I would have loved to have called this post "10 tips for
flattening boards" or something like that. However, I don't
happen to own a jointer so right now, all I can think of one
item to list -- get a jointer!  Not having a jointer isn't the
end of the world though. It definitely makes for a tougher time
getting things flat and square though. It ends up being a matter
of patience. I used my recently restored Stanley No. 5 Jack
Plane to do the flattening. I had naive thoughts that this would
go quickly, but I ended up fiddling with the plane a bit until
it was adjusted just right. Some people might suggest a #6 or #7
plane since they are longer, but the boards I was working on
weren't that long to begin with. Plus, I currently don't own
either one of those so it makes it easy to decide which plane to
use.  After I spent an hour flattening to boards, I switched to
my restored Stanley No. 4 to smooth them. This went really quick
because I've already tuned that plane and have learned how to
make it sing.  Maybe I