand planing with diagonal strokes. It has a large bearing surface
to keep any size board
from rotating. The side bench stop is also
movable within a 12 in. span on 3 sets of holes, allowing for narrow
boards and wider
boards ( 2 in. to 14 in.).
The side
planing stop can be swung around towards the front bench stop
with a parallel set of holes , this to
accommodate shorter boards. Pictures below give the
idea.
The wide front
planing stop also serves to prevent the board from rotating
or shifting sideways as it has a large
bearing surface for the front edge of the board.
Planing
stops (front and side) are friction fit so they can be raised to
accommodate thicker boards,
very much like a bench dog ( 1/4 in. to 3/4 in.). Otherwise, the minimum height
of the bench stops would be approx. 1/4
inches.
The hole spacing is arbitrary and based on the type of board sizes I
typically hand planing. The birch dowels ( 2 in.
long ) are glued in the
planing stops with ebony
wedges in the dowel kerf for tightness. Kerfs are cut on a bandsaw.
A benefit of having a board simply against
planing stops is that you
really cannot drag the planing back in your
strokes. The only wear on the blade then is from the forward
stroke. Also you eliminate the tendency of bowing a
thinner board from clamping between bench dogs and
tail-vise and distorting the board while planing. You also
have much more feedback and
control of your planing and it becomes easy and quick to re-orientate the board end
for end or flip it
over, etc..
More holes can be added to allow for very short boards as done in bottom
pictures.. It is then a matter
of swinging the side bench stop around towards the front
planing stop. The
spacing and location
I have selected is optimized for the length and width of boards I
typically hand planing.
The drilled 3/4 in. holes can also be used for bench dogs and holdfasts for irregular sized pieces.
Align side
planing stop to be perpendicular with face of front bench stop
using a large square to mark holes.
This will ensure the complete edge of the bench stop is
against the board to be planed.
Side planing stop set to narrowest width, closest to edge of bench
Planing stops can be raised or lowered as conventional bench stops for thinner or thicker boards.
Parallel set of holes drilled to accommodate shorter and wider boards,
pictures below. It is recommended to lay
out all the holes you will need for this system
and then drill them. This ensures that all holes are square and
perpendicular to each other
and the front planing stop.
A short , narrow piece of lacewood being planed.
A small, wide panel being face-planed.
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