A plane is an indispensable tool for making wood smooth and giving it a shape. Planes are used to "shave" thin, even strips of wood, creating a smooth, level surface with no major irregularities. Originally, all planing was done by hand, while today electric planes allow carpenters to work quickly and efficiently. Knowing how to plan wood is a crucial skill for a carpenter. Read the steps below to learn how to plane!
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Planing with a Hand Plane
Step 1. Choose the hand plane that best suits your job
Hand planes come in different varieties. The most important feature that distinguishes them is the size. The longer the plane body is, the more accurate it will work on the wood, as the length of the body allows the plane to cover the tips and grooves on the wood surface. Shorter planes, however, are easier to control for precision work. Below you will find the most common types of hand planers, from longest to shortest:
- A splicer planer usually has a body length of 56 cm or more. These long less planes are useful for adjusting and straightening long pieces of wood such as planks or doors.
- One sbozzino it is a slightly shorter plane than the splicer, with a length that varies between 30 and 43 cm. It is more versatile than the splicer and can be used to square both long boards and smaller pieces of raw wood.
- A planer sander it is about 25 cm long and is the most versatile of the hand planes. It can be used to make a piece of wood straight and smooth for all projects.
- A block planer it is the smallest type of plane. This variety is too short to effectively straighten long planks of wood, but is great for filing smaller pieces from a surface into a tight corner.
Step 2. Sharpen the plane blade
The blade (also called "iron") of the blade must be sharpened before use. The blades of new planes also need to be sharp. To do this, place a piece of 220 grit sandpaper on a flat surface. Hold the blade at a 25-30 degree angle so the bevel is snug against the paper. Keeping the angle, rub the blade across the paper in a circular fashion while applying light pressure. When a hedgehog (an accumulation of filed pieces of metal) forms along the back, the blade is ready to use. Remove curls by wiping the back of the blade along the paper.
Step 3. Adjust the angle of the blade
When planing wood, the angle of the blade decides how "thick" the filing should be. If the angle is too deep you can end up blocking the plane or tearing the wood. To adjust the angle of the blade, turn the adjustment wheel, a wheel located behind the blade apparatus. Adjust until the tip of the blade protrudes just below the sole of the plane.
It is a good method to start with a low angle and then, if necessary, increase the depth of the cut
Step 4. Plan the surface of the wood
Start by making the wood smooth and flat by placing the plane on the edge of the surface. As you apply pressure on the front handle and press forward with the rear handle, press the plane into the surface in a light, continuous motion. Work regularly on the wood surface, paying more attention to major irregularities or uneven parts of the surface.
A spirit level or ruler can help you find the uneven parts in your lumber
Step 5. Avoid tearing by cutting around the grain of the wood
To smooth the surface of the board, you may need to use the plane in different directions. However, always avoid planing directly against the grain. This causes the blade to "pick up" tiny imperfections on the surface. If this happens, the plane risks tearing off small pieces of the wood surface, rather than smoothing it evenly. This phenomenon is called "tearing".
To repair the tear, try planing the torn spot again along the grain of the wood, or sanding it with paper
Step 6. Check the accuracy of the planing
Ideally, where you have planed the wood, you will need to get a flat, smooth surface that is flush with any adjacent piece of wood. Check for flatness and evenness by drawing a line across the surface. The row should go flush against the side of the wood regardless of the direction. If, in any position, the line matches the wood leaving gaps in the middle, you will know that there is an uneven area in that spot.
A square can be used to check the angle between two adjacent sides of the wood, to ensure they match perfectly at a 90 ° angle
Method 2 of 2: Planing with a Mechanical Surface Planer
Step 1. Remember that surface planers typically require pieces of wood with one of two smooth surfaces
Surface planers are mechanical tools that use rollers and an adjustable rotary blade system to automatically plan a piece of wood with a uniform thickness. Planers save a lot of time for experienced carpenters, but it is important to remember that many planers only sand the wood surface "relative to the opposite surface". In other words, if the bottom of the wood is not perfectly flat, the planer will "keep" this imperfection on the top surface. Because of this, you will only need to use the planer if you are sure that the opposite surface of the wood is perfectly flat.
Step 2. Prepare the planer to the desired thickness
All surface planers allow to somehow adjust the "depth" of the planing. Often, this is done through a hand knob that raises the plane housing. The higher the slot, the lower the planer will cut. As with the hand plane, it is wise to start with lower cuts. You can always increase the depth of the cut, but you cannot "add" what you just cut.
- Often, the depth of the cut itself is not shown on the planer but the actual thickness to which the wood is planed. So, to plan a 5cm thick piece of wood by 0.15cm, you will need to set the planer at 0.15-0.16cm, and so on.
- Remember that most planers cannot be set more than 0.15-0.30cm each time. If you go further, the work becomes dangerous for the wood and for the planer itself.
Step 3. Alternatively, set the depth lock
Many planers offer the ability to "lock" the plane at a certain depth of cut through a mechanism called a depth lock. For example, if the depth block is set at 2.5cm, the planer will not be able to plan wood to a thickness of less than 2.5cm. This is a useful feature to avoid unwanted planing.
If you don't want to use the depth lock, set it to a very low level, much lower than the thickness of your board, so you never go beyond that limit
Step 4. Turn on the planer and run it over the wood
When the planer is running, feed the wood into the planer in a controlled, smooth motion. Once the wood has been captured by the rollers, it should enter the planer on its own. Remember that "as with the hand plane, you will have to plane along the grain avoiding tearing the wood". Repeat this process, if necessary, until the wood is leveled to the desired thickness.
You can follow the planing process by making a light mark on the surface to be planed with a pencil before proceeding. As the planer removes the irregularities on the wood, you will see the pencil lines disappear
Step 5. Pull out the wood as it passes between the rollers, to avoid "knocks"
A "hit" is a condition that can occur on a piece of wood from time to time. Essentially, the planer rollers pull the wood up, causing slightly deeper cuts on the edges of the wood than the mid-section. To avoid this, pull the end of the wood as it passes between the front and rear rollers. In other words, pull the back end of the wood as it enters the machine, then push the start end as the other comes out of the planer.
Step 6. Use eye, ear and mouth protection as needed
Mechanical planers are usually very noisy. Prevent damage to your ears by wearing appropriate protection, such as earplugs or earmuffs. Among other things, planers produce a lot of dust that disperses into the air, so if you don't have the right equipment to vacuum it right away (like a vacuum pump), use eye protection and a surgical mask to defend yourself.
