Synopsis: The shoulder plane is one of Bob Van Dyke’s three must-have handplanes. He says nothing does as good a job at refining and straightening surfaces, adjusting a shaped edge, and precisely dialing in the fit of a joint one shaving at a time. Here’s how to handle your shoulder plane from the moment you open the box: checking for square, honing the blade, inserting and adjusting the blade, and using the plane to adjust tenons, clean up rabbets, and refine moldings, among other tasks.

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There are three planes I would be lost without: my No. 4 bench plane, my low-angle block plane, and my shoulder plane. These essential tools allow me to pick up where the machines leave off. With a typical plane shaving 0.002 in. thick, nothing does as good a job at refining and straightening surfaces, adjusting a shaped edge, and precisely dialing in the…