Posted by
Easy WoodCraft on
Nov 7, 2016
A chisel plane is easily identified by the absence of a fore sole (
top photo). The advantage to this is that it lets you reach all the way into a corner—when cleaning up a rabbet, for example (
middle drawing). A chisel plane is also useful for removing glue squeeze-out and for trimming plugs or pegs flush with a surface. The disadvantage to not having a fore sole is that the blade has a tendency to vibrate or chatter (
bottom drawing). This makes the chisel plane generally unfit for regular planing tasks.
A chisel plane in the workshop is like a 1-iron in your golf bag: You won't use it most days, but when the conditions are right, it's the perfect tool for the job. Yes, you could do most of the tasks listed above with other tools; but if your budget permits, you'll be glad you picked up one of these fine tools.
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