Issue 604

Super Smooth, No Sanding

While hand planes are some of the most iconic tools in the world of woodworking, they represent a mixed bag when it comes to the average Joe or Josephine Woodworker’s everyday workflow. I am convinced, as a person who has come to really appreciate the versatility of these tools, that more people would use them more often if they got better results from their efforts. My favorite hand plane right now is my No. 7 jointer. I use it to flatten and smooth large slabs of lumber that don’t fit into my planer. And one of the great things about that effort is that the lumber is super smooth and ready for a finish when I am done. No sanding required.

Woodworker’s Journal has a great series of videos on hand planes for our print subscribers, where Ernie Conover explains their benefits and offers advice for success. In today’s Weekly, we have opened one of them up to the general public (the series is otherwise gated and available only to our print subscribers) so you can see what I am talking about. Our other video is about a hand plane that is, well … best if you just check it out. Trust me.

Rob Johnstone, Woodworker’s Journal

Assembling and Adjusting Hand Planes

In this episode of our premium hand planes series, Ernie Conover demonstrates how to assemble and set up your hand plane for perfect smoothing cuts.

Is This the World’s Largest Working Hand Plane?

Don’t you wish there was a hand plane that got the job done faster? NOW THERE IS!

Introducing the Bench Dog No.5 Jackman-Sized Plane. It takes hand planes to the next level. This revolutionary new super-sized woodworking hand plane does three times the work of a standard Jack plane. The shavings you make with the new Bench Dog No.5 are thick enough to reuse as lumber for your next project.

Thanks to Paul Jackman (plane body) and Zach Herberholz (plane iron and cap plate) for their outstanding creativity and work on this project.

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