Hand planes: types, sizes and angles
What the common hand planes are for, how long they are, and the angles their blades work at: bevel down in a bench plane, bevel up in a low-angle plane. Each line names the makers behind it.
Bevel down or bevel up, and the cutting angle
Bench planes hold the blade bevel down; low-angle planes hold it bevel up, on a bed of about 12°.
Two sources: Lie-Nielsen Toolworks and Lee Valley (Veritas) , sources [1, 2]
On a bevel-up plane the cutting angle is the bed plus the bevel: 12° + 25° = 37°.
Two sources: Lie-Nielsen Toolworks and Lee Valley (Veritas) , sources [1, 2]
Honing a steeper bevel raises it: a 38° bevel on a 12° bed cuts at 50°, which helps in difficult or figured grain.
Two sources: Lie-Nielsen Toolworks and Lee Valley (Veritas) , sources [1, 2]
Use a jack plane on rough stock, a jointer (the longest) to flatten and true, and a smoother last for the finished surface.
One source: Lie-Nielsen Toolworks, the maker of those planes , sources [1]
Sources
Bevel-down bench planes are traditionally bedded at 45° (common pitch); 50° (York pitch) and 55° (middle pitch) are used for difficult, figured grain.
Traditional rule, stated by Lie-Nielsen Toolworks and Lee Valley (Veritas)
Bench planes by number
Bench planes carry the old Stanley numbers: the higher the number, the longer the plane. These are Lie-Nielsen’s lengths for its own planes; other makers’ planes of the same number are close but not identical.
| Plane | Use | Length |
|---|---|---|
| No. 2 | Small smoother | 7 1/2 in |
| No. 4 | Smoother | 9 1/2 in |
| No. 4½ | Smoother | 10 3/8 in |
| No. 5 | Jack | 14 in |
| No. 5½ | Jack | 14 3/4 in |
| No. 62 (low angle) | Jack, bevel up at 12° | 14 in |
| No. 7 | Jointer | 22 in |
| No. 8 | Jointer | 24 in |
Sharpening the blade
Bevel angles, the honing method and stone grits are in the sharpening angle guide. Machine planing is in the thickness planer and jointer guides.