The top photos shows a trying plane used on its side on an 18 inch long shooting board to plane the end grain square in both respects, and with out chipping out the annoying end bit. The handle looks awkward but is very useful to help push the plane along. This hand grip is very comfortable. The trying plane and/or the smoothing plane are very successful for trimming end grain up to 1 inch thick. The shavings you can see are all end grain shavings.

The finished product. End grain that is square, is not chipped out on the end and is ready for final sanding.

This method is without a doubt a very efficient way to square and finish the end of a piece of wood.

For more information on shooting boards and bench accessories contact Micheal Connor Woodworks by clicking here.

If you can't plane the end grain using a shooting board, the other option is to hold the wood in a vice and plane
it using a block plane. Note your right hand is held close
to your body so you can use your body weight to help push the plane. Your left hand controls the plane for a
nice even cut. This is a difficult planing operation and
you must ensure you control the plane for good results. You should be getting a nice full width/length shaving it you are doing it right.

                        
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