Planing a finished surface?

[c6craig]

Hi All,

Does anyone have any experience planing a finished surface? I have the lid from the keepsake box that is stained and sealed with poly. Unfortunately the board cupped a bit and now rocks on the box when I went to install the hinges. I just got a Dewalt DW735 planer and thought I might try to plane a couple 64ths off the bottom of the lid to get it to sit flat. I have never used a planer before and I am concerned that the stain and poly might foul up the planer....

I could always sand off the finish first and then plane it, but was curious if I could just go right for the planer. :)

Any thoughts or experiences appreciated...

Thanks,
Craig

[jwhllh55]

Hi All,

Does anyone have any experience planing a finished surface? I have the lid from the keepsake box that is stained and sealed with poly. Unfortunately the board cupped a bit and now rocks on the box when I went to install the hinges. I just got a Dewalt DW735 planer and thought I might try to plane a couple 64ths off the bottom of the lid to get it to sit flat. I have never used a planer before and I am concerned that the stain and poly might foul up the planer....

I could always sand off the finish first and then plane it, but was curious if I could just go right for the planer. :)

Any thoughts or experiences appreciated...

Thanks,
Craig

Craig, It's time to go back to the old school. I have a DeWalt 735 too and I would not put a board with poly on it in that machine. The blades are very spendy and very hard to resharpen. It would be better to use a hand plan and shave it even that way. The size of the board has a lot to do with it too.
I have added mositure to a board and then put it into a press to have it dry flat. It works sometimes, but not always. I use a hand plan to finish and remove the cupping.. Hope that helps.
John

[TIMCOSBY]

the poly from the back then wet the back and put it in the sun wet side up for a while and it should unwarp. just don't know if it will stay unwarped.

[JDPratt]

Wow, A planer on a cupped jewelry box lid is like driving jewelry box hinge screws with an impact wrench. Previous post was correct about going old school. If you are lucky enough to have one, a drum sander would be the ticket. you can take off a 1/64th at a time until it is flat. If you dont have one, use a plane, belt sander, or ROS. Draw some squiggly lines back and forth across the piece and if you are sanding or planing across the whole surface, you will know when the dip or raised section is gone. If you have a Jointer you could you it also (small amounts at a time) but first sand off the Poly.

[cnsranch]

Real problem is the board's wanting to warp at all. Probably cupping and uncupping along with the humidity. You can plane, sand, cuss, get it straight, and it will probably cup again.

I made a jewelry box for my Niece some time back, the lid looks good half the time, cupped the other half.

[c6craig]

Thanks for all the responses. I am pretty much new at this and still very much learning. I think I will try the hand sanding and planing as I don't think the moisture and press will work long term.

It is a very slight cup so i may just get away with sanding off the finish and sanding down a bit from the middle of the board.

I'm still not quite sure why it cupped in the first place, it was a nice straight and dry board when I started. The only thing I can think is that it picked up some moisture from the humidity as mine is a garage shop in Florida.

Thanks,
Craig

[lawrence]

I'm still not quite sure why it cupped in the first place, it was a nice straight and dry board when I started. The only thing I can think is that it picked up some moisture from the humidity as mine is a garage shop in Florida.


You're going to find that wood (especially certain types) will definately move on you... Here are some hints to help you along

Always use wood that has acclimated to the environment in which the item will be used... if not sure, use a moisture meter and/or kiln dried wood

Some types of cuts of wood are more stable than others. Quarter-sawn wood, because of the direction of the growth rings, will be the most stable in most woods. Boards that include the pith (center) or closest to it will cup more as well.

Some types of wood are more stable than others. Mesquite, Mahagony, ebony, etc. are many times more stable than Pine or Oak.

I agree with the others that a hand tool is probably the way to go at this point, and wish you luck

Lawrence

[Dan-Woodman]

The reason it cupped is bacause you carved it on one side releaving stress and not on the other side. The same thing will happen if you finish only one side of a board. Moisture enter more on one side than the other , especially in Florida.I here it gets really humid at times.
later Daniel

[c6craig]

Thanks for the tips guys! So if you would be so kind, can you help me to understand a couple of things? Sorry in advance for the long post, this is great information so I am taking advantage!

It is indeed a moisture problem I am having. I took my box lid and left it laying in the humidity and it flattened back out. As soon as it goes back in the air conditioned house it cups.

This is pine from Lowes. Right now all I have worked with is pine and red oak from Lowes. I have some wood coming in a couple weeks that will give me more variety (pecan, walnut, oak). I have also purchased the below mentioned planer and some pieces of wood from a nearby woodcraft (purpleheart, zebrawood, bloodwood, etc.).

So to my questions:

1. Everyone says to acclimate the boards to the environment they are going in. I'm not sure how I can do this. Most of the little projects I will do will end up in air conditioned houses, an almost 15 degree difference from my workspace (garage). Any way I do it the wood will be exposed to some humidity at some point.

2. Thanks for the one sided stain tip, I think that contributed as well. As I have said multiple times I am new at this :) so my finishing proccess was this: I took 2 evenings to sand the box lid to my liking, then stained the top. Next night I aded a second coat of stain. The next two following nights I added a coat of poly to the top. Then I did the same on the bottom. So I should be doing this more evenly to try to avoid the board soaking up moisture? For example, stain top, stain bottom, poly top, poly bottom?

3. Lastly, am I understanding that the hardwoods like pecan and walnut are less prone to absorbing moisture? Perhaps just by working with a better class of wood than pine I will have more luck?

Thanks again guys, all replies appreciated.

Craig

[Woodhacker]

Hey Dan...I, too, live in Florida...in the west central part. Sometimes you can swim in the atmosphere around here.


Richard

[JDPratt]

Sounds like you will have a nice little collection of exotic woods going. I have worked with all of those woods and each will react differently. Check out this website for the characteristics of different woods, http://www.wood-database.com/ . Tight grain and small pores will move less. You are on the right track it just takes a little experience with the different woods. I made a U.S. map for all the state quarters where each of the states was a different kind of wood. My first attempt was a disaster because I didn't take into account the characteristics of some of the wood and the grain patterens. After a little work and research the second attempt came out fine. If you are not talking about large pieces of wood, try sticking them in the back of a closet in the house for a while to aclimate them. You finishing method is adequate as long as you cover all surfaces with the finish. If you leave some areas unfinished, they will react differently to the moisture in the air.

[cnsranch]

The reason it cupped is bacause you carved it on one side releaving stress and not on the other side. The same thing will happen if you finish only one side of a board. Moisture enter more on one side than the other , especially in Florida.I here it gets really humid at times.
later Daniel

Dan's spot on.

Bottom line is wood's gonna move - it's that simple - that's one of the reasons they invented plywood, and why woodworkers figured out how to add breadboard ends on a table top.

You may want to try one other thing - let the top flatten out in the shop, take it inside, place a heavy weight on it to keep it flat while it acclimates to the new environment.

That may help a little.

I have a box on my desk that my Dad made in 1934 in wood shop (pic below). It's walnut, and doesn't move a bit, although it does have a slight, permanent cup in the lid - of course, it's been drying for 70 years.

[c6craig]

Thanks guys! I appreciate all the tips, this has been a good learning experience for me. I hope to be firing up the planer this weekend and look forward to experimenting with some different types of wood.

I will also be trying out some of the tips you all have generously passed on.

Thanks again,
Craig

[c6craig]

I have a box on my desk that my Dad made in 1934 in wood shop (pic below). It's walnut, and doesn't move a bit, although it does have a slight, permanent cup in the lid - of course, it's been drying for 70 years.

That's awesome. This is what made me want to start this as a hobby. It amazes me that something well made lasts this long and still looks that good in today's world of mass produced pressboard junk.

Craig