He continues to blog and publish woodworking books at Lost Art Press. Despite the name, a smoothing plane is not actually used for flattening wood which is one of the first planing steps you take when preparing dimensional lumber.
5-1/2 is a perfect companion to the woodworker with a powered jointer and planer and who doesnt want to set up a bunch of planes. This step sees the largest strokes used to smooth out the largest workpieces and consequently uses the largest wood plane to go along with it.
It does work beautifully.
And adjusting the depth of cut is no fun either because of the cramped area behind the frog.
Oh, and youll want to keep some paraffin on hand to wax the sole.
Cutter width: 1-3/4. 2 bench plane unless you stumble on some unique application. Commonly called a jack plane, the No.
Required fields are marked *. By virtue of its longish sole it also tends to straighten the wood to some degree.
Faithfull FAIPLANE4C (Check Price on Amazon), Grizzly Industrial H7566-14 Jack Plane (Check Price on Amazon), Grizzly Industrial H7568-22 Jointer Plane (Check Price on Amazon), Stanley 1-12-137 Low Angle Plane (Check Price on Amazon), WoodRiver #92 Shoulder Plane (Check Price on Amazon), Grizzly Industrial H7567-8-1/2 Plane (Check Price on Amazon), Cowryman Router Plane (Check Price on Amazon), KAKURI Japanese Block Plane (Check Price on Amazon). 5 or its bevel-up equivalent. 2.
And accurately prepped stock can help you when its time to cut your joints.
This is the least common step when planing a woodworking project as many projects will not require this step at all. I spend most of my free time working on woodworking projects and writing for this blog.
It is designed to make people pick it up and say, Its so cute! And its designed to empty your wallet its easy to spend $1,000 on a vintage No. As for removing tear-out, its the soles small length that makes this possible. While there are powered alternatives available, they do not produce the best results and are ultimately inferior for high-craft projects. Other than that detail, the trade-offs are the same when you consider a bevel-up vs. a bevel-down tool. Apart from that, I also enjoy weightlifting and chess.
It seems a no-brainer.
1, such as working linenfold panels.
5-1/2 to refine the stock; the No. In this instance, you will certainly need to flatten the dimensional lumber before you begin working to make sure that every piece and joint can fit snugly without a seam. This depends more on your workbench with wood planes able to lay blade down on wooden ones but should be laid on their side on metal benches.
6 bench plane, which Stanley actually called a fore plane, gets a bad rap. Whether you choose a larger wood plane that takes out significantly larger sheaves of wood or a smaller wood plane for more refined work, the fact remains that it needs to accomplish its goal to the utmost degree.
5-1/2 is 6 longer than a typical smoothing plane, I think a legitimate case can be made today that it serves as a smoothing plane more often than not.
While most high-end planes use high-grade steel for the blade, Japanese planes use softer steel at the top of the blade to make it easier to sharpen.
While it is still fairly large, the jack plane is small enough to handle medium-sized workpieces without batting an eye while also flattening larger workpieces. While bullnose planes may seem somewhat similar to a shoulder plane, their purpose is mostly to work into corners and with rabbet finishing.
All the extra mass and width makes the No.
I use a No.
This is a tremendous game-changing advantage and is the reason that I really like the bevel-up tools and keep one handy thats set with a high cutting angle (I like 62).
This is usually caused by not properly setting up the planes. The only plane Ive had is a Record 5-1/2 purchased new many years ago. The No. No, this isnt an error. And holding the tool makes you feel like youre an awkward giant. With a price like that, its got to be one amazing and useful plane, right?
Instead, a smoothing plane is used for one of the last steps when making a woodworking project potentially right before you treat the wood if you plan to do so. Though jointer planes work exceptionally well for removing large amounts of wood for larger workpieces, the jack plane takes significantly more strokes to accomplish this task on the largest workpieces. The primary job of jointer planes is to straighten the wood, a task it excels at by virtue of its long sole (the longer the sole, the straighter the resulting work). A spring joint is where you plane the middle section of the edge a wee bit hollow.
3 for two things: smoothing small-scale parts (such as narrow rails, stiles, muntins and mullions) and for removing tear-out in very localized areas in a larger panel.
While this is all good, it requires that the manufacturers apply more expensive fabrication techniques and use higher quality materials in the construction which inherently drives up the price of a wood plane. Some woodworkers buy a No.
4-1/2 is a little bigger than the No. The good news is that No. Due to their size with a body that ranges anywhere from 20 to 24 inches in length, jack planes are able to apply their action over a larger area of the wood and come in No.s 7 and 8.
The No. It allows you to create precise cuts, plane grooves, level the bottoms of joints such as dados or mortises. Sorry, but thats how I feel. I think the No. Traditional bevel-down planes have the blade adjuster right where you want it: in front of your fingers. That is why this article examines the humble wood plane, breaking down the different types of manual wood planes and their uses.
He's a hand-tool enthusiast (though he uses power tools, too).
2 bench plane. As such, your wood plane needs to be machined and built with the same level of precision that it is expected to perform at. Thanks Patrick!
In this instance, storing a wood plane is not functionally different from storing any other tool whether hand or powered with the most important factor being away from the elements.
3 goes where my other tools simply wont.
This alignment allows errant slivers of wood to effortlessly glide up the chip breaker rather than be driven back into the mouth of the plane.
I use a No. However, anyone trying to make a piece of furniture that they would not only like to show off but presumably use in their home for years, likely want the project to look as good as it can. This works as a bit of a double-edged sword since Japanese planes are otherwise extremely easy to use, but they are also a bit more limited in terms of an individual planes scope. This approach extends the amount of time and energy required to do the same task.
Ive set them up as jointer planes, and they work surprisingly well at that task. English craftsman David Charlesworth. While this allows you to ensure that you do not gouge or accidentally remove too much material, it also means that you have to make more strokes. Some like it straight. In fact, its quite possible to do all the typical bench plane chores with just one tool (more on that later). Ive owned a few No 6s and actually like them.
These are important to some woodworkers (myself included) and insignificant to others. Theres just less iron swinging around I guess.
Smoothing planes have a sole that ranges from 5 to 10 long.
7.
So it requires more effort to push the tool forward.
Youd put a heavily cambered iron in the tool, open up the mouth all the way and take off huge ribbons of wood. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
Cutter width: 2 to 2-1/4.
7. Paul Sellers also show how to convert a #4 into a scrub plane, so a 5-1/4 would be just fine.
1 planes. When people ask me what plane to buy if they only bought one, I usually recommend a No.
Has anyone tried that?
All that said, the bevel-up planes are extraordinary tools for eliminating tear-out. With a sharp iron and mild material I can remove almost 1/16 off at a time. This might seem somewhat counter-intuitive given that few hand tools or power tools differentiate based on size, but this taxonomy favors size due to the specific task different sizes work better for. It is typically the last plane to touch the wood. If you focus more of your woodworking craft on producing smaller projects with a high degree of precision and detail, you will need a vastly different wood plane than if your projects focus more on larger pieces of wood. 8 in my shop at home (perhaps so I dont have to share).
8 seems only a little bigger than the No. While all wood planes require constant pressure applied over a long stroke, jack planes arguably require this more than others due to the size of pieces they work on and the amount of wood they remove.
I was introduced to woodworking by my grandfather when I was 11 years old.
I have only limited experience with this tool and have never owned one. This allows wood planes to more easily smooth out and flatten the roughest of lumber, though it potentially tears out more wood if you make a mistake.
The bevel-up jointer plane doesnt give me that same feedback. This is useful when dealing with patches of tough grain. Keep in mind, blade down is the ideal position as this prevents any accidental cuts and prevents other metal tools from potentially damaging the wood plane. 4 smoothing plane is historically the most common size.
Like my experiments with a No. Keep in mind, most wood planes operate under similar principles with the biggest difference hinging on the size of the blade and the amount of wood you need to remove.
This is a deceptively simple question in that it appears to cover one thing but actually incorporates a number of smaller details in the question. In truth, the No.
Or you can scrape the top and thats one of the best tasks for a scraper plane.
5-1/2 is a perfect companion to the woodworker with a powered jointer and planer and who doesnt want to set up a bunch of planes. This step sees the largest strokes used to smooth out the largest workpieces and consequently uses the largest wood plane to go along with it.
It does work beautifully.
And adjusting the depth of cut is no fun either because of the cramped area behind the frog.
Oh, and youll want to keep some paraffin on hand to wax the sole.
Cutter width: 1-3/4. 2 bench plane unless you stumble on some unique application. Commonly called a jack plane, the No.
Required fields are marked *. By virtue of its longish sole it also tends to straighten the wood to some degree.
Faithfull FAIPLANE4C (Check Price on Amazon), Grizzly Industrial H7566-14 Jack Plane (Check Price on Amazon), Grizzly Industrial H7568-22 Jointer Plane (Check Price on Amazon), Stanley 1-12-137 Low Angle Plane (Check Price on Amazon), WoodRiver #92 Shoulder Plane (Check Price on Amazon), Grizzly Industrial H7567-8-1/2 Plane (Check Price on Amazon), Cowryman Router Plane (Check Price on Amazon), KAKURI Japanese Block Plane (Check Price on Amazon). 5 or its bevel-up equivalent. 2.
And accurately prepped stock can help you when its time to cut your joints.
This is the least common step when planing a woodworking project as many projects will not require this step at all. I spend most of my free time working on woodworking projects and writing for this blog.
It is designed to make people pick it up and say, Its so cute! And its designed to empty your wallet its easy to spend $1,000 on a vintage No. As for removing tear-out, its the soles small length that makes this possible. While there are powered alternatives available, they do not produce the best results and are ultimately inferior for high-craft projects. Other than that detail, the trade-offs are the same when you consider a bevel-up vs. a bevel-down tool. Apart from that, I also enjoy weightlifting and chess.
It seems a no-brainer.
1, such as working linenfold panels.
5-1/2 to refine the stock; the No. In this instance, you will certainly need to flatten the dimensional lumber before you begin working to make sure that every piece and joint can fit snugly without a seam. This depends more on your workbench with wood planes able to lay blade down on wooden ones but should be laid on their side on metal benches.
6 bench plane, which Stanley actually called a fore plane, gets a bad rap. Whether you choose a larger wood plane that takes out significantly larger sheaves of wood or a smaller wood plane for more refined work, the fact remains that it needs to accomplish its goal to the utmost degree.
5-1/2 is 6 longer than a typical smoothing plane, I think a legitimate case can be made today that it serves as a smoothing plane more often than not.
While most high-end planes use high-grade steel for the blade, Japanese planes use softer steel at the top of the blade to make it easier to sharpen.
While it is still fairly large, the jack plane is small enough to handle medium-sized workpieces without batting an eye while also flattening larger workpieces. While bullnose planes may seem somewhat similar to a shoulder plane, their purpose is mostly to work into corners and with rabbet finishing.
All the extra mass and width makes the No.
I use a No.
This is a tremendous game-changing advantage and is the reason that I really like the bevel-up tools and keep one handy thats set with a high cutting angle (I like 62).
This is usually caused by not properly setting up the planes. The only plane Ive had is a Record 5-1/2 purchased new many years ago. The No. No, this isnt an error. And holding the tool makes you feel like youre an awkward giant. With a price like that, its got to be one amazing and useful plane, right?
Instead, a smoothing plane is used for one of the last steps when making a woodworking project potentially right before you treat the wood if you plan to do so. Though jointer planes work exceptionally well for removing large amounts of wood for larger workpieces, the jack plane takes significantly more strokes to accomplish this task on the largest workpieces. The primary job of jointer planes is to straighten the wood, a task it excels at by virtue of its long sole (the longer the sole, the straighter the resulting work). A spring joint is where you plane the middle section of the edge a wee bit hollow.
3 for two things: smoothing small-scale parts (such as narrow rails, stiles, muntins and mullions) and for removing tear-out in very localized areas in a larger panel.
While this is all good, it requires that the manufacturers apply more expensive fabrication techniques and use higher quality materials in the construction which inherently drives up the price of a wood plane. Some woodworkers buy a No.
4-1/2 is a little bigger than the No. The good news is that No. Due to their size with a body that ranges anywhere from 20 to 24 inches in length, jack planes are able to apply their action over a larger area of the wood and come in No.s 7 and 8.
The No. It allows you to create precise cuts, plane grooves, level the bottoms of joints such as dados or mortises. Sorry, but thats how I feel. I think the No. Traditional bevel-down planes have the blade adjuster right where you want it: in front of your fingers. That is why this article examines the humble wood plane, breaking down the different types of manual wood planes and their uses.
He's a hand-tool enthusiast (though he uses power tools, too).
2 bench plane. As such, your wood plane needs to be machined and built with the same level of precision that it is expected to perform at. Thanks Patrick!
In this instance, storing a wood plane is not functionally different from storing any other tool whether hand or powered with the most important factor being away from the elements.
3 goes where my other tools simply wont.
This alignment allows errant slivers of wood to effortlessly glide up the chip breaker rather than be driven back into the mouth of the plane.
I use a No. However, anyone trying to make a piece of furniture that they would not only like to show off but presumably use in their home for years, likely want the project to look as good as it can. This works as a bit of a double-edged sword since Japanese planes are otherwise extremely easy to use, but they are also a bit more limited in terms of an individual planes scope. This approach extends the amount of time and energy required to do the same task.
Ive set them up as jointer planes, and they work surprisingly well at that task. English craftsman David Charlesworth. While this allows you to ensure that you do not gouge or accidentally remove too much material, it also means that you have to make more strokes. Some like it straight. In fact, its quite possible to do all the typical bench plane chores with just one tool (more on that later). Ive owned a few No 6s and actually like them.
These are important to some woodworkers (myself included) and insignificant to others. Theres just less iron swinging around I guess.
Smoothing planes have a sole that ranges from 5 to 10 long.
7.
So it requires more effort to push the tool forward.
Youd put a heavily cambered iron in the tool, open up the mouth all the way and take off huge ribbons of wood. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.
Cutter width: 2 to 2-1/4.
7. Paul Sellers also show how to convert a #4 into a scrub plane, so a 5-1/4 would be just fine.
1 planes. When people ask me what plane to buy if they only bought one, I usually recommend a No.
Has anyone tried that?
All that said, the bevel-up planes are extraordinary tools for eliminating tear-out. With a sharp iron and mild material I can remove almost 1/16 off at a time. This might seem somewhat counter-intuitive given that few hand tools or power tools differentiate based on size, but this taxonomy favors size due to the specific task different sizes work better for. It is typically the last plane to touch the wood. If you focus more of your woodworking craft on producing smaller projects with a high degree of precision and detail, you will need a vastly different wood plane than if your projects focus more on larger pieces of wood. 8 in my shop at home (perhaps so I dont have to share).
8 seems only a little bigger than the No. While all wood planes require constant pressure applied over a long stroke, jack planes arguably require this more than others due to the size of pieces they work on and the amount of wood they remove.
I was introduced to woodworking by my grandfather when I was 11 years old.
I have only limited experience with this tool and have never owned one. This allows wood planes to more easily smooth out and flatten the roughest of lumber, though it potentially tears out more wood if you make a mistake.
The bevel-up jointer plane doesnt give me that same feedback. This is useful when dealing with patches of tough grain. Keep in mind, blade down is the ideal position as this prevents any accidental cuts and prevents other metal tools from potentially damaging the wood plane. 4 smoothing plane is historically the most common size.
Like my experiments with a No. Keep in mind, most wood planes operate under similar principles with the biggest difference hinging on the size of the blade and the amount of wood you need to remove.
This is a deceptively simple question in that it appears to cover one thing but actually incorporates a number of smaller details in the question. In truth, the No.
Or you can scrape the top and thats one of the best tasks for a scraper plane.