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    Fine Woodworking Project Guides

    Handplanes

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    Chapter
    • All About Handplanes
    • Planes for Surfacing and Smoothing
    • Planes for Joinery and Shaping
    • Block Planes
    • Scrapers and Scratch Stocks
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    What to Look for in a Block Plane

    A block plane is a tool that you'll use daily in the shop. Here's some advice on buying one for the long haul.

    Author Headshot By Mario Rodriguez Sep 13, 2021

    I’d be lost without my block plane. Though small, this tool has a big place in my woodworking, and I use it at least a dozen times each day when I’m in the shop. I trust it to bestow the critical finishing touches on a project, like carefully fitting a drawer into a carcase. The plane’s small size makes it easy to control on an assembled piece, say for chamfering a table edge, and well-suited for jobs like removing machine marks from the edges and ends of a board, planing curved edges, and trimming joinery flush.

    Because a block plane gets so much use, it’s important that you get a very good one, one that fits your hand, cuts well, and adjusts easily. Choose wisely and you’ll have a trusted friend for life. Choose poorly, and you’ll kick yourself many times over.

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    Previous: Handplane Fundamentals: The Block Plane Next: Two Block Planes Are Better than One

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    Handplanes

    Handplanes

    All you need to know about choosing and using these versatile, must-have hand tools.

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    All About Handplanes
    • Handplane Basics
    • Setting Up a Plane
    • Maintenance and Restoration
    Planes for Surfacing and Smoothing
    • Smoothing and Jack Planes
    • Techniques
    • Sharpening
    Planes for Joinery and Shaping
    • Planes for Joinery
    • Rabbet Planes
    • Shoulder Planes
    • Molding Planes
    • Router Planes
    • Spokeshaves
    • Other Specialty Planes
    Block Planes
    • All About Block Planes
    • Techniques
    Scrapers and Scratch Stocks
    • Card Scrapers
    • Scraper Planes and Cabinet Scrapers
    • Scratch Stocks

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