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What should my first hand plane be?
Your first purchases should be a low-angle block plane and a shoulder plane, above. Both help you put a refining touch on the less-than-perfect cuts produced by your power tools. For example, with a few strokes, a finely tuned low-angle block plane shaves burn marks or fuzz off end grain that saw blades leave behind.
How do hand planes work?
A hand plane works by shaving off thin layers (shavings, or chips) as it is pushed along or across a piece of wood. This reduces the wood to the required size, levels it, puts a smooth finish on the surface, or cuts a recess that can be used in joint-making (joining pieces of wood together).
Are hand planes worth it?
If you’re a woodworker who needs to straighten or smooth wood, a hand plane is a must for your tool set. Whether shaving down a wood door that’s sticking or smoothing the surface of a wavy board, no tool works quite as well as a hand plane.
Why does my hand plane chatter?
This chatter is the result of minute, iterant plane iron flex as the plane is thrust forward in plain planing fashion. Below is a pristine oak surface produced with an iron extended 3/16″ from the cap iron.
How do you set up a hand plane?
Planing With a Hand Plane Choose the appropriate hand plane for your job. Sharpen the blade of the plane. Adjust the angle of the blade. Plane the surface of the wood. Avoid tear-out by cutting along the grain of the wood. Check the accuracy of your planing.
Why to use a hand plane?
A hand plane is a tool for shaping wood using muscle power to force the cutting blade over the wood surface. Some rotary power planers are motorized power tools used for the same types of larger tasks, but are unsuitable for fine scale planing where a miniature hand plane is used.
How do you use a wood plane?
Plane the surface of the wood. Begin smoothing and flattening your wood by placing the plane at the edge of the surface. As you apply downward pressure on the front knob and press forward with the back handle, push the plane across the surface in a smooth, continuous motion.