Prerequisite: Sharpening with WaterStones Workshop
Instructor: Ross Day
Hand planes, and the art of hand-planing, are the ultimate way for the furniture maker to connect and
tap into the interrelationship between you, your tools, and the material. Machines are fundamental to
the furniture making process of course, but the precision brought about by finely tuned hand tools will
add to and accomplish what machines simply cannot do, and allow you to refine and take your skills to a
completely different level.
In this one-day workshop focused on Western style handplanes, we will open the doors to the choices,
preparation, tune-up, and efficient use of these essential and wonderful tools. Beginning by examining
the common characteristics of all hand-planes, we will look at the literal nuts-and-bolts of Western
planes; how they operate, best practices and procedures for tuning them up, and the proper use and
care of them. We will also examine a few Specialty planes; designed to do narrowly focused tasks
general planes cannot do. And the critically important and often misunderstood hand scraper will be
reviewed. Fitting like the hand within the glove, this tool coexists with your hand planes to take care of
all your surface preparation needs.
We will then move on to the methods and techniques for you to practice all the common hand-planing
tasks; surface planing, edge planing, and planing end grain (yes, very doable!). Common problems and
their solutions, will be taught and demonstrated as well.
You’ve taken the Sharpening class, so bring at least a freshly sharpened blockplane, so you are ready to
go. Ebanista will provide a nice piece of cherry hardwood for you to transform and bring to life in this
unique experience!
