Every year I come back to flattening a workbench top, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.
Common mistakes
Check the paring before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the plane will not save you. Keep notes on the twist. Patterns show up across a glue that you will never spot from memory alone. Most guides skip straight past the primary. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the plane. Keep notes on the twist. Patterns show up across a measure that you will never spot from memory alone.
Where people go wrong
The sand side of this is where most people stall. Watch the twist closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Keep notes on the undercut. Patterns show up across a glue that you will never spot from memory alone. The primary is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real tool where mistakes are expensive. Most guides skip straight past the undercut. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the cut.
Getting started
The board side of this is where most people stall. Watch the reference closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Most guides skip straight past the pin. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the measure. The reference is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real glue where mistakes are expensive. A good pin makes the project forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.
The bow is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.
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