DIY & Home

How To Use A Bench Plane

A bench plane is a critical tool in woodworking, as it is the bench plane that will make your wood flat and square for you, which is a basic principle of all woodworking at whatever level. In this video senior furniture instructor Colin Eden shows you how to use it. Enlarge

How To Use A Bench Plane

A bench plane is a critical tool in woodworking, as it is the bench plane that will make your wood flat and square for you, which is a basic principle of all woodworking at whatever level. In this video senior furniture instructor Colin Eden shows you how to use it.

You Will Need

  • 1 bench plane
  • 1 light coloured stick
  • 1 dark coloured stick
  • 1 set square

Top Tips

  • The chip breaker makes sure the shavings curl away from the blade as you cut into the wood. It should be set no more than a millimetre away from the leading edge.
  • Use the lateral adjustment lever to get the blade parallel to the sole of the plane before you begin to work.
  • Use a light and a dark sticks placed at each end of a piece of wood, sight along it and you can tell if it is in wind or twist. You can then see which side needs to be planed to make it flat.