Hand Planes

A hand plane is still the fastest way to fit a door, flatten a board edge, chamfer a corner or clean up a joint, and no sander leaves a surface as crisp. This collection covers Pony Jorgensen bench and block planes, Stanley block planes and Surform blades, the Hongdui router plane and Pony rasp planes for furniture makers, joiners and anyone fitting timber on site.

Choosing a hand plane

• Block plane for one-handed work. The Jorgensen No. 60½ adjustable block plane and the Stanley 220 fit in a tool bag and trim end grain, chamfers and door edges. The Jorgensen low angle mini plane is for small work and model-scale trimming.
• Bench planes for flattening. The Jorgensen No. 4 smoothing plane leaves the final surface on a board. The No. 5 jack plane, at 355mm long, is the general-purpose plane for truing edges and taking a board to thickness by hand.
• Corner and edge planes. The Pony corner hand plane carries a 45 degree chamfer blade and a round-over blade for easing sharp edges fast.
• Router plane for joinery. The Hongdui KM17 Pro router plane cleans the bottom of dadoes, hinge mortises and tenon cheeks to an exact depth, and ships with a narrow blade set.
• Rasp planes for shaping. The Pony pocket rasp plane and multi-position rasp file remove material quickly on curves. Stanley Surform fine-cut blades fit the Surform shaver.

Wood plane or electric planer?

An electric planer removes a lot of timber quickly on a door or a beam. A hand plane gives control: a single shaving to fit a drawer, a glass-smooth tabletop, a chamfer exactly where you want it. Most workshops run both. See electric planers, keep the iron keen with sharpening tools and sharpening stones, and pair the plane with chisels from Narex.

Hand planes are in stock in Cape Town with nationwide delivery, free on orders over R2000. For advice, call 021 674 2119.