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    Fine Woodworking Project Guides

    Handplanes

    Guide Home
    Chapter
    • All About Handplanes
    • Planes for Surfacing and Smoothing
    • Planes for Joinery and Shaping
    • Block Planes
    • Scrapers and Scratch Stocks
    Tools & Materials

    Handplane Fundamentals: The Block Plane

    Whether for edge treatments or end grain, the block plane will be one of your most used handplanes.

    Author Headshot By Michael Pekovich Oct 18, 2016

    Fine Woodworking

    Nothing exemplifies the quality of an accomplished and experienced woodworker better than the full command of handplanes. In this online video class, teacher and furniture maker Mike Pekovich leads you on the journey toward a mastery of handplanes.

    In this episode, Mike demonstrates why the block plane will be one of your most used handplanes, whether for edge treatments or end grain.

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    Videos in the Series

    • Handplane Fundamentals: Why You Need Handplanes

      October 4, 2016

      Learn about the different types of planes and why you need them.

    • Handplane Fundamentals: Grain, Tearout, and Blade Angle

      October 4, 2016

      To prevent tearout, you must understand what causes it.

    • Handplane Fundamentals: Sharpening

      October 11, 2016

      You'll never get a handplane to perform the way you want it to until you get the blade truly sharp.

    • Handplane Fundamentals: The Block Plane

      October 18, 2016

      Whether for edge treatments or end grain, the block plane will be one of your most used handplanes.

    • Handplane Fundamentals: Shoulder and Smoothing Planes

      October 25, 2016

      How to set up and use a shoulder plane and smoothing plane.

    • Handplane Fundamentals: The Jack Plane

      November 1, 2016

      The last to fill out Mike's essential plane kit is the jack plane. With its longer sole, it is perfect for flattening stock quickly. You'll reach for it often.

    • Handplane Fundamentals: Special-Purpose Planes

      November 8, 2016

      The bevel up smoother and spokeshave are two tools you'll want to make room for in your tool cabinet. Mike Pekovich shows you why.

    • Handplane Fundamentals: The Card Scraper

      November 15, 2016

      The card scraper is your first tool to grab to clean up any plane tracks or minor tearout left behind by your planes.

    • Securing your work

      Securing Work on the Bench

      November 29, 2016

      Mike Pekovich shows you the features he looks for in his workbenches and reviews some work-holding accessories that help him get the most out of his planes.

    • Handplane Fundamentals: Prepping Furniture Parts

      December 6, 2016

      How to use a variety of hand tools to fit joinery, refine furniture parts, and smooth surfaces.

    • Handplane Fundamentals: Flat and Smooth

      December 13, 2016

      Learn to add delicate chamfers to parts and to prep surfaces for a finish.

    • Recommended resources: Fundamentals of Handplanes

      June 18, 2020

      Check out our collection of articles specifically picked to help with this series.

    X
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    Next: What to Look for in a Block Plane

    Guide

    Handplanes

    Chapter

    Block Planes

    Comments

    1. rfuller | Oct 19, 2016 08:37pm | #1

      Thanks Mike. Just really getting into using planes (other than the block plane) so timing is perfect. Always love your videos, they are always thoughtful and meticulous.

    2. user-5906067 | Nov 26, 2016 12:11pm | #2

      A whole lot more detail on actually how to set up the plane to do the work would be useful. The blade magically goes from the sharpening stone to the plane and starts making shavings. I was hoping for more detail on how set up the plane.

    3. user-6570867 | Dec 06, 2016 11:32pm | #3

      Thanks Mike. Learned a lot from your videos and will keep them as a resource. I agree if you could spend a little time showing us how to put the blades back in and adjust them.

    4. Spemerick58 | Jan 14, 2017 11:48am | #4

      A terrific series. You are an articulate and careful instructor with much to offer to other craftsmen.

    5. blackoak_bill | Jan 24, 2017 03:10pm | #5

      Great series. These are very helpful Mike. It has really made a difference for me. Thanks.

    6. ericOfBerkeley | Jul 13, 2017 01:38pm | #6

      There seems to be no way to play these on my iPhone.

      1. User avater FWW Editor
        BenStrano | Jul 13, 2017 02:58pm | #7

        What version iOS? They play fine here.

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    Handplanes

    Handplanes

    All you need to know about choosing and using these versatile, must-have hand tools.

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    All About Handplanes
    • Handplane Basics
    • Setting Up a Plane
    • Maintenance and Restoration
    Planes for Surfacing and Smoothing
    • Smoothing and Jack Planes
    • Techniques
    • Sharpening
    Planes for Joinery and Shaping
    • Planes for Joinery
    • Rabbet Planes
    • Shoulder Planes
    • Molding Planes
    • Router Planes
    • Spokeshaves
    • Other Specialty Planes
    Block Planes
    • All About Block Planes
    • Techniques
    Scrapers and Scratch Stocks
    • Card Scrapers
    • Scraper Planes and Cabinet Scrapers
    • Scratch Stocks

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