Tools Central

All About Hand Planes, Rasps and Files

Planes are used to shave fairly small amounts of wood off of long wooden boards. Rasps and files have functions similar to planes, but remove material in a different way.

Excerpted from Do It Yourself Home Improvement

Jack Plane

Bench planes are generally categorized according to length. The most versatile of these is the jack plane. It is fairly heavy duty and removes wood quickly and efficiently. The iron is positioned bevel-down in a bench plane. So, on the push stroke, place greater pressure on the toe. Hold the handle and the knob when moving the plane back and forth.