The Essential Block Plane How to Choose and Use Woodworking’S Most Popular Trimmer
The Essential Block Plane How to choose and use woodworking’s most popular trimmer By Craig Bentzley It’s no secret that I love hand plane. Available in a variety of What to look for planes and own way too many in a block plane of them–about 250 at last it’s small, relatively inexpensive, As shown in Figure 1 and count. Many of them perform andconfigurations even kind of (as cute. shown But above),it’s Photo A, a block plane is a highly specialized tasks and fairly basic tool. That said, for don’t see use very often. But up and tuned, a good quality good performance, avoid cheap, there’s one type of plane that’s blockdefinitely plane not is aadept toy. Properly at handling set rudimentary hardware store a stand-out exception: the block all sorts of shop chores and is versions. The most important plane. In fact, when I’m asked likely to become one of your most features to look for in a good by beginning woodworkers used hand tools. I’ll discuss what what plane they should to look for in a good block plane, reliable and easy-to-use depth-of- start out with, that’s the one how to set one up, and how to cutblock adjustment, plane include and a an flat adjustable sole, a that always tops the list. use it to your best advantage. throat. You’ll also want the tool The ubiquitous block plane Once you make friends with to feel comfortable in your hand. is probably owned by more a block plane, you’ll wonder Unlike most bench planes, the people than any other hand how you did without one.
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