Using a wood plane

If it is set up properly, a plane can achieve a fantastic finish on wood that barely needs sanding. Julian Peckham explains how it’s done

There’s more to using a simple hand wood plane than first meets the eye. It’s not just a case of screwing a knurled knob in or out to adjust the blade depth. But by following these few basic tips for setting up your plane properly you’ll be able to achieve the finish you want. To work easily and effectively, the plane blade – or iron – needs to be super-sharp (see ‘Sharpening chisels and plane irons’, PBO April, for how to do this). You’ll also need to ensure the workpiece is securely clamped or against a bumpstop to prevent movement. Common types of plane and their uses WOOD BLOCK PLANE Old but remarkably effective for removing a lot of wood quickly. Lighter to use than a steel plane, but unlikely to achieve quite…

You're reading a preview of

Practical Boat Owner (Digital) - 1 Issue, June 2015

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.