Cabinet scraper vs. scraping plane?

[derekcohen]

Thin veneer is a different situation to using a plane - unless you are skilled at taking very fine shavings, then a plane may be risky. I would definitely never use a belt sander - it will cut through the veneer and destroy the surface.

My first preference would be a card scraper (cabinet scraper in Oz and the UK). There is more control with one of these than a scraper plane since you can adjust and re-adjust the angle of the blade as you like. Set the cabinet scraper up with a fine hook.

Some do prefer a scraper plane in this instance, and I have a Stanley #112 that does work well. The surface you will smooth should be flat, and all you are doing is cleaning up glue joints.

If you want crisp edges, working solid wood is best with a hand plane, either a smoother or a block plane. A sander will round over the edges. Watch the grain direction.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Michael Kellough]

Sanding veneer with an ordinary belt sander would be a disaster in any but the most skilled hands but using a belt sander with a well designed and adjusted frame like the Hol-zer/Festool combination would be the opposite.

Holmz, the sander I have is the 75mm version and it is very easy to handle. I've never held the 105 so I can't say how it feels.