School of Tools: an Elegant and Durable Hand Plane
Hand planers are elegant tools that, if properly cared for, will last a lifetime. Here’s how to use them and how to keep them in good condition and ready for any occasion.
Planers are used for straightening, smoothing and removing wood. From shaving the bottom of the door to flattening the table top, the planer can handle all tasks with ease, while providing maximum comfort.
Planers , planers, and sanders can do the same job as hand planers, but they can be too heavy for delicate woodworking jobs. Using these tools, you will not feel the resistance to shaving a very thin piece of wood that you do with a hand plane.
Types of hand planers
Hand planers are often referred to as ” benches “. They have a downward-facing bevel and can be tailored to your needs.
Stanley is the first name in freehand planes, and they number their planes from the smallest of 1 to 8. Smaller planes are used as blend planes, and larger / larger planes are used for mating (stock alignment).
Despite the efficiency of power tools, the Stanley 4 or Lie-Nielsen 4 1/2 planer will find many uses in your wood workshop.
Manual Plane Adjustment
To dial up a hand-held plane for use, you need to set side-to-side blade adjustment and blade depth. Place your thumb on the blade and the bottom of the plane. This should give you an idea of what the blade setting should be. With experience, you will be able to adjust the plane based on what your thumb tells you. Remember, you can always trim more, but you cannot add material back, so start with less weight than you might expect.
Correct lateral adjustment ensures that the blade cuts equally on both sides and should be fine-tuned using a lever located at the top of the rear handle.
The depth adjustment depends on the type of job you are doing and how much material you want to shave off. Turn the dial located at the base of the plane to control the depth of the blade.
When the plane is not in use, place it straight down and not on its side. Laying it on its side can damage the side adjustment and damage the blade.
Using a hand planer
Grasp the hand planer with both hands, one on the rear handle and the other on the top front handle.
Place the planer on one end of the piece of wood and slide it forward. Pick up and repeat.
Always plan in the direction of the grain of the wood. Apply even downward pressure throughout the entire process. As it moves, the plane should glide smoothly over the surface of the tree. If this is not the case, chances are you disagree.
Watch the video link below for a more detailed explanation of the variety of handplanes available and some more tips for using them.
How to use the hand plane “wiki useful Heritage Woodworking School (YouTube)