I don’t ever expect to learn everything there is to know about hand planes. I own a Stanley No. 4 and a 4-1⁄2, plus I have an inexpensive Record block plane. I’ve put in a fair amount of time getting them all tuned up and ready to use. And when I’m in the mood, I like to get them out and make some shavings.

But, I’ve found I’m in the minority. Not too many woodworkers see the need for a full complement of hand planes in a modern wood shop. Surprisingly, it’s the older guys who seem to be the least interested in them. Let’s face it, we love our power tools!

Randy Maxey, assistant editor with ShopNotes and Woodsmith magazines, doesn’t want to talk you out of using power tools. He just wants to tell you why he thinks you need hand planes in your shop.

For example, have you ever tried trimming the edge of a sticky door on your 6" jointer? It can be done, but it isn’t easy. How about smoothing a glued-up panel that’s over 12" wide? Unless you have an industrial drum sander, this can be a difficult job. The point is, each of these jobs (and many more) are just as easily done with a well-tuned hand plane as with a power tool. And Randy’s out to prove it.

If you’re interested in finding out more about hand planes, you’ll find a list of resources for information here. You’ll also find a list of books with lots of good information about hand tools in general, and hand planes in particular. Note: Some of the books are out of print. But you can still find used copies online at Amazon and other online resellers.

This week’s Blogger’s Specials include a great 2-page article from Woodsmith on how to get the most from your plane:

5 Steps to Perfect Plane Performance 

And, another two-page Jigs & Fixture article in Woodsmith that will help you get even more from your hand plane:  

Shooting Board 

Next Thursday at The Woodsmith Store, I’ll be giving a seminar titled:

Why You Need Hand Planes in Your Shop

Even if you have a shop full of power tools, I’ll show you how hand planes can add a level of craftsmanship to your projects you never thought possible. We’ll look at how to level an uneven joint, get perfectly flush edge-banding on plywood, smooth a glued-up panel, and much more.

Join us for an information-packed and fun evening!

Sometimes we present a seminar that is centered around a single joinery technique that is definitely not a fundamental. Pocket screws and biscuit joints come to mind. Learning either of these joinery techniques is usually focused around how they’re used for a particular project, like face frames or table tops.

Mortise and tenon joints can be used for dozens of different projects. They are recognized as one of the most traditional ways to join two pieces of wood together because they’re so strong.

If you need proof, there’s a good article in the November 2006 issue of Wood magazine. It provides side-by-side comparisons of several different joints. According to their tests, the mortise and tenon is by far the strongest in both sheer and pull-apart tests.

I’ve used them to attach picture frame rails and stiles together; to join an apron to a table leg; and I’ve built lots of chairs with spindles that are joined to the rails with small mortise and tenons. Tonight I’ll show you a traditional way to cut these joints using the drill press and a couple of chisels for the mortises. Then, I’ll cut the tenons on the table saw and clean them up with chisels.

This weeks Blogger’s Special downloads are available below.   

5 Steps to Perfect Fitting Tenons

Mastering Mortises 

No one enjoys seeing someone crash and burn. It’s no fun to watch and it’s even less fun when you’re on the other end.

If you were at the seminar last Thursday, you know what I’m talking about. During the last few minutes of the hour-long seminar, Doug Hicks decided to demonstrate how to cut a mitered half lap. It’s a good, strong joint that accomplishes two things — it hides the end grain (just like a miter joint) — and it provides a lot of face grain for a good glue joint (just like a half lap). The problem is, it’s a little harder to cut than either a miter or a half lap.

At first, everything seemed to go smoothly for Doug. The dado blade was already set up for cutting a half lap joint. The two-step process for cutting the mitered half lap on the rail also went well. But when he went to cut the second part of the joint on the stile, he ran into a few problems. The mitered half lap cuts were fine, they just didn’t form a 90° joint. Oops! And a couple of attempts to correct the problem, just led to more mistakes. Finally, Doug stepped back and gave the operation a little more thought. That’s when he figured out what he’d been doing wrong.

In order to cut a miter joint on the table saw, you have to reposition the miter gauge. For the first cut, it must be set at 45° in one direction. Then, you have to reset it 45° in the opposite direction to make the second half of the miter. But, according to Doug, the mix-up came when he tried to serve two masters — common sense and the camera.

You see, we have a camera set up to show a close-up of certain operations. The close-ups are fed to four 42" plasma monitors so that everyone can see, even the folks at the back of the 200-seat seminar room. So, instead of concentrating on the job at hand, Doug tried to make sure everyone had a clear shot of what he was doing and left the miter gauge in the first position. This way, the camera (and everyone in the audience) had a great view of the cut being made. It’s just that you’ll never end up with a mitered 90° cut by doing it this way!

If you want a better explanation of how to make the cut, make sure you download this article: Mitered Half Laps. 

Doug Hicks has given this seminar several times in the past. He told me this morning that he doesn’t even have to spend much time preparing for it and he feels he could do it in his sleep. Do me a favor and bring along some noise makers just in case!

Are dadoes, rabbets and laps really fundamental operations on a table saw? I think they are. Especially when they’re done with a single blade. Cutting them this way can be done by just about anyone. But there are times when these joints should be cut with a dado blade.

I know, that’s a big investment and some of you aren’t ready to take that step. But the fact is, dadoes, rabbets and laps are actually easier to cut with a dado blade and it can be a real time saver.

Last year, there was a question about mitered half laps. Definitely not a fundamental, but a pretty cool joint nonetheless. I believe Doug is going to try fitting this operation in tomorrow. In case he doesn’t have time, he asked me to make the following articles available as a blogger’s special:

Mitered Half Laps & Picture Frame

Hope to see you tomorrow night. -Joel 

Simple straightforward information is what you want, and simple straightforward information is what you get.

Last evening’s seminar on table saw fundamentals was an enjoyable hour of insightful information on ripping and crosscutting. 

• Clean, chip-free crosscuts.
• Safe, smooth ripcuts.
• Tips for choosing the right blade.
• Easy, inexpensive add-ons to improve miter gauge performance.
• Practical guidelines for when and why to use your table saw’s blade guard. 
• Thoughtful step-by-step suggestions for getting the most out of the one tool every woodworker uses on a day-to-day basis.

What more could you ask? Phil Huber covered it all in an easy-going, "welcome to my shop" mannner that I think sets the Thursday night seminars at the Woodsmith Store apart.

Next week we’ll stick with the table saw fundamentals theme. This time, Doug Hicks will give us the skinny on making dado, groove, rabbet, and lap cuts on the table saw. Hope you can make it.

Here’s a few links to our Online Extra downloads for the week of October 5th:

6 Solutions for Successful Ripping

Secrets of Great Crosscutting

Phil Huber, associate editor for Woodsmith and ShopNotes, bought a small bungalow when he and his family moved to Des Moines a couple of years ago. One of the first things he did was purchase a table saw to use in his basement shop. While living in Chicago, Phil used the table saw in his dad’s home work shop.

"I’d never set up a saw from scratch by myself, so I did a lot of research and took my time doing it right," Phil explained to me. "That way, I knew I wasn’t going to have any problems once I got started ripping and crosscutting on my new saw. I’ve built a lot of projects using that saw and so far it’s still producing good clean cuts."

Phil is giving the Table Saw Fundamentals: Ripping and Crosscutting seminar at the Woodsmith Store this Thursday evening.

Phil Huber, associate editor for Woodsmith and ShopNotes, bought a small bungalow when he and his family moved to Des Moines a couple of years ago. One of the first things he did was purchase a table saw to use in his basement shop. While living in Chicago, Phil used the table saw in his dad’s home work shop.

"I’d never set up a saw from scratch by myself, so I did a lot of research and took my time doing it right," Phil explained to me. "That way, I knew I wasn’t going to have any problems once I got started ripping and crosscutting on my new saw. I’ve built a lot of projects using that saw and so far it’s still producing good clean cuts."

Phil is giving the Table Saw Fundamentals: Ripping and Crosscutting seminar at the Woodsmith Store this Thursday evening.