If you’ve ever tried to remove twist from a board, you know that it can often be somewhat frustrating to identify exactly where the problem is at. Winding sticks are typically the tool of choice since they exaggerate the twist. But if you’ve had trouble using winding sticks for this task, here’s an alternative method devised by Tom B. for solving the problem.
Thanks for sharing the tip Tom!
While working on a trestle table, I tried something to assist me in taking the wind out of boards, which was something I found difficult otherwise, and this worked well, so I thought it might be worth sharing on your site, as I assume most of your followers are hand tool aficionados.
Flattening some 6/4 boards for glue up to make 4″ X 4″ legs, I decided to stand each board on end on my “flat” workbench, and use a speed square to check for wind. After scrubbing the boards, then hand jointing them lengthwise, I stand each board on its side & secure it with one end square to the workbench top. Then I slide the speed square down the length of the board and pencil mark all the areas that have a gap between board & square. These areas I do not plane during the next planing stage to remove wind.
Once one side of the board is “flat”, even though it may not be perfectly smooth, I run it through my 13″ planer & get a flat true side opposite the hand planed side, then flip it to finish the smoothing process.
Once the leg was glued up, I used the same process to square the legs and true one of the other two sides, then on to the planner for a 4″ X 4″ finish.
As a side note: By using this method, once using the prior planned side down on the bench, the results were the same, proving the two surfaces were parallel.
I admit, while I prefer using hand tools, the planner comes in quite handy. Besides, my small shop doesn’t have room for big machines like a jointer, but storing the small Delta 13″ planer is no problem.
Hope this tip helps your others readers as it has saved me a lot of grief in trying to determine where to plane boards just using winding sticks. To help in the understanding of the process, I’m attaching some photos of this method.
Great tip Tom, and thanks Bob for sharing it. Will come in handy as I process some flame birch I have for some tables that has gone a bit twisty on me.