Skew BLock Planes
Our Low Angle Skew Block Plane is adapted from the Stanley #140, which was discontinued many years ago. Its skewed blade and removable side made it more versatile than standard block planes. We have altered the design by lowering the blade angle, and adding a fence and a captive nut blade adjuster to increase ease of use and versatility.
Two holes are provided in the fence for attaching a wood strip if desired. When not rabbeting, keep the stainless steel side on the plane to protect the acute angle of the frog.
Geometry:
The blade sits in the body at 12°; it comes with a 25° flat ground bevel, making the included cutting angle 37°. The skew angle is 18°.
Blade Sharpening:
The blade comes ready to use. Slight additional honing will increase performance. A secondary bevel of up to 5 degrees helps achieve a razor edge quickly. This also improves edge life in hardwoods. For more information on advanced sharpening we suggest David Charlesworth’s DVD Hand Tool Techniques Part 1: Plane Sharpening.
Nicker:
The circular A-2 nicker is retracted when the flat is at the bottom. Rotate to expose the edge as needed. When fully exposed the nicker protrudes .010”. Occasionally, you may need to hone the back (flat) side of the nicker on a fine waterstone to sharpen.
Blade Adjustment:
Hold the tool in one hand with your fingers supporting the sole, and your thumb on the cap iron just in front of the screw. Loosen the spinwheel, and with your thumb still holding the blade and cap, adjust the blade. Tighten the spinwheel. Do not overtighten. You should be able to adjust the blade after loosening the spinwheel about 1/4 turn. Because of the unsupported right side, there is some flex inherent in that thin metal edge when the cap is tensioned on the blade. This will produce a slightly tapered shaving which will normally not present a problem, but if on occasion it does, adjust the blade slightly out of parallel with the sole to produce a shaving of uniform (not tapered) thickness
