: I am also learning the hard way the importance of grain orientation. I set
: the two center strips aside on purpose to use for the keel line because I
: thought they looked cool. What I am finding is that I won't be able to
: sand them the same as the rest of the hull but will need to either plane
: them or scrape them with a paint scraper.
: I just got lucky I guess on the rest of the boat because I really wasn't
: paying that much attention to the direction of the grain on the boards I
: was using.

: I still have a long way to go to catch up with you. I'm just starting to fill
: in the cockpit and have the vertical part of the coaming etc before
: starting to glass. No rush though, its better to take your time and enjoy
: it!

Hi David and Ben

What kind of problem are you two having with the wood/grain? Is it just hard, making a chatter, chipping out or what? In the case of being hard to sand, if it's up above the rest of the wood, consider tilting your sander up and direction the cutting edge on the pine alone, to take it down. First scribble a pencil all over and around the area to shade it, that way you will see just what you are taking off and you can more accurately direct the cutting edge.

If you are planing and still having problems, try a very "scary" sharp edge on your plane blade and side/slipping the plane at about a 30* angle. If it's sharp enough and you use a slicing movement, the grain orientation doesn't usually make any difference. If you have extra time and some fine sanding paper ( as in the "scary sharp" method ) you might consider polishing the bottom of your plane as well.

As a last resort, because it's labor intensive, you might use a course file, and then a finer one to take the obstinant(?) wood down. Again, use the pencil scribble to see what and how you are doing.

The extra work is sometimes the price we pay for a little better product. What you are doing and looking for is creativity and excellence. Don't ever second guess yourself, but be patient and work slower and more deliberate and you will be very happy with the outcome. Food for Thought. Hope this helps.

Rehd