A plane is a tool for shaping wood. Planes are used to flatten, reduce the thickness of, and impart a smooth surface to a rough piece of lumber. Special types of planes are designed to cut joints or decorative mouldings. Image File history File links Kanna2. ... A modern hammer is directly descended from ancient hand tools A tool or device is a piece of equipment that most commonly provides a mechanical advantage in accomplishing a physical task. ... Trunks A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ... Lumber is the name used, generally in North America, for wood that has been cut into boards or other shapes for the purpose of woodworking or construction. ... Joinery is the part of woodworking that involves the joining together of parts of wood. ... Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various cross sections used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. ...

Hand planes are generally the combination of a cutting edge, such as a sharpened metal plate, attached to a firm body, that when moved over a wood surface, take up relatively uniform shavings, by nature of the body riding on the 'high spots' in the wood, and also by providing a relatively constant angle to the cutting edge, render the planed surface very smooth. A cutter which extends below the bottom surface, or sole, of the plane slices off shavings of wood. A large, flat sole on a plane guides the cutter to remove only the highest parts of an imperfect surface, until, after several passes, the surface is flat and smooth.

Hand planes are ancient, originating thousands of years ago. Early planes were made from wood with a rectangular slot or mortise cut across the center of the body. The cutting blade or iron was held in place with a wooden wedge. The wedge was tapped into the mortise and adjusted with a small mallet, a piece of scrap wood or with the heel of the users hand. Planes of this type have been found in excavations of old sites as well as drawings of woodworking from medieval Europe and Asia. Roman planes found at Pompeii are largely similar to planes in use today. In fact wooden planes can still be bought from modern plane makers. As time went on, though, some people began to make plane bodies out of cast iron or even bronze. Though most planes are pushed across a piece of wood, holding it with one or both hands, Japanese planes are pulled toward the body, not pushed away. Simple and strong, the mortise and tenon joint (also called the mortice and tenon) has been used for centuries by woodworkers around the world to join two pieces of wood, most often at an angle close to 90°. Although there are many variations on the theme, the basic idea is... A mallet is a type of hammer, and is manufactured in different designs according to their intended use. ... A computer-generated depiction of the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 which buried Pompeii, from the BBCs Pompeii: The Last Day. ... Cast iron usually refers to grey cast iron, but can mean any of a group of iron-based alloys containing more than 2% carbon (alloys with less carbon are carbon steel by definition). ... Assorted ancient Bronze castings found as part of a cache, probably intended for recycling. ... The Japanese plane or kanna ) is a plane made from a block of hardwood with a shaped hole which takes the blade and chip breaker. ...

Woodworking machinery that perform the same function as hand planes include the jointer and the thicknesser or thickness planer. Woodworking machinery is any machine that is intended to convert wood into objects for human use. ... Jointer A jointer (also known as a planer, surface planer, buzzer, or flat top) is a woodworking machine used in woodworking to produce a flat surface on a board. ... A thicknesser (also known as a thickness planer) is a woodworking machine which is used to create boards that are of an even thickness throughout their length. ...

Parts of a Plane

Parts of a plane

Two styles of plane are shown with some parts labeled. The top of the image is a bench plane; the bottom is a block plane. Parts of a Plane This image shows two types of planes (woodworking tools) and labels some of the parts. ... Parts of a Plane This image shows two types of planes (woodworking tools) and labels some of the parts. ...

• A: The Mouth is an opening in the bottom of the plane down through which the blade extends, and up through which wood shavings pass.
• B: The Iron is a plate of steel with a sharpened edge which cuts the wood.
• C: The Lever cap holds the blade down firmly to the body of the plane.
• D: The Depth adjustment knob controls how far the blade extends through the mouth.
• E: The Knob is a handle on the front of the plane.
• F: The Chipbreaker or Cap iron serves to make the blade more rigid and to curl and break apart wood shavings as they pass through the mouth.
• G: The Lateral adjustment lever is used to adjust the iron so that the depth of cut is uniform across the mouth.
• H: The Tote is a handle on the rear of the plane.
• I: The Finger rest knob Block planes are held in the palm of the hand the tip of the user's index finger rests in the indentation on top of the knob.
• J: The Frog is a sliding iron wedge that holds the plane Iron at the proper angle. It slides to adjust the gap between the cutting edge and the front of the mouth. The frog is screwed down to the inside of the sole through two parallel slots and on many planes is only adjustable with a screwdriver when the plane iron is removed. Some planes, such as the Stanley Bedrock line and the bench planes made by Lie-Nielsen have a screw mechanism that allows the frog to be adjusted without removing the blade.

Stanley is an old masculine name from the 11th and 12th century English contraction of Stoney Meadow. It is also the name of a number of places, and has other miscellaneous uses. ... Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, Inc. ...

Types of Planes

Modern wooden plane

Planes are sometimes categorized as bench planes or block planes. Bench planes are characterized by a cutting iron bedded with the bevel facing down, attached to a chipbreaker. Block planes are characterized by a cutting iron bedded with the bevel up, and the absence of a chipbreaker. The block plane can be held with one hand and is used for general purpose work such as taking down a knot in the wood, smoothing up small pieces, making the end of a sawed board square and smooth, etc. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (872x580, 443 KB) En: Photo of wooden plane. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (872x580, 443 KB) En: Photo of wooden plane. ... A block plane is a tool for woodworking which typicially has the iron bedded at a lower angle, with the bevel up. ...

Stanley No. 32 transitional jointer plane (26 inches long)

Different types of bench planes are designed to perform different tasks, with the name and size of the plane being defined by the use. They are designed to be used in order: Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1612x1054, 200 KB) Picture of Stanley No. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1612x1054, 200 KB) Picture of Stanley No. ...

• A scrub plane, which removes large amounts of wood quickly, is typically around 9 inches (230 mm) in length, but narrower than a smoothing plane.
• A jack plane is around 14 inches (350 mm) long, continues the job of roughing out, but with more accuracy than the scrub.
• A jointer plane (including the smaller fore plane) is between 18 to 24 inches (450-600 mm) long, and is used for jointing and final flattening out of boards.
• A smoothing plane, up to 10 inches (250 mm) long, is used to begin preparing the surface for finishing.

Planes may also be classified by the material of which they are constructed: The scrub plane is a type of plane used to remove large amounts of wood, such as eliminating cup or twist in the first stages of preparing rough stock, or when reducing the thickness of a board significantly. ... A jack plane is the general-purpose bench plane, used for general smoothing the edges and sizing of wood. ... The jointer plane is a type of plane used to straighten the edges of boards to prepare them for gluing. ... Categories: Stub | Mechanical hand tools ...

• A wooden plane is entirely wood except for the blade. The iron is held into the plane with a wooden wedge, and is adjusted by striking the plane with a hammer.
• A transitional plane has a wooden body with a metal casting set in it to hold and adjust the blade.
• A metal plane is largely constructed of metal, except, perhaps, for the handles. The planes in the image are metal planes.
• An infill plane has a body of metal filled with wood on which the blade rests. They are mainly used for cutting cross grained woods.

Finger planes, seen in Copenhagen. Note the size.

Some special types of planes include: Image File history File linksMetadata Fingerhoevle. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Fingerhoevle. ...

• The shoulder plane, which trims tenons and other joints.
• The moulding plane, which is used to cut mouldings along the edge of a board
• The rabbet plane, also known as a rebate or openside plane, which cuts rabbets (shoulders, or steps) and dadoes.
• The router plane, which cuts grooves and shallow mortises.
• The chisel plane, which removes wood up to a perpendicular surface such as from the bottom inside of a box.
• The finger plane, which is used for smoothing very small pieces such as toy parts, very thin strips of wood, etc.
• The bullnose plane, which has no 'front' on its body, and so can be used in tight spaces like the backs of drawers or on large joint-knobs.
• The combination plane, which combines the function of a moulding and rabbet planes, having different cutters and adjustments
• The circular or compass plane, which utilizes an adjustment system to control the flex on a steel sheet sole and create a uniform curve. A concave setting permits great control for planning large curves, like table sides or chair arms, and the convex works well for chair arms, legs and backs, and other applications.

The shoulder plane is a type of rabbet plane, meaning that the iron extends the width of the plane. ... The shoulder plane is a type of rabbet plane, meaning that the blade extends, and thus cuts, the full width of the plane. ... A D-handle fixed-base router A router is a woodworking tool used to rout out (hollow out) an area in the face of a piece of wood. ...

Planing With the Grain

Grain direction can be determined by looking at the edge or side of the work piece. Wood fibers can be seen running out to the surface that is being planed. When the fibers meet the work surface it looks like the point of an arrow that indicates the direction. When planing "with the grain", thin shavings rise above the surface of the wood as the edge of the plane iron is pushed forward, leaving a smooth surface.

Planing wood should result in thin shavings rising above the surface of the wood as the edge of the plan iron is pushed forward, leaving a smooth surface. But sometimes splintering occurs. This is largely a matter of cutting with the grain or against the grain, respectively. The grain referred to in these phrases is the side grain of the piece of wood being worked. Image File history File links With-grain. ... Image File history File links With-grain. ... Trunks A tree trunk as found at the Veluwe, The Netherlands Wood is derived from woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs. ...

The grain direction can be determined by looking at the edge or side of the work piece. Wood fibers can be seen running out to the surface that is being planed. When the fibers meet the work surface it looks like the point of an arrow that indicates the direction.

Planing Against the Grain

When planing "against the grain", the wood fibers are lifted by the plane iron, resulting in a jagged surface.

When planing against the grain, the wood fibers are lifted by the plane iron, resulting in a jagged finish, called tearout. Image File history File links Against-grain. ... Image File history File links Against-grain. ...

Note that these diagrams and phrases apply to planing the wide face (flat grain) and/or long side (side grain) of a typical piece of lumber, which is cut so its wide face is along the grain. In other words, as part of the tree, the wide face was parallel to the pith and thus along (or parallel to) the direction of the dominant cells, or grain. Because of the nature of wood, planing the end grain of the board is physically different from planing the wide face or the long side. Lumber is the name used, generally in North America, for wood that has been cut into boards or other shapes for the purpose of woodworking or construction. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... The centre dark spot (about 1 mm diameter) in this yew wood is the pith Pith is a light substance that is found in vascular plants. ...

Stanley Planes

One of the most successful manufacturers of planes is The Stanley Works of New Britain, Connecticut, USA. In 1843 Frederick Trent Stanley established Stanley's Bolt Manufactory in New Britain to manufacture door bolts and other hardware from wrought iron. Then in 1857 Frederick's cousin Henry Stanley followed his example and founded The Stanley Rule and Level Company of New Britain. The two companies merged in 1920, and the Stanley Rule and Level Company became the Hand Tools Division of Stanley Works. Stanley Works (NYSE: SWK) are manufacturers of tools and hardware. ... Nickname: Hardware City Location within the state of Connecticut Coordinates: NECTA Hartford Region Central Connecticut Incorporated (town) 1850 Incorporated (city) 1870 Consolidated 1905 Government type Mayor-council Mayor Timothy T. Stewart Area    - City 34. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Frederick Trent Stanley (?-?) was an American industrialist. ... 1857 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ...

Since 1870 Stanley has sold millions of cast iron hand planes, many based on patents purchased from Leonard Bailey of Boston, Massachusetts. Over the years Stanley purchased many other patents and entire plane manufacturing companies, and continued to improve the design of its planes through the first half of the 20th century. 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Leonard Bailey (b. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ...

For descriptions of all plane models made by Stanley, see Patrick's Stanley Blood and Gore.

See also

• Shooting board
• Spokeshave

A shooting board is a woodworking workbench accessory which is used in combination with a hand plane to trim and square up the edges and ends of boards. ... Spokeshaves A spokeshave is a tool used to straighten and smooth wooden rods and shafts, often for use as wheel spokes, chair legs or arrows. ...

References

• Hack, Garrett (1997) The Handplane Book. ISBN 1-56158-155-0
• Watson, Aldren A. (1982) Hand Tools: Their Ways and Workings. ISBN 1-55821-224-8
• Hoadley, R. Bruce. (2000) Understanding Wood: A Craftsman’s Guide to Wood Technology. ISBN 1-56158-358-8
• Salaman, R. A. (1989) Dictionary of woodworking Tools. ISBN 0-04-440256-2
• Greber, Josef M: Die Geschichte des Hobels, Zürich 1956

External links

• Handplane Central A valuable source of information for all types of hand planes, including wooden planes, infill planes and Stanley type planes. Also information on how to make hand planes.
• Getting a Hand Plane Ready for Use Instructions for lapping and sharpening a hand plane using a stationary belt sander
• Cataloque of American Patented Antique Tools A pictorial collection of antique planes and other tools showing some of the variety in styles.