Lever Cap The lever cap on a woodworking hand plane, along with other elements of the metal-bodied tool was patented by Leonard Bailey in 1858. There have been minor revisions, but it has remained almost unchanged for the last 160 years. The Lever is not the only method of securing the cap. There is also …
Almost every hand plane has a chip breaker which at first glance is easy to dismiss!. But the chip breaker is essential on all bevel down hand planes such as a Stanley Bailey no 4. Where is the chip breaker The chipbreaker on a hand plane attaches to the plane iron or blade with a …
TheNo5 hand plane is the jack of all trades. I know most people start with the No 4 but frankly, the number 5 is probably the most versatile hand plane available. Old Stanley Bailey jack plane as it’s commonly known good tool and a little bit of fettling over the years it has really served …
The smoothing plane is probably every woodworker’s first-hand plane that they purchase. My very first woodworking plane was the ‘Stanley Handyman’ smoothing plane it wasn’t a bad tool at all. In fact, it was very similar to the standard-issue No 4 smoothing plane. Apart from the usual branding on the outside of the plane, the …
The Jointer plane is also known as a ‘Triplane’ ‘Trying plane’ or the ‘No.7. The less common ‘No. 8’ is also a jointer plane. The one thing that links all these planes is their length. ‘Jointer Try planes are typically 22-24 inches (510 to 610 mm) long ‘ The Jointer plane is made from cast …
What is the difference between the rabbet and the shoulder plane? Both planes may look similar, in that the plane iron is protruding through the sides of the body but they do have their own particular woodworking tasks. Here I will explain what those tasks are and the differences between the two styles of woodworking …
Woodworking itself is one of the oldest art forms in existence; Japanese woodworking is one of the earliest known forms of the craft to ever be in existence and used for building homes and furniture. Japanese Woodworking is Considered Art Japanese architecture is predominantly timber or bamboo construction using special jointing techniques that do not …
Woodworking bench planes are 200mm (8”) to 600mm (224”) long, for example, a Stanley Bailey No7 is 22” in length yet a No4 smoothing plane is 8 to 10 inches. What is the length of woodworking hand planes? The length of a hand plane is different for each model, for instance, a block plane is …
In the world of woodworking, planing is the process of removing thin shavings from wood. The tool we use to plane wood in by no surprise is a ‘Plane’. The woodworkers plane comes in a variety of formats some require power but others just require your own elbow grease. The Hand Plane Whenever I see …
Stanley hand planes are an iconic part of my woodworking heritage. From my early years discovering woodworking to my later years mastering the art I still have a fondness for ‘Vintage Stanley hand planes’. This is not born of sentiment but the fact those tools of yesteryear are just so dam good. What was your …