Menu Close

How do hand planes work?

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).

Why do you need a hand planer?

When Would You Use a Hand Planer? A hand planer can pare off just a thin slice of wood, no tool is better for shaving the edge of a sticking door, chamfering the corner of a board, or straightening one that is twisted or warped. That’s why most carpenters still pack a hand plane or two in their toolboxes.

Do you need a hand plane?

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.

What is a plane tool used for?

Plane, in carpentry, tool made in a wide variety of sizes, used for removing rough surfaces on wood and for reducing it to size.

Are hand planers good?

Electric handheld planers come in all kinds of sizes and can do all kinds of jobs. They are essential for standard construction jobs like erecting stud-work. They can help you reclaim old timber by quickly stripping away discolored wood and squaring up battered edges.

What should I look for in a hand planer?

It is usually a compact smaller format that easily fits the hand. Block Plane widths are generally <1-1/2″, and the blade is set in the tool with the bevel side up….Block Plane

  • Smooth milling marks.
  • Chamfer or ease sharp edges.
  • Smooth end grain.
  • Fit parts like doors.
  • Square up smaller stock.

Are hand planes hard to use?

Planes are surprisingly simple tools but, as with all new things, there’s a bit of a learning curve. To start, you’ll need to understand the parts and make sure that they are assembled correctly. Next, you’ll need a sharp blade and a bit of practice.

What plane should I buy first?

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.

What do hand plane numbers mean?

#1 size hand planes are very small and rare and basically unusable by most adults. The numbers 1 to 8 simply refer to different lengths of plane with #1 being (very) short and #8 being pretty long. As the numbers and length increase so does the width: a #4 has a narrow blade while an #8’s blade is wide.

Why do some people use a hand plane?

“First, I am primarily a turner, so my use of hand planes is limited. Part of my limitation with planes is in tuning, getting the blade position just so. It’s sharp, but often high on one side. The other part is laziness. I have a 22/44 surface planer, and it’s so easy to just run a board through there.”

What do carpenters use a hand plane for?

The typical carpenter lugged around a whole chestful of planes, each with its own special function. Today, power tools — routers, jointers, belt sanders, and power planers — do the same tasks much faster, relegating many old planes to the shelves of collectors. There aren’t as many types as there once were, but the hand plane is far from extinct.

Which is the best hand plane to buy?

Buy this one first. It’s the smallest, least expensive (less than $170 for quality makes), and most versatile of all planes. You can use a block plane to trim just about anything: easing sharp edges, flush-trimming dovetails or wood plugs, or chamfering elements, as shown at right, quicker than it takes to set up a router.

Is the hand plane part of your tool chest?

If a hand plane isn’t part of your tool chest, it should be. This versatile, inexpensive, and easy to handle manual tool is a classic that has been used by woodworkers for ages for fine carpentry.