A block plane is a small hand tool with a sharp blade that can be adjusted to create and refine carpentery projects.
A block plane is used for fine end grain and controlled woodworking. It is perfect for smoothing the surface of boards, removing saw marks, and sculpting small pieces of wood. Small planes like the low angle block plane were once considered essential tools by many woodworkers and craftsmen, and they're still favoured by some professionals today.
The different types of hand planes each have their own uses. Smoothers such as low angle block planes are useful for finishing and trimming end grain work, a jack plane is ideal for dressing down rough surfaces and removing mill marks, rabbet planes cut grooves and dadoes and dado planes cut large slots; shoulder planes are particularly useful on long boards such as cabinet doors.
The low angle block plane, sometimes referred to as a "gentleman's plane" is the smallest type of plane. It's perfect for working on small pieces of wood for carpentry or woodworking projects. This hand plane is more tiring to use because of its short, fine strokes.The bevel faces up, so it's often used to smooth off the final surfaces of work or to create decorative effects by removing very thin shavings.
Block planes vary in size. They are usually around 20cm long with a long cutting edge blade that protrudes from the body, small enough to fit in a tool pouch. Most have wooden bodies covered by cast iron or steel caps on top, which protect the user's hands during use. The cutting edge extends freely into the body through an opening in front of it and is fixed at a lower angle of between 0° to 25° depending on the intended purpose of the plane. Some bench planes have a lever a user can adjust to move the blade laterally. To adjust this bedding angle, you can loosen some screws on either side of the block and swivel it to either side of its centre line against another screw. Block planes have a lower cutting angle due to their smaller bedding angle compared with bench planes whose bevel faces down and have a higher cutting angle.
To remove and replace a blade, loosen the lever cap screw, which releases the lever cap. Turn the lever backward to release it. Slide it up past the cap screw hole and remove it. This action sets the cutting edge/blade free. This will release the latch that holds it in place. The blade will now be free. You can then slide out the old blade. Take it off. Replace the old blade with your new one into the channel provided at an angle and follow the process above in reverse to fit all the other parts. Screw the lever handle all the way down. Make sure you orientate it correctly before pushing it down. Some block planes also allow you to change the angle of the blade - make sure you replace it in this case. This process should work with virtually ant bench plane. You can buy replacement blades at your local hardware store.
This type of iron plane is perfect for planing long boards such as those used for kitchen cabinet doors or picture frames. It's called a shoulder plane because the blade cuts much deeper than other forms of wooden planes, which means the depth of cuts can often be varied within one pass along the wood. This type of tool can do an incredible long grain job quickly and accurately, removing large amounts of material at once, making it particularly useful when trimming down panel doorways or window frames to size. You may also sometimes find it referred to as a long plane.
To use a shoulder plane, with one hand, hold the tote and with the other, the front knob. You should take light strokes so that the blade doesn't catch on the wood. This is especially true when cutting uphill or across the grain. You may need to push down hard to remove large amounts of material, but this could cause it to dig in and force your hands into the blade if not carefully controlled. When planing end grain, work from the edges towards the middle to avoid splitting the grains as you approach the other end of the wood. Around the middle, change direction and plane in the opposite direction. Take care when you're working with boards wider than your shoulder because they can pivot around even when supported by other pieces of wood, which might cause injury if any part of your body comes into contact with them. Always support long boards from below whenever possible while using this type of tool. If you have very small pieces of wood, clamp the block plane upside down. Hold the pieces carefully and slide them on the flat sole and then over the cutting blade. A good block plane works best when the blade is razor sharp. Position the blade in the mouth opening according to the finish desired. Use a short length to achieve a smoother flat surface finish, particularly the ends.
This type of tool is used to create hand-cut dovetails, an essential form of joinery commonly seen in cabinet and furniture making. Much like a chisel or gouge, they produce very fine cuts so can be used for any number of tasks but generally create symmetrical shapes. Dovetail planes have the widest variety of blades out of all wooden planes because their intended purposes vary quite a lot. Some have deeper grooves than others, while some have raised ridges running down the middle partway through the blade, while others have deep grooves from side-to-side running from tip to base instead.
You don't need anything special when it comes to working with wooden planes! In fact, ordinary softwoods work just fine because the blades are so common. You don't need anything too hard or exotic either, although some of these can be used to achieve interesting effects if you want to experiment. It's recommended that beginners stick with softwood while learning about wooden planes, so they get used to the different tools properly before expanding their skillset.
Block planes are very versatile and can be used for almost any job. Most of them have a blade that is around 5cm long, although some larger models may have one up to 4″ in length. These smaller blades work perfectly on softwoods, while the longer ones may struggle with denser materials such as hardwood or plywood. You can test different blades out if you're curious, but it's best to pick a model whose blade suits your needs so you don't have to buy multiple tools when you could get one great block plane instead.
A block plane can be used to create grooves in plywood, although it can't remove much material at any one time. This is because the blade only has a small amount of space to move, whereas most hand tools have a lot more available. The movement on these planes tends to be very simple, which means they're better for shallow grooves and cutting end grain rather than wider, deeper grooves.
When you buy a new block plane, it will come with very sharp blades attached to the body of the tool. These blades may need some work before they're ready for use because new planes can sometimes have edges that don't meet each other properly or uneven surfaces, which could cause problems later on. You'll find a complete guide on how to prepare a new plane below:
Check that your blade isn't warped.
If required, clamp your blade into a vice and file down any irregularities.
Ensure that both sides of your blade are completely flat so they meet up evenly when inside the plane.
Check if there is any resistance as you push the blade backward and forwards between two pieces of wood.