On the desk-side table that I just built, I added a bead detail to the lower edges of the aprons and shelf rails.
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| Bead detail on a shelf rail |
This one came out great, but it wasn't just dumb luck. I hadn't put a bead on anything for a while, so I took the time to make sure it would come out right.
First, I touched up the plane iron with a strop.
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| The strop for a 5/16" beading iron is leather with compound on it, wrapped around a dowel |
Then I practiced a few beads with some scrap. This not only helped me get more comfortable with the plane, it also allowed me to dial in the iron's depth setting before using it on a project part. Further, I got to see how it would perform with grain running in different directions.
In the pic below, you can see the wood grain runs away from the bead as the plane is pushed forward. That's a sure-fire way to rag out the far rim of the quirk.
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| A practice bead on scrap |
So I used the test bead to set a marking gauge to the extent of the quirk and ran a gauge line.
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| Running a gauge line |
This really helped get a sharp edge at the extent of the quirk. I started the bead cuts at the end of the board, moving back little by little before I took full length shavings. This helps to minimize tear out in the event the wood grain is diving as you push the plane forward.
In the end, these few little things stacked the odds in my favor of getting a nicely defined bead.
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| The beads came out very nice with minimal sanding |
If you haven't done a particular operation in a while, take the time to sharpen up, practice on scrap, and do whatever else is necessary to ensure a good result on the keeper wood.
"Do whatever is necessary to ensure a good result on the keeper wood"
ReplyDeleteOh, yes wise advices :-)
Been bitten a few times gabbing a wood plane that was set right last time I put it away and did not checked it prior to using again...
oupsi..
Bob
Yeah, sometimes it's the little things that only take a minute or two, but they make all the difference.
DeleteHow thick is the leather you used with the dowel? The thinnest one I have is an old belt and it is too thick to use as a strop like you did.
ReplyDeleteI think it was about 1/16" thick. Probably got it from an old leather purse at a garage sale. It's very flexible at that thickness and will wrap around any stick.
DeleteI am using leather from an old sofa in my parents home, maybe 1/16 thick and very soft so can be bend in any way. I used this to make my strops, works nice enough for me.
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