Block Plane

A block plane is a small woodworking hand plane which typically has the iron bedded at a lower angle than other planes, with the bevel up. It is designed to cut end grain and is typically small enough to be used with one hand.

According to Patrick's Stanley Blood and Gore, Stanley marketing materials states that, "A Block Plane was first made to meet the demand for a Plane which could be easily held in one hand while planing across the grain, particularly the ends of boards, etc. This latter work many Carpenters call 'Blocking in', hence the name 'Block' Plane." Tradition also claims that the block plane gets its name from its traditional use to level and remove cleaver marks from butchers' blocks that were built with the end grain facing up.

A block plane is frequently used for paring end grain. This is possible because block planes have their blades set at a shallow bed angle, allowing the blade to slice through end grain more efficiently. For this to work the plane is frequently held at an angle sometimes as much as 45 degrees to the direction of travel. The angled cutting edge slices the wood fibers as they pass from one end of the cutting edge to the other.

A block plane has many other uses in woodworking. Typically, it is used for cleaning up components by removing thin shavings of wood to make a component fit within fine tolerances. Chamfering (angling square edges) and removing glue lines are some of the other uses woodworkers find for it.

Types of tools

Cleaning tools	Broom Brush Feather duster Floor buffer Hataki Mop Mop bucket cart Needlegun scaler Pipe cleaner Pressure washer Sandblaster Sponge Squeegee Steam mop Tawashi Vacuum cleaner

Cutting and abrasive tools	Blade Bolt cutter Broach Ceramic tile cutter Chisel Coping saw Countersink Diagonal pliers Diamond blade Diamond tool Drawknife Drill bit Emery cloth File Fretsaw Froe Glass cutter Grater Grinding wheel Hand saw Knife Miter saw Nail clipper Pipecutter Plane Pocket knife Rasp Razor Reamer Sandpaper Saw Scalpel Scissors Snips Steel wool Surform Switchblade Utility knife Water jet cutter Wire brush Wire stripper

Garden tools	Adze Auger Axe Billhook Bow saw Broadcast spreader Brush hook Chainsaw Cultivator Edger Garden fork Garden hose Hatchet Hedge trimmer Hoe Hook Hori hori Irrigation sprinkler Lawn aerator Lawn mower Lawn sweeper Leaf blower Loppers Loy Machete Mattock Pickaxe Pitchfork Plough (plow) Post hole digger Pruning shears Rake Roller Scythe Shovel Sickle Slasher Spade Splitting maul String trimmer Trowel

Hand tools	Adjustable spanner Block plane Brace Bradawl Breaker bar Card scraper Cat's paw Caulking gun Clamp Crowbar Grease gun Fish tape Hammer Hawk Hex key Impact driver Jack Locking pliers Lug wrench Mallet Mitre box Monkey wrench Multi-tool Nut driver Paint roller Paintbrush Pipe wrench Pliers Plumber wrench Plumber's snake Plunger Punch Punch down tool Putty knife Scratch awl Screwdriver Sink wrench Sledgehammer Socket wrench Spike maul Staple gun Stitching awl Strap wrench Tire iron Tongue-and-groove pliers Torque wrench Upholstery hammer Wrench

Machine and metalworking tools	Automatic lathe Ball-peen hammer Broaching machine Drill press Endmill English wheel Gear shaper Grinding machine Hacksaw Hobbing machine Jig borer Lathe Metal lathe Milling cutter Milling machine Planer Plasma cutter Shaper Tap and die Thread restorer Tool bit Turret lathe Welder

Measuring and alignment tools	Architect's scale Beam compass Caliper Chalk box Compass Engineer's scale Flat spline Jig Laser level Laser line level Laser measuring tool Micrometer Plumb-bob Protractor Ruler Set square Sliding T bevel Spirit level Steel square Stencil Straightedge Tape measure Weighing scale

Power tools	Angle grinder Bandsaw Belt sander Blow torch Circular saw Concrete saw Crusher Cutting torch Die grinder Drill Glue gun Heat gun Impact wrench Jackhammer Jigsaw Jointer Nail gun Power miter saw Power trowel Radial arm saw Random orbital sander Reciprocating saw Rotary tool Router table Sander Scroll saw Soldering gun Soldering iron Steam box Table saw Thickness planer Wood router Wood shaper

Other	Antique tools Backscratcher Bucket Comb Flashlight Halligan bar Hand truck Kelly tool Ladder Pencil Toolbox Vise Wheelbarrow Workbench

Famous quotes containing the words block and/or plane:

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles...”
—Bible: New Testament, 1 Corinthians 1:22-3.

“Have you ever been up in your plane at night, alone, somewhere, 20,000 feet above the ocean?... Did you ever hear music up there?... It’s the music a man’s spirit sings to his heart, when the earth’s far away and there isn’t any more fear. It’s the high, fine, beautiful sound of an earth-bound creature who grew wings and flew up high and looked straight into the face of the future. And caught, just for an instant, the unbelievable vision of a free man in a free world.”
—Dalton Trumbo (1905–1976)