How to Use a Hand Plane | Ask This Old House
How to Use a Hand Plane | Ask This Old House
This Old House general contractor Tom Silva demonstrates the proper way to use hand planes. (See below for a shopping list, tools, and steps.)
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Tom demonstrated several types of hand plane, including bench planes, shouldering planes, and block planes. He also showed a sharpening stone for sharpening plane blades. The planes and sharpening stones are available at hardware stores, home centers, and specialty woodworking stores.
Shopping List for How to Use a Hand Plane:
Machine oil [https://amzn.to/2Luyc5N], used to lubricate sharpening stone
Wood block [https://amzn.to/2LNG4OY], used to prevent tear-out in end grain
Tools List for How to Use a Hand Plane:
Bench planes [https://amzn.to/2Lt52nD]
Specialty planes [https://amzn.to/2O0LAjG]
Block planes [https://amzn.to/31mEJVJ]
Sharpening stone [https://amzn.to/34LulJ6], for sharpening plane irons
Clamp [https://amzn.to/30660dG], used to secure wood block to workpiece
Steps for How to Use a Hand Plane:
1. Bench planes are used to flatten and smooth broad wood surfaces and narrow edges.
2. Long bench planes are best suited for smoothing very long surfaces and edges.
3. Specialty planes, such as a shoulder plane or rabbet plane, have plane irons (blades) that come flush with the edges of the tool.
4. Block planes are compact, versatile, and ideally suited for smoothing edges, small surfaces, and end grain.
5. Rotate the adjusting nut to control the depth of cut.
6. Pivot the lateral adjustment lever to square up the iron to the plane body.
7. Release the iron cap and extract the plane iron from the plane.
8. Test the sharpness of an iron by standing it on your thumbnail. If the iron slides off, it needs sharpening.
9. To sharpen a plane iron, start by applying machine oil to the coarse side of a sharpening stone.
10. Set the iron against the oiled stone with its beveled end facing down.
11. Tilt up the iron until its bevel is flush with the stone. Maintain that exact angle as you slowly rub the iron across the stone in a circular motion.
12. After a minute or two, flip over the iron and place it flat against the stone. Rub the iron back and forth to remove any burr from the back surface.
13. Next, flip the stone over to reveal its smooth surface. Apply oil and repeat the sharpening process.
14. Then raise the iron just a fraction of an inch, and make two or three passes across the stone.
15. Repeat the thumbnail test of Step 8 to check the iron’s sharpness.
16. When planing the narrow edge of a board, inspect the direction of the wood grain on the side of the board.
17. Always plane in the direction of the up-angling wood grain. Don’t plane against it.
18. Adjust the throat (mouth) of the plane to increase or decrease the gap between the plane iron and the bed of the plane. The proper adjustment will help prevent tearing out the grain.
19. Decrease the gap when planing end grain, and increase it when planing edge grain or making deep cuts.
20. When planing end grain, prevent tear-out by planing in from both ends toward the middle.
21. Another technique is to clamp a sacrificial wood block to the end of the board prior to planing. Then, any tear-out will occur in the block, not the board.
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How to Use a Hand Plane | Ask This Old House
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Tommy is a national treasure!
That pretty much taught me everything I wanted to know about plane tools before I go out and buy one, plus some great tips to use in practice, including the subtleties of how to properly sharpen the blade. Thanks!
wont work on mdf
Useless information. Try to take what they said, and then actually build a door, or table. You will be amazed.
What great rapport between host and expert. No one talking over each other, and with positive acknowledgement of advice given. Refreshing to see.
I do not understand how a plane works. Wherever you start with the plane it is going to cut a swath as wide as the blade. Before the blade stars into the wood, there will be an area not planed. If you go back behind that to even out the part that was not planed, the plane will then dig a deeper ditch where it was planed. You are going to have uneven surfaces all over. There may not be humps but there will be gentle rises where you planed and where you didn’t plane.
This video is packed with soooo much information and talent! I have one problem though – where do you get a tape measure with 64th of an inch?
Tom thinks he’s the only one that can do anything. He should be fired and taken off the show.
Thanks Guys! For sharing your experience
Thanks for the great video! Can you recommend a specific sharpening stone?
For some reason this reminded me of ”Surf ‘sUp”’
Am I the only one that saw him cut his hand at the end?
Tommy is a Rock Star!
Can anyone tell me the brand of the plane Tommy uses at 3:00 ? It’s his go-to plane
What if your thumb falls off? I guess that would be too sharp?
I tried sharpening my blade like this and it didnt work
Tommy is the father in law you wish you had.
Here in 2020 with 666k views. This year sucks.
This is a plane video.
Is that workshop in the 2nd floor ?
Wow, I’ve been looking for a decent tutorial for configuring a hand plane for a long time. This is perfect, I can’t wait to get into the shop and pull out my planes again. THANK YOU
2:53 – That’s the block plane I want, but can’t find it at HD or Lowe’s. Link?
Great job BOSS 👌🏻
Extremely useful and teaching video. Hand planers have always been a mystery to me. This explained everything!
Five years this is still relevant. All these “experts” using a machine to teach beginners how to plane. Thank you for this video
Really great simple video with great tips. Love this guy
If you want to know how to use a hand plane ask a real wood working not a wanna be .
So the thing that I don’t understand is that the blade is supposed to stick out below the planing surface right? But if the board is flat or near flat, won’t it just dig in and scar up the flat surface?
May da shutter R.I.P
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So many great tips in one video!
This man is a genius. Hand planes are one area I think old school beats new school.
How at first Kelvin says he doesn’t use planers but then says his planer fits in his hands and such….boy TV 😂😂
Tommy knows so much he slows down descriptions of carpentry skills to old guys.
Always wear safety gear & always follow directions. Plane & simple 🤣
Thanks for the plane explain, it was a cut above the rest.😀
Master of a good hand job.🤛
Tommy is the man.
Thanks Tommy.
Aidan belway is a hebrew spu
Very useful content, thanks for posting for us plane challenged people [and by us I mean me!]
You also learn how to sharpen chisels
"A 64th of an inch".
Old school technique is the best.tommy your a true craftsman.tip of the hat to you old friend..
I was hoping for Bob Vila and the old theme song haha.
very very helpful video, thank you very much
Tommy is the man!
Nice!
Tom has a great mustache