It's a common misconception among budding woodworkers, that a new handplane is ready to use out of the box. The fact is however, that most aren't. A new handplane requires a good going over, not to mention sharpening and honing. In this video tutorial, woodworker Tommy MacDonald demonstrates his techniques for setting up a new handplane, including tips on:

  • Cleaning the tool thoroughly
  • Disassembly
  • Deburring the metal castings
  • Flattening the handplane's sole
  • Breaking and smoothing sharp metal edges
  • Reassembly and setting the handplane's frog
  • Flattening a plane iron's back
  • Handplane set-up for smooth shavings

 

Get Sharp—Fast
And for more information on how to properly hone your handplane irons, be sure to catch Lie-Nielsen sharpening guru Deneb Puchalski's article from Fine Woodworking #213.