Using A Block Plane

Posted by Easy WoodCraft on

Sep 26, 2016

End grain

Even though block planes are designed to handle difficult end grain, you still have to be careful when you're planing near an edge. That's because the unsupported end grain near the end of a board will easily splinter and chip out. Fortunately there are a couple of simple ways to prevent this.

Plane toward the center

One common method to prevent chip out when planing end grain is to plane only toward the center of the board. This way all the wood fibers are supported by the fibers in front of them. Simply plane about halfway from one side, then reverse the plane direction and plane from the other side. The downside to this method is it can be difficult to create a truly flat surface. I generally reserve this for detail work such as planing a slight chamfer on a table top.

Support the end with a scrap

more reliable way to prevent chip out is to clamp a waste or "sacrificial" piece to the end of the board you're planing. This fully supports the end grain and permits a full stroke across the edge. The scrap piece will chip out, but that's what it's there for.

Squaring an edge

I often use a block plane to quickly square an edge on a work piece. To keep the plane body perpendicular to the sides of the work piece, I wrap my fingers around the plane. Pressing my fingers gently into the side of the work piece lets me steady the plane and make a clean cut.

Built-in fence

If you're fortunate enough to own a block plane that has an attachable fence, you'll find this feature extremely handy. The fence is a lot more accurate than the finger support method described on the previous page and is adjustable, too. This lets you fine tune its position for maximum support.

Trimming small pieces

I also regularly use my block plane to fine tune small parts. This is one of my favorite tools for taking off just a sliver or two of a shaving so that a part fits perfectly

When I need to take just a bit off the end grain of a small piece, such as when fine tuning a mitred piece, I hold the block plane firmly in one hand and pass the work piece over the blade with the other. It's surprising how much control you have this way, especially if you tuck your elbows into the side of your body. Lock the elbow that's holding the plane and pivot the other with the work piece. Take light cuts and check the fit often.

Another way to trim small parts and this is especially useful when you need to take just a bit off the length is to clamp the plane upside down in your workbench and then pass the work piece over the blade. Take care to keep your fingertips away from the blade; it can't differentiate between wood and flesh.

SHOOTING BOARDS

Even in the hands of a master, planing a perfectly square edge on the end of a board is a challenge. That's because the surface of the workpiece itself is used as the reference for square, and odds are that it isn't. That's where a shooting board can come to the rescue.

They've been used to square up work pieces for just about as long as there have been planes. A shooting board is a shop made jig that lets you hold the work square so that you can accurately trim it with a plane. A shooting board can be made to handle 90° stock or 45° miters or anything in between, for that matter, since you make it yourself.

Basically, the shooting board is a two step base made of flat stock with a groove in the bottom piece. The groove collects dust and chips so they don't interfere with the cut. The top step holds one or more cleats that are secured with glue and screws at the desired angle. The work piece is held against the cleat, and the plane is laid on its side and passed back and forth over the end of the work piece to trim it to size.

For all this to work, the sides of the plane chosen must be exactly perpendicular to the sole. To use the shooting board, set the plane for a very fine cut and take several light passes. Shop-Tip: To help prevent the work piece from creeping during the cut, glue pieces of sandpaper to the sides of the cleat they'll grip the workpiece better and hold it in place.

PREMIER TOOL MANUFACTURERS

In addition to the respected tool manufacturers like Stanley, Record, and Starrett, there are a couple of smaller tool makers that produce tools of exceptional quality: Bridge City Tool Works and Lie-Nielsen Toolworks. Both of the these companies manufacture what I consider to be premium tools in small batches under tight tolerances, using the finest of materials. By simply picking up one of these fine tools, you'll immediately notice a difference in heft, balance, and finish the tool fits well in your hand, and the finish is extraordinary.

Bridge City Tool Works

When it comes to tools for layout and measuring, those manufactured by Bridge City Tool Works www.bridgecitytools.com have no peers. Bridge City uses the finest materials: brass, rosewood, hardened steel, and their own unique manmade Juara wood. Founded in 1983 by John Economaki, Bridge City Tool Works manufactures tools that are extremely accurate. They are so confident of their accuracy and quality that they offer a lifetime $5.00 guarantee: "For as long as you own a Bridge City Tool Works tool, you may get it recalibrated, resquared or replaced if necessary for five dollars per tool."

Lie-Neilsen Toolworks

If you're looking for the ultimate tools for planing and scraping, look no further than Lie-Nielsen Toolworks www.lie-nielsen.com. The hand planes, scrapers, and saws that Tom Lie-Nielsen manufactures in his Warren, Maine, factory are simply a joy to use. Just like Bridge City, Lie-Nielsen uses the finest materials, such as manganese bronze for many of his castings and thick Rockwell 60-62 high-carbon tool steel for his blades. Yes, they're expensive, but well worth it.

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