Synopsis: Whether your block plane is new or vintage, follow these steps to get it running at full capacity. Make sure the sole is flat, straighten the shoe, tune up the cap iron, check the bed, ease the edges, hone the blade, and adjust the shoe and blade.

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The humble block plane, though often overlooked, is an extremely versatile tool, and I definitely wouldn’t want to work without one. If you would like to get your brand-new or decades-old block plane tuned and running at full capacity, here is a series of steps that will help.

The first thing to do is check the flatness of the…