Top Five Hand Planes

Hand planes aren’t just for hanging on your tool rack behind you to look cool. They do that of course but they can accomplish so much work for you. Hand planes are time savers in the shop when you know how to sharpen and tune them. Join us for a two day exploration of the five hand planes you need in your shop to flatten, smooth, and shape wood.

Day one includes:

• Tearing apart a bench plane and learning how to tune up a used hand plane or fine tuning a new one
• Discovering the importance of the frog.
• Learning the difference between Bedrock and Bailey hand planes
• Discussing blade geometry, the importance of a thick chip breaker,  and how to sharpen a plane iron
• Sharpening and getting a bench plane ready to smooth some boards for a small box project of a simple box cut with finger joints on the band saw

Day two includes:

• Discussing the three types of block planes and using them for shaping, chamfering and trimming
• Using joinery planes like shoulder and bullnose planes to fine tune our box projects
• Exploring the use of planes and shaves for curved work

Student Tool List:

Student tool list:

• Hearing and eye protection
• Note taking supplies (notebook and pen or pencil)
• Stanley-like (Stanley, Lie-Nielsen, or Veritas) bench plane (#3 or #4 or #5 or #6), block plane, shoulder or router plane, and flat bottom spokeshave
• Sharpening supplies: 12”x12” plate glass, at least 1/4" thick, to be used with silicon carbide sandpaper, 100, 220, 400, 600, 1000 grit or sharpening stones 1000, 4000, 8000, rubber mat or stone holder that can be clamped to the bench.
• Water bottle (optional but recommended)

Please call Ken Page (Interim Director) at 302-690-6122 cell (9-4 weekdays) if you have questions about what to bring.

Course fee: $385

Material fee: $15

Gary Rogowski bio