Planes

Bench and specialist planes for truing, smoothing, rebating, and moulding.

• Jack planeAn all-purpose hand plane used for the first, roughest stage of flattening a board straight off the saw.
• Smoothing planeThe smallest bench plane, and the one reached for most often, used to put the final finish on a surface already flattened by longer planes.
• SpokeshaveA short two-handled tool that smooths curved surfaces a longer plane cannot follow, working between a draw-knife and a plane.
• Rebate planeA plane, in several forms, that cuts a stepped rebate recess along a board's edge or face to receive a panel or fit a joint.
• Try planeA long bench plane used to true a surface, flatter and more even than a jack plane alone can leave it.
• Block planeThe smallest of the common bench planes, sized for one-handed trimming, fitting and finishing of small work.
• Moulding planeA hand plane built to cut one particular decorative profile into a board's edge, rather than simply smoothing it flat.
• Compass planeA plane built to smooth curved surfaces, much like a smoothing plane but with a sole curved rather than flat.
• Router planeA hand plane that levels the floor of a shallow recess to a precise, consistent depth, without shaping the edge or surface.
• Plough planeAn adjustable hand plane that cuts a long groove along a board, using interchangeable blades for different widths.
• Bullnose planeA joinery plane with no long sole ahead of its cutter, letting it trim into a shoulder or other close corner.
• Combination planeA hand plane whose body takes different cutters or settings to make more than one kind of joinery cut.