shaving plywood edge
 

I made a newbie mistake. I'm building a "built-in" set of shelves out
of birch plywood -resting them on cleats nailed to the wall. The
shelves are going in a little aclove and are spanning the entire
distance. Unfortunately when I measured the space for the shelves I
measured the space along the wall where the back of the shelves would
be. However, now that we are installing the finished and urethaned
shelves I notice that the walls aren't entirely straight and the front
of the shelf is just a little to big to fit in nicely - maybe less than
1/8" too big.

What's the best way to shave down the edge of the plywood to make it
fit? The urethane is (mostly) not on the sides -just the top and
bottom. Should I use a file, finish sander with low grit, hand plane or
something else? I've got 5 shelves to do this to.

BTW, no tablesaw - I built these using only a circular saw and router,
so no fancy TS solutions please.

Thanks!

-Bob

Scribe the shelve against the wall and use a belt sander to remove the
extra material.

Dave

wrote:

I made a newbie mistake. I'm building a "built-in" set of shelves out
of birch plywood -resting them on cleats nailed to the wall. The
shelves are going in a little aclove and are spanning the entire
distance. Unfortunately when I measured the space for the shelves I
measured the space along the wall where the back of the shelves would
be. However, now that we are installing the finished and urethaned
shelves I notice that the walls aren't entirely straight and the front
of the shelf is just a little to big to fit in nicely - maybe less than
1/8" too big.

What's the best way to shave down the edge of the plywood to make it
fit? The urethane is (mostly) not on the sides -just the top and
bottom. Should I use a file, finish sander with low grit, hand plane or
something else? I've got 5 shelves to do this to.

BTW, no tablesaw - I built these using only a circular saw and router,
so no fancy TS solutions please.

Thanks!

-Bob

Why use a straight edge when he said the wall is uneven? He needs to
sand to a scribed line, wouldn't you think?

Dave

Brian Siano wrote:

wrote:

I made a newbie mistake. I'm building a "built-in" set of shelves out
of birch plywood -resting them on cleats nailed to the wall. The
shelves are going in a little aclove and are spanning the entire
distance. Unfortunately when I measured the space for the shelves I
measured the space along the wall where the back of the shelves would
be. However, now that we are installing the finished and urethaned
shelves I notice that the walls aren't entirely straight and the front
of the shelf is just a little to big to fit in nicely - maybe less than
1/8" too big.

What's the best way to shave down the edge of the plywood to make it
fit? The urethane is (mostly) not on the sides -just the top and
bottom. Should I use a file, finish sander with low grit, hand plane or
something else? I've got 5 shelves to do this to.

BTW, no tablesaw - I built these using only a circular saw and router,
so no fancy TS solutions please.


Rats. I was gonna suggest "Hold your tablesaw up against the wall..."



I'd shave the edge down with my router or a handplane. Clamp a
straightedge to the shelving so the router takes off only 1/8 inch.

David wrote:

Why use a straight edge when he said the wall is uneven? He needs to
sand to a scribed line, wouldn't you think?


But tricky to scribe to a line if it won't fit (have to hold at an
angle, I guess; less than ideal).

I'd guess that the walls are relatively straight, just not perfectly
square.

OP: if you go with a cutting approach rather than sanding, know that
the glue in the plywood will do a number on your blade, so be ready to
sharpen or toss the edge used. How about your circ saw with a clamped
straight-edge guide for the left side of the saw (assuming blade on
the right).
--
Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently.

The workpiece NEVER "fits" when scribed. That's the whole point of
scribing--to MAKE it fit to the wall.

Dave
alexy wrote:

David wrote:


Why use a straight edge when he said the wall is uneven? He needs to
sand to a scribed line, wouldn't you think?



But tricky to scribe to a line if it won't fit (have to hold at an
angle, I guess; less than ideal).

I'd guess that the walls are relatively straight, just not perfectly
square.

OP: if you go with a cutting approach rather than sanding, know that
the glue in the plywood will do a number on your blade, so be ready to
sharpen or toss the edge used. How about your circ saw with a clamped
straight-edge guide for the left side of the saw (assuming blade on
the right).

In article .com,
wrote:
I made a newbie mistake. I'm building a "built-in" set of shelves out
of birch plywood -resting them on cleats nailed to the wall. The
shelves are going in a little aclove and are spanning the entire
distance. Unfortunately when I measured the space for the shelves I
measured the space along the wall where the back of the shelves would
be. However, now that we are installing the finished and urethaned
shelves I notice that the walls aren't entirely straight and the front
of the shelf is just a little to big to fit in nicely - maybe less than
1/8" too big.

What's the best way to shave down the edge of the plywood to make it
fit? The urethane is (mostly) not on the sides -just the top and
bottom. Should I use a file, finish sander with low grit, hand plane or
something else? I've got 5 shelves to do this to.

BTW, no tablesaw - I built these using only a circular saw and router,
so no fancy TS solutions please.

Thanks!

-Bob


For an 1/8" or so with least damage to finish my choice would be the
router with straight bit & a straight edge to guide it. For less than
1 1/16, a decent low-angle block plane with a sharp blade would
probably be OK too. (Did I mention a sharp blade)


--

Larry Wasserman Baltimore, Maryland

I had a similar problem. I cut the 1/4 cabinet backs about an 1/8 too
wide. I needed to shave exactly an 1/8 inch off. So, I went to the
router table and put two 1/8 inch washers behind the fence face on the
"outfeed side" to make the two fence faces 1/8 inch different. I lined
a straight router bit up with the outfeed side and ran the plywood
through. Worked perfectly. Nice clean cuts.

Dave

wrote:
I made a newbie mistake. I'm building a "built-in" set of shelves out
of birch plywood -resting them on cleats nailed to the wall. The
shelves are going in a little aclove and are spanning the entire
distance. Unfortunately when I measured the space for the shelves I
measured the space along the wall where the back of the shelves would
be. However, now that we are installing the finished and urethaned
shelves I notice that the walls aren't entirely straight and the front
of the shelf is just a little to big to fit in nicely - maybe less than
1/8" too big.

What's the best way to shave down the edge of the plywood to make it
fit? The urethane is (mostly) not on the sides -just the top and
bottom. Should I use a file, finish sander with low grit, hand plane or
something else? I've got 5 shelves to do this to.

BTW, no tablesaw - I built these using only a circular saw and router,
so no fancy TS solutions please.

Thanks!

-Bob

I don't think there's a need to scribe - this is my first project and
its going into a closet that only my wife and I will see. The walls
aren't THAT wavy, and most of all I'm not working to those kind of
tolerances that I can follow a scribed line that is not straight. My
skills aren't there yet. I just need to shave off a straight line and
that's good enough.

I don't have a belt sander, but I've got a 1/4 sheet finish sander -
would that have enough power to do it? Wouldn't it just pull the
plywood apart at the edge?

Would either a sander or circular saw mess up the urethane finish just
next to the cut line?

If you use a circular saw, tape the good surface with 3m blue tape and
cut from the bottom side (remember: good side up on a table saw; bottom
side up when using a circular saw). A sander wouldn't mess up the top
if you handle it well.

Dave

wrote:

I don't think there's a need to scribe - this is my first project and
its going into a closet that only my wife and I will see. The walls
aren't THAT wavy, and most of all I'm not working to those kind of
tolerances that I can follow a scribed line that is not straight. My
skills aren't there yet. I just need to shave off a straight line and
that's good enough.

I don't have a belt sander, but I've got a 1/4 sheet finish sander -
would that have enough power to do it? Wouldn't it just pull the
plywood apart at the edge?

Would either a sander or circular saw mess up the urethane finish just
next to the cut line?

David wrote:

alexy wrote:


But tricky to scribe to a line if it won't fit (have to hold at an
angle, I guess; less than ideal).

The workpiece NEVER "fits" when scribed. That's the whole point of
scribing--to MAKE it fit to the wall.

Dave

Normally, to scribe the right end, you would hold the piece in exactly
the position where it will go, but shifted, e.g. 1/2" to the left, and
scribe off of the right wall. But he can't do that if the board won't
fit in the alcove. He will have to hold it at an angle, which will
throw the scribing off, although not enough to make a difference, and
be a PITA.
--
Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently.

Doesn't matter now. He isn't gonna scribe it.

Dave

alexy wrote:

David wrote:


alexy wrote:


But tricky to scribe to a line if it won't fit (have to hold at an
angle, I guess; less than ideal).


The workpiece NEVER "fits" when scribed. That's the whole point of
scribing--to MAKE it fit to the wall.

Dave


Normally, to scribe the right end, you would hold the piece in exactly
the position where it will go, but shifted, e.g. 1/2" to the left, and
scribe off of the right wall. But he can't do that if the board won't
fit in the alcove. He will have to hold it at an angle, which will
throw the scribing off, although not enough to make a difference, and
be a PITA.

David wrote:

If you use a circular saw, tape the good surface with 3m blue tape and
cut from the bottom side
OP: I like Dave's tape idea better than the knife cut I recommended --
less opportunity to screw up.
--
Alex -- Replace "nospam" with "mail" to reply by email. Checked infrequently.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think I'll try the circular saw.

I've got 5 shelves so I actually might try a couple of different ways -
I figure this is a first project and should be a learning experience,
provided I don't make it look bad. Sounds like keeping the finish in
good condition is doable with some care - which was my main concern.
Thanks!

On 8 Jun 2005 07:34:39 -0700, wrote:

What's the best way to shave down the edge of the plywood to make it
fit?

A little alcove? Only 5 shelves? Cheap plywood [not walnut]? Recut
them, and use the original for another project, scrap, or firewood.

wrote:
I made a newbie mistake. I'm building a "built-in" set of shelves out
of birch plywood -resting them on cleats nailed to the wall. The
shelves are going in a little aclove and are spanning the entire
distance. Unfortunately when I measured the space for the shelves I
measured the space along the wall where the back of the shelves would
be. However, now that we are installing the finished and urethaned
shelves I notice that the walls aren't entirely straight and the front
of the shelf is just a little to big to fit in nicely - maybe less
than 1/8" too big.

What's the best way to shave down the edge of the plywood to make it
fit?

A. Scribe the board directly. If you can't, measure the angle with a
bevel and transfer to board.

B. Use belt sander or router to cut off excess. With a router, clamp a
straight edge parallel to your scribed line.

C. Fact of life...walls are *never* perpendicular or parallel to each
other. Not nowadays.

--
dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico

Just as a follow-up, I tried something not suggested here and it seems
to have worked pretty well. I bought a little drum-sander bit that is
for a Dremel tool and put it in my RotoZip. It buzzed down the edge of
the plywood very nicely and made it very easy to "tune" the plywood to
the wall.

In article .com,
wrote:

I don't think there's a need to scribe - this is my first project and
its going into a closet that only my wife and I will see. The walls
aren't THAT wavy, and most of all I'm not working to those kind of
tolerances that I can follow a scribed line that is not straight. My
skills aren't there yet. I just need to shave off a straight line and
that's good enough.

I don't have a belt sander, but I've got a 1/4 sheet finish sander -
would that have enough power to do it? Wouldn't it just pull the
plywood apart at the edge?

the 1/4 sheet finish sander is likely to bugger up the job and take
forever doing it.



Would either a sander or circular saw mess up the urethane finish just
next to the cut line?


circular saw or router would be my choice out of the tools you
mentioned. use a straight edge clamped on as a guide with either of
them. masking tape will protect the surface.