"Fred" wrote in message
om...
Hello, I'm working with a solid wood countertop for a vanity -it's
1-1/8 x 18" x 28". I've glues up 3 boards to make this, and now want
to plane it flat.

I only have one hand plane, and it's a cheap one from harbor freight.

Seeing as how I spend $45 on this lumber, I'd really like to avoid
mistakes.

Would you kind folks please offer me some suggestions on which type of
plane I need to flatten this?

Lowes is the only box store I've found that offers hand planes, but
'#4' doesn't mean anything to me....

Thanks in advance for your advice!
Fred

Well Fred, I'm going to go against the grain on this one. Fortunately for
me, I didn't ask before buying a Stanley jack plane, putting a good edge on
the blade and laying it on a hunk of Walnut I wanted to build something
with. Yeah - I had to fool around a bit with it to get a perfect cut, but
it really wasn't rocket science. Nor was it a lot of work to put an edge on
the blade. Sharpened it, put it back together, used it a bit, discovered
the adjustment that makes the blade perfectly parallel to the slot, and then
it was just a matter of going back and forth. Did I miss some of the
esoteric aspects of properly handplaning? Most likely, but in no time flat
I ended up with a flat piece of Walnut that was as smooth as a baby's
behind. Isn't that what you're after? If you've got half a woodworking
sense about you, then go for it - and by the way, my Stanley cost me $45.00
retail.
--

-Mike-