# hand plane on painted surface?



## GISer3546 (Jan 30, 2013)

It seems like using a hand plane on a painted surface would be a bad idea but I can't quite describe why.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

Is this a question?


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

paint is hard on irons. They dull quick.


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

I have always been advised to lightly run a belt sander over it first. The same as if I am going to use some second hand timber before it goes through the planner or thicknisser.

As said, paint is not kind to a sharp blade and because it takes a bit of work to get them as sharp as sharp you do not want to lose that edge unnecessarily.

Sometimes, even a scraper will do the job for you before going to your hand plane. 

If you are not worried about dulling your plane blade, may I suggest then that maybe you have not got them sharp enough. But you have made the big step already down the slope because you stopped and asked the question.

Welcome to the Dark Side.

Pete


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

I keep a separate #4 around just for this. It needs to be sharp, but not smoother sharp. Its also helpful to use a jack or scrub first. (but it does the same to those irons as well)


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

more out of an intellectual curiosity ... i believe you guys when you say it dulls the blade faster ... but it doesn't seem like it would be harder than wood ... 

so, why does paint dull the blade faster? all i can imagine is that the paint solids must be have abrasives in it ... ?


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## STAR (Jan 1, 2008)

Chris Curl said:


> more out of an intellectual curiosity ... i believe you guys when you say it dulls the blade faster ... but it doesn't seem like it would be harder than wood ...
> 
> so, why does paint dull the blade faster? all i can imagine is that the paint solids must be have abrasives in it ... ?


That's the sort of question a six year old would ask. Why? lol

Good question, Answer. 

"because it does. now go and ask your mother?"

But seriously, I have no idea but I do know the gunk sticks to the blade and it takes a bit to clean off.

Pete


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Chris Curl said:


> more out of an intellectual curiosity ... i believe you guys when you say it dulls the blade faster ... but it doesn't seem like it would be harder than wood ...
> 
> so, why does paint dull the blade faster? all i can imagine is that the paint solids must be have abrasives in it ... ?


Paint contains clay and pigments, e.g., Titanium dioxide which have an abrasive effect on the cutter resulting in faster dulling.

If you have ever hand scraped painted wood, you will find it is harder to scrape than many woods.

Some paints cure to a coating which is harder than others. May be a difference between oil based and latex, interior vs exterior, but they all will dull a hand plane faster than bare wood.

Sanding is not always practical. If the sanding produces heat, such as any powered sanding tool, the heat can soften if not melt the paint gumming up the paper. I experienced this trying to run a piece of latex covered plywood through my drum sander. In one pass it gummed up the paper. It was ruined nothing I could do such as the rubber cleaners could remove the mess. Lesson learned.

These days I use paint striper and hand scraping. I found a low odour water cleanup paint stripper.

Lee Valley is now selling a soy based stripper, which is meant to even soften epoxy. Very interesting.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=70640&cat=51&ap=1


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

and to add to Dave's note, some finishes, like those on many pre-finished hardwood floorings have silica in it, making it just like hardened honing compound.


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

I forgot to add, in case anyone is wondering, the scraper also gets dull faster when used on paint or finished wood.

I have seen finish strippers whose ads make it look like the finish peels off without any work. I have yet to have the pleasure of such easy cleaning.

My experience has been strippers peel some areas, soften other areas, and then there are the areas which Murphy decides will test our patience. These need the scraper. It will eventually get dull and covered with gunk. Being a scraper, I just clean/scrap off gunk, then hand sharpen. It is a crude tool.

I hate having to work with wood which is painted or finished. This is not frequent for me, but never a pleasure when I do have to clean back to bare wood.

Some of my hand plane restorations had paint streaks on the sole of the castings. Evidence that using a hand plane on painted wood is very tempting. It will work, just be prepared to sharpen the blade afterwards, and clean off any paint residue on the sole.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

hmmmm

a while back i made a table for my drill press. i made the top layer out of 1-by pine, and painted it. turns out the pine warped during the glue up. i was thinking about taking a plane to it.

this is making be re-think that situation ... now i'm wondering if maybe i should make another table instead ...

hmmmm


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

1x pine is pretty cheap... also, I've recommended the Harbor Freight drill press table to a few people. It isn't awesome, but it is cheap and if/when it falls apart the hardware it comes with costs more to buy seperately.

Alternatively, if you don't have any card scrapers yet, they are great! At least as much fun as hand planing, for me anyhow. They are more hard on your hands, though, from flexing the steel.


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