Metal planes (iron planes)
Metal planes (iron planes)
EXPERT KNOWLEDGE METAL PLANE
Iron planes, also known as metal planes, have planer bodies made of metal (cast iron). Planes are available in different variants, including the plastering plane, the Rabbet planes and the roughing bench. Renowned brands such as DICTUM, Herdim, Veritas, Clifton, Lie-Nielsen, Bridge City, Hattori, Kunz and Stanley offer different planer variants, the range is broad and versatile. Each brand brings its own philosophy and technology to the construction and design of its products, giving woodworkers a variety of options for a wide range of uses.
Metal planes (iron planes) - Construction and Materials
These Planes are made of grey cast iron, cast steel or ductile cast iron, which gives them greater stability and durability compared to wooden Planes. The use of cast iron for the planer bodies enables a finely ground sole with high evenness. The soles remain flat even with intensive use and different climatic conditions.
Metal planes (iron planes) - adjustability and precision
An outstanding feature of these planes is their adjustability. Models from high-quality manufacturers have precise mechanisms for fine adjustment of the iron infeed and lateral adjustment, allowing craftsmen to precisely adjust the cutting depth and angular position of the iron.
Metal planes (iron planes) - Versatility in use
Metal hand planes are suitable for a wide range of uses, including smoothing wooden surfaces, bevelling and edge processing. They are used in both furniture production and restoration. Herdim planes are particularly valued in musical instrument making, as they meet the highest standards of finishing.
Metal planes (iron planes) - Ergonomics
The ergonomic design of the handles is another important aspect of iron planes. The handles are often shaped to allow comfortable handling and provide better control over the tool.
DICTUM planes have ergonomically shaped handles made from domestic red beech wood, which have been developed in extensive tests to ensure maximum comfort and optimum handling. The rear handle on bench planes such as the Rauhbank or Raubank is comfortable to grip even for larger hands thanks to its 26 mm thickness.
Metal planes (iron planes) - Designs
There are two types of metal planes.
Bevel up planes and bevel down planes :
Bevel up or bevel-up (literally: iron bevel upwards)
This type of plane has evolved from the Standard block planes.
Basically, the plane iron on a Standard block planes is inserted the other way round than on a conventional bevel down planes.
The reason for this is that it is not possible to use a normal frog with Standard block planes due to their compact design. Ergonomically, the planes would be difficult to hold. For this reason, the angle of inclination is changed and the plane iron is installed upside down. The resulting cutting angle is the same as with a bevel down planes. The reason why the bevel up planes were not so widespread is due to the casting quality of the early Stanley planes. The grey cast iron used was exposed to extreme loads at the contact point of the plane iron on the sole and tended to break out more easily. Thanks to the use of nodular cast iron or cast steel, today's planer bodies are more stable and withstand the stresses of this planing principle extremely well.
Here the DICTUM Rabbet planes as an example, inclination angle 15°, bevel angle 25°. This results in a cutting angle of 40°.
Advantages and disadvantages
- Simple change of cutting angle
The decisive advantage is the ability to influence the cutting angle. As the bevel angle on the iron influences the cutting angle, the cutting angle can be adjusted with this variant, for example by bevelling a second bevel.
- Garde chip breaker
The chip breaker, which normally stabilises the iron, is not present in this design. However, the iron thickness is usually at least 3 mm, which is significantly thicker than the first Stanley planes.
- Low centre of gravity
Another advantage for flat work is the Planes' low centre of gravity, as the angle of attack of the iron is relatively Flat.
- Planer body and iron support made from one piece
An additional frog is mounted on the body of bevel down planes.
With bevel up planes, on the other hand, the planer body and the iron support are made from one piece. This ensures greater rigidity and angular precision.
- Simple planer mouth adjustment
The size of the planer mouth, an important point for clean surfaces, can be easily adjusted on Bevel up planes without changing the Cutting depth by means of a screw attached to the front end.
- Weight reduction
Bevel up planes are lighter than bevel down planes due to the lack of an additional frog.
- Lack of lateral adjustment
The bevel up version often works without a lateral adjustment screw, which is seen as a disadvantage. As with Wooden planes, the iron must be adjusted by light corrective strokes to the sides of the iron. However, there are also models with lateral adjustment.
Bevel down or bevel-down (literally: iron bevel downwards)
The famous planner inventor Leonard Bailey, who worked for Stanley at the time, significantly influenced the design of this version. Stanley has further developed this system with the Bedrock design.
Advantages and disadvantages:
- Cutting angle depends on the angle of inclination of the frog
With Bevel down planes, the cutting angle is not as easy to change as with the Bevel up version. In the end, only Lie-Nielsen offers iron carriers with different angles of inclination.
- Simple lateral adjustment of the iron
By moving an adjustment lever, the angle of the iron can be corrected very easily with this version.
- Full-surface contact surface of the iron
The frog allows the iron to rest cleanly and flatly, minimising vibrations.
- Sizeable Weight
Straight with irregular grain or wood that is difficult to plane, additional weight is an advantage because the Planes rests firmly on the surface.
- Adjustment of the planer mouth also influences the cutting depth
As the frog is moved over an inclined plane, the Cutting depth also changes when the planer mouth is adjusted. To counteract this, the Cutting depth must be corrected again.
Here the DICTUM finishing plane (plaster plane) no. 4 as an example, cutting angle 45°.
Metal planes (iron planes) - Cutting angle
For which range of application are the different cutting angles or inclination angles suitable?
Cutting angle 36-38°
Preferred for end grain. There is less risk of tearing as the fibres break easily here. When planing lengthwise, only a fine chip removal should be made with a small planer mouth, otherwise there is a risk of the wood splitting.
Cutting angle 43-46°
Normal cutting angle for general work with relatively low cutting resistance.
Cutting angle 50-60°
When cleaning heavily grained woods, this cutting angle prevents tearing. The disadvantage is that the work is done with Blade scrapers rather than cutting and the iron becomes blunt more quickly as a result.
Plastic plane with metal sole
The Ulmia Alu-Line planes are the first metal planes from the renowned English manufacturer Ulmia. However, these hand planes cannot be described as real metal planes and do not offer the typical advantages of a solid iron plane in terms of weight and stability. Ulmia is best known for its high-quality Wooden planes such as the plastering plane, which were prized among carpenters for their robust construction and durability.
Which Metal planes (iron planes) should a beginner choose?
For beginners who value precision and quality, metal planes from Manufacturers such as Lie-Nielsen, Clifton, Veritas, Kunz Plus, Hattori or DICTUM are an excellent choice. These hand planes are precisely manufactured and offer excellent cutting results immediately after purchase.
Herdim planes, also part of the DICTUM range, are specially designed for making musical instruments.
If you want to start a little cheaper, you will find solid entry-level models from Stanley or Kunz.
Recommendation: For newcomers who want to invest in a high-quality, affordable tool, DICTUM planes offer an excellent balance of ergonomics, precision and value for money.
