PL A

300

PL A

sible to describe the terms applied to these tools withoutfigures, as they are arbitrary, though generally known amongworkmen. The faces of all these planes are straight in thedirection of their length, but a section across the face is theimpression or reverse of the moulding they are intended tomake, and the edge of the iron is curved to correspond withthis curve when in its place, though in reality it is a verydifferent figure, because it is inclined to the face of the planeat an angle of about forty-five degrees. Another distinctionbetween these and the bench planes is, that their mouths donot open so as to discharge the shaving through the stock atthe top thereof, but the wedge completely fills the hole, andthe shaving passes out sideways through a hole for that pur-pose ; in some, these apertures are on the right, and inothers on the left side ; in the first case, the shaving is said,by the workmen, to be thrown on the bench, that is, uponthe right side of the plane ; but, when the orifice of dischargeis on the left, and consequently the shaving thrown uponthe left, then the plane is said to throw the shaving off thebench. The compass plane is used by coach-makers, cabinet-makers, &c.; it is made with a convex face, formed to an arcof a circle in the direction of its length, and it thereforeforms the concave surface of a cylinder. The forli-staffplane is straight in the direction of its length, but its faceis made concave in its breadth, to the arc of a small cylinder;the edge of the iron is of course curved in the same manner,and it planes cylindrical surfaces. Coopers also employlong and heavy planes to form the edges of the staves ofbarrels, these are mounted in an inclined position on legslike a stool, with their faces upwards, and the stave is drawnbackwards and forwards upon them.

Planes are so necessary for all kinds of work, that anywho intend to work in wood, should understand the struc-ture, and the manner of using them. The jack plane isused for taking off the rough and prominent parts from thesurface of the wood, and reducing it nearly to the intendedthickness, in coarse shavings, or slices. The stock of thisplane is about seventeen incites in length, three inches high,and three and a half inches broad ; all the sides are straight,and at right angles to each other : the mouth is cut throughthe solid of the stock to receive the iron, and hold it at suchan elevation, as to make an angle of forty-five degrees withthe face of the plane ; the iron is a thin metal plate, one sideconsisting of iron, the other of steel; the lower end of theiron is ground to an acute angle off the iron side, forming asloping part called the basil of the iron, so as to bring thesteel side to a sharp edge : the wedge which fixes the ironin its place is let into two grooves of the same form, on thesides of the opening or mouth : two sides of the wedge areparallel, and it is forked, or cut away in the middle, leavingthe sides like two prongs, to fill the lower part of thesegrooves ; this allows the shaving to pass up, without obstruc-tion, before the wedge : for the mouth or opening throughthe stock must be uninterrupted from the face to the top,and must be no wider on the face of the plane, than is suffi-cient for the thickest shaving to pass with ease ; and as theshaving is discharged at the upper side of the plane, theopening through it must expand or increase from the face tothe top, so as to prevent the shavings from sticking therein.A handle, called the tote, is fixed to the upper side of thestock, immediately behind the iron ; it is formed to the shapeof the hand, and the direction of the motion, so as to pro-duce the most power in pushing the plane forward.

A workman in using the jack-plane, lays the piece of woodon the bench parallel to its sides, with the farther end lodgedagainst the bench-hook ; then laying the fore part of theplane upon the hind end of the wood, with the right hand he

takes the handle, and pressing with his left upon the i°‘ ^ t jiethrusts the plane forward in the direction of the fib re gtl -ok ewood and length of the plane, until he has extended the 9 tthe whole length of his arm, the shaving being discha'e ( ],ethe orifice; he then draws back the plane, and r ®P e * rt th' 3operation in the next adjacent rough part, proceeding th emanner until he has removed the rough parts throng 11 ^ jpewhole breadth. He then steps forward the distant ^ jnlength he has planed, and operates upon another l en ?j t licthe same manner, proceeding this way by steps, l9

whole length is gone over and rough-planed. To do D ofvery easy; but a workman will not make good prog 1 e rl/do clean work, unless he has first adjusted his tool P 1for the work. The methods of doing this are nearly t'for all planes. The first care is to obtain a sharp cuttl tl ,e

to the iron if it requires grinding on the grinds fin'

carpenter places his two thumbs under the iron, an

<ri

- ( f)l6 ^ i p

gers of both hands above, laying the basil side to r jstone, and holding it to the angle he intends it. s s to lie

it steady whil®.^

with the steel side of it, keepin_ .. _,

revolves ; and pressing the iron to the stone witn 11 - 0 f fi 10

in order to prevent the stone from wearing the e “ a e( 3 <re to

iron into irregularities, he moves it alternately fr° nl. „ . . . . _ the o>“ ,i,fl

edge of the stone, with so much pressure on

the

ke

tbe

parts, as will reduce it to the required bevel, anaedge straight. _ , ; the

The basil being brought to a proper angle, anu ^ g j on eda regular and slight curvature, the roughness oCC ' a u \,])\a$! uthe gritty particles of the stone is taken away ^j^j-ied ' v ' jaedge on a smooth flat stone, or turkey-stone, s P nl ' u n<b jjolive-oil on its surface. As the basil is general!} g^ ;v0 u ^give a more acute angle than the edge ol the i ^ 0 f ^stand, for the quicker dispatch of wetting it, 1 ,e w jjjle **■.iron is inclined nearer to the perpendicular, ; nC lin atl . yrubbed backwards and forwards with the sal |'? e or bl 11 " 1 J-throughout. Every time the iron becomes duluse, the sharpening is produced by grinding on repf^ estone, or flat grindstone, or on a turkey-stone; L^ch (1 u eing this, after the edge gets thick, it requires s toto bring it up to an edge, that recourse must ® ^ fjjce 1grindstone. The iron being thus sharpened,

CD - - - - - O - - . . - .1 g CUtt in = .Jjflt

the plane by its wedge : the projection ot t‘ f

must be just so much beyond the face of th e a c ^ |ti

the workman may be able to work it ^ re !b^ 0 beplaning, and must be regulated by the stun . so ( | |g

whether it be hard or soft, cross-grained or cu^ j^dn c ®a man may be able to perform the most woi ^ . g goo 1 ysubstance most in a given time. If .^deprojectif,,^clean-grained, it is evident that a consideiab P r ^ Q e % ^ ^be allowed, as a thicker shaving may be ta ' ce !' r t)\eends of tbe edge of tbe iron must nevei ^ ch 0 ^ ethis not only retards the progress of working^ ^ theprevents the regular discharge of the s ^ aV1 ."” e dgc d 1 *of the plane. The projection of the cuttl I 1 ? ;S g iro 11 ’ a j 1 -o 11 >

, and the plane is said to have more oi_^ ^ ’j- ti>®

a" 1

projection is greater or less; when thei 8 , 1 fore en< ? ethe workman knocks with a hammer on 11 p' , 0 (top of the stock, and the blows will ^ oOS f”j ) (be l‘ e ?g iv° r ^raise the iron in a certain degree, a ^ tel ’^ V . I ^ C yyiieu

off

wedge must be knocked down to fix it aga in - jt, ^man has occasion to take out the iron to s 1 ^ t be

e r>

the fore end of the top of the stock smaitlywhich loosens both the wedge and the n°”‘ t j )(J ga iP e v s bo 1 'All the other bench-planes are adjusted in as r0 v B '

and indeed do not differ, except in dim a gre ftt \ g ca |lSexplain, from the jack plane. Ot late y e!U ^ planedmerit has been introduced in the "' nns