Planes

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DICTUM Block Plane, 12°, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Block Planes, 12°

Compact, solid block plane, which lies comfortably in the hand due to its polished cap iron. The mouth opening can be precisely adjusted to the respective requirement via an adjustable throat. Fine blade adjustment and cap iron fastening...
variants
   
€74.70

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703334

DICTUM Block Plane, 20°, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Block Planes, 20°

Compact, solid block plane, which lies comfortably in the hand due to its polished cap iron. The mouth opening can be precisely adjusted to the respective requirement via an adjustable throat. Fine blade adjustment and cap iron fastening...
variants
   
€59.00

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703330

DICTUM Rabbet Block Plane, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Rabbet Block Planes

This plane is ideal for cutting rabbets or trimming tenons to fit. End- grain can also bve worked thanks to the low blade angle of 12°. A 25° bevel results in a cutting angle of 37°. Fine blade-adjustment mechanism, non-adjustable mouth....
variants
   
€74.90

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703335

DICTUM Rabbet Block Plane, Adjustable Mouth, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Rabbet Block Planes, Adjustable Mouth

Universal plane, ideal for finishing rebates, tenons and shoulders. Its low blade angle of 12° makes it suitable for many uses, including trueing and smoothing end grain, difficult grains and long grain, both across and in the direction...
variants
   
€81.90

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703408

DICTUM Entry-level Plane Set, Right-handed Use, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Entry-level Plane Set

With these three types of planes you are well prepared for most planing tasks. Long low-angle jack plane for right-handed use (No. 703420 , 703351 and 703369 ) or for left-handed use (No. 703419 , 703352 and 703368 ) Finishing Joining...
variants
   
€349.00

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703427

DICTUM Entry-level Plane Set, Right-Handed Use, in Systainer³, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Entry-level Plane Sets, in Systainer³

Basic set for all plane work, stowed safely away in a durable systainer made of high-quality polymer with a specially fitted inlay. 396 x 296 x 105 mm Long low-angle jack plane for right-handed use (No. 703420 , 703351 and 703369 ) or...
variants
   
€449.00

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703434

DICTUM Low-Angle Jack Plane No. 62, Incl. Hot Dog Right, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Low-Angle Jack Planes No. 62

Because of its length, shape and accessories, the No. 62 is the most universal type of plane and was already very popular in Stanley’s time. Apart from finishing, its long design also makes it ideal for trueing surfaces. The blade, whose...
variants
   
€188.00

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703419

DICTUM Jack Plane No. 5, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Jack Planes No. 5

The increased length and weight compared to the No. 4 plane makes this one ideal not only for smoothing but also for levelling surfaces.
variants
   
€159.00

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703332

DICTUM Metal Spokeshave, Straight Sole, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Metal Spokeshave, Straight Sole

More than 20 variations of this spokeshave model have been produced since 1900 by Stanley and other tool manufacturers. Unlike the original version, our model is cast from stainless steel to permanently protect all handle areas from...
variants
   
€78.80

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703433

DICTUM Smoothing Plane No. 4, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Smoothing Planes No. 4

The standard smoothing plane is capable of taking the finest of shavings, even on woods with random grain direction.
variants
   
€129.00

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703331

DICTUM Spokeshave, Straight Sole, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Spokeshaves

This spokeshave from the DICTUM series has a mouth opening of 0.5-0.8 mm when adjusted for fine shavings. This makes it an indispensable tool for bow making as well as for cutting stretchers and rounding edges in furniture making. Radius...
variants
   
€39.00

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703336

DICTUM Spokeshave, Round Sole, SK4 Blade

DICTUM Spokeshave, Round Sole

This spokeshave from the DICTUM series has a mouth opening of 0.5-0.8 mm when adjusted for fine shavings. This makes it an indispensable tool for bow making as well as for cutting stretchers and rounding edges in furniture making. Radius...
variants
   
€49.00

incl. VAT plus shipping costs

Article No. 703337

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Manual work is something entirely individual!

Expert knowledge - Planes

Plane types
Wooden planes

Advantages:

  • Warm and pleasant to touch
  • Gentle to workpiece, no discolouration of wood
  • Light weight prevents tiring

Disadvantages:

  • High sole wear with heavy loading
  • Warping may occur
  • Little resilent mass, less-smooth operation with difficult grains
Japanese planes

Advantages:

  • Operated by pulling, giving good control – gentle to the joints and less tiring
  • Smoother operation thanks to thick blade
  • High plane-blade quality

Disadvantages:

  • Take longer to set up (does not apply to planes with replacement blades)
  • Possible warping due to atmospheric influences (does not apply to planes with stabilised bodies and replacement blades)
  • No mechanical adjustment aids for plane blade and mouth
Metal planes

Advantages:

  • High wear resistance of sole base and edge of mouth
  • No warping of plane body due to atmospheric influences
  • High momentum: smoother running, even with difficult grains and knots
  • Simple adjustment of plane blade and usually also of mouth opening

Disadvantages:

  • Heavier, so tiring for larger planing jobs
  • Can rust (not with bronze planes)
Terminology
Terminology
Metal plane design types

There are three types of metal planes: »bevel-up« planes, »bevel-down« planes and scraping planes.

"Bevel up"
Bevel up


The »bevel-up« plane evolved from the block plane - a one-handed plane previously used for planing cross-slots into posts to accommodate blockings for reinforcement. Hence the name »block plane«.

But back to the bevelup as the distinguishing feature. Basically, the blade in the block plane is mounted the opposite way round from that of a conventional »bevel-down« plane

The reason for this is the small size of the block plane, which made it impossible and unergonomical to use a normal frog. The problem was solved quite simply by changing the angle and direction of the blade to produce the same cutting angle as in a bevel-down plane. The bevel-up principle is less widespread due to the poor quality of cast iron in the early Stanley planes. Subject to extreme forces where the blade sits at the mouth of the sole, the cast iron on these planes broke easily. Today, however, better cast iron makes for much more stable plane bodies that are more resistant to the forces of »bevel-up« planing.

Advantages and disadvantages:

  • Easily adjustable cutting angle

    The major advantage lies in the easily adjustable cutting angle. Because the bevel angle on the blade affects the cutting angle, the plane can be optimised by altering the bevel angle on the blade - most easily done with a micro or secondary bevel.

  • No chipbreaker

    The chipbreaker, which usually adds stiffness to the blade, is missing on bevel-up planes. Therefore the iron used is much thicker.

  • Thicker blade

    The blade on a bevel-up plane is thicker than that of a bevel-down plane. This is an advantage, as it leads to smoother surfaces and chatters less.

  • Low centre of gravity

    Also an advantage is the low centre of gravity, which is created by the low-angle frog.

  • Plane body and blade support from a single piece

    In »bevel-down« planes an additional frog in the plane body supports the blade.

    In »bevelup« planes, the plane body and blade support are made from one piece, enhancing overall stability.

  • Simple mouth adjustment

    »Bevel-up« planes have a screw at the front end for adjusting the mouth opening easily. The cutting depth remains unaffected.

  • Reduced weight

    The absence of the additional frog makes »bevel-up« planes lighter than »bevel-down« ones.

  • No lateral adjustment

    The »bevel-up« version works without a lateral adjustment screw, which may be considered a disadvantage. As with the wooden plane, the blade is adjusted by tapping lightly on its sides.

"Bevel down"
Bevel down

The renowned plane inventor Leonard Bailey, who worked for Stanley in his day, was a major influence on modern plane design. Stanley enhanced his system with its Bedrock Design, which enables the frog position to be modified without loosening the blade fixture. With the exception of a few minor adjustments, his design has remained unchanged ever since. Only the blade-adjustment mechanism has been modified. It was revolutionised by Thomas Norris, who introduced a single screw for adjusting both the cutting depth and the blade angle. Experts continue to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this system, as, with the Bailey-type adjuster, adjustments can be made while planning through a low central adjustment mechanism.

Advantages and disadvantages

  • Cutting angle depends on frog angle

    The cutting angle is more easily adjusted in »bevel-up« than »bevel-down« planes. However, frogs with different slope angles are available for Lie Nielsen planes.

  • Simple lateral blade adjustment

    Lateral adjustment of the blade is easily done via the adjustment lever.

  • Full blade support

    The frog provides a smooth and large seat for the whole blade, reducing chatter to a minimum.

  • Additional weight

    Additional weight means the plane sits solidly on the surface. This is particularly advantageous for working with irregular grains and wood that is difficult to plane.

  • Adjustment of mouth opening changes cutting depth

    Because the frog runs on an inclined surface, any adjustment to the mouth also affects the cutting depth. This can be counteracted by turning the central adjusting mechanism.

Scraping planes
Scraping planes

Scraping planes arose from the idea of embedding a scraper into a plane body for more convenient use. Usually, a hook on the blade is used for scraping. The blade has to be ground perfectly angular to raise the hook, which is applied to the upper edge of the bevel with the burnisher, much like a scraper. Tools with thick blades (by Lie Nielsen) do not require a hook but are also used with one. Those with thinner blades (made by Kunz and Veritas) generally use the raised hook.

Their blades still have a bevel (30°-45°), which reduces the amount of material needing to be »displaced« when raising the hook. The principle of scraping with a hook differs greatly from cutting with a blade.

Normally, the depth is determined by the hook and angle. These planes are indispensable for achieving tear-out-free surfaces on difficult woods and grains (primarily hardwood).

Cutting angles

When should the different cutting angles or blade angles be used?

  • Cutting angle 36-38°

    Preferred for end grain, where less tear-out is to be expected because the fibres break easily. With this cutting angle, the fibres are actually cut off. When planing along the grain, you should only take fine shavings with a small mouth opening to prevent premature splitting of the wood.

  • Cutting angle 43-46°

    Normal cutting angle for general work with relatively low cutting resistance.

  • Cutting angle 50-60°

    On highly figured wood this angle creates less tear-out, by breaking the fibres before they split. A disadvantage is that the iron will cut less and scrape more which dulls the iron more quickly.

  • Blade angle 75-100° (cutting angle is defined by a raised burr)

    At this angle, you scrape instead of cutting (scraping plane). Since this type of planing causes minimal tear-out, it is ideal for wild grain structures and woods that are difficult to plane.