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[CAR HORNS BEEPING] [BANJO TWANG] [UPBEAT OLD-TIME FIDDLE MUSIC] ♪ HEY, HELLO AGAIN.

WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

SO GLAD YOU COULD BE WITH ME AGAIN TODAY, BECAUSE WE HAVE A VERY SPE--OH, MY.

OH, MY.

OH, MY GOSH.

HE'S BACKSLIDING.

THIS IS CHRISTOPHER SCHWARZ, AND HE'S WORKED WITH ME TO TRY AND GET ME FREE OF THE GOSSAMER SHAVINGS, THE SEDUCTIVE SIREN SONG OF THE SMOOTHING PLANE, AND HERE YOU'VE GONE BACK TO IT.

IF YOU'VE GONE BACK, I WANT TO GO BACK.

LET ME HAVE JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME!

GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF, MAN!

ROY, SECRET WORD!

SECRET WORD!

AAH!

[SOBBING] I NEED THE SMOOTHING PLANE, CHRIS.

ROY, WE ALL DO.

WE ALL NEED THE SMOOTHING PLANE, AND WE'RE HERE TO HELP, AND... AND WE'RE GONNA FIX YOU, MAN.

WE'RE GONNA FIX YOU.

I'M NOT ALONE, AM I?

YOU'RE NOT ALONE.

WE'RE ALL HERE FOR YOU, SIR.

OK.

BUT THE GOSSAMER SHAVINGS.

I LOVE IT.

AND THE MICRONS AND THE TIGHT MOUTH.

AND I COULD SPEND SO MUCH MONEY ON IT.

WHAT AM I TO DO?

BUT...ALL RIGHT.

NEVERTHELESS, YOU'RE GONNA CURE ME, AND I THOUGHT CHRIS HAD CURED ME OF THE OBSESSION WITH THE SMOOTHING PLANE.

THIS IS REALLY THE LAST PLANE THAT PEOPLE USE, AND YOU SAY WE SHOULD REALLY BE FOCUSING ON THE FIRST PLANE FOREMOST.

YES.

WE SHOULD GET RID OF OUR SMOOTHING-PLANE-ITIS.

INSTEAD, REPLACE IT WITH...

YES, INDEED.

THIS IS WHAT NOW?

THE FORE PLANE, WHAT WE NORMALLY CALL THE JACK.

A JACK PLANE.

A COMMON JACK PLANE.

SO YOU'RE SAYING GET RID OF THE SMOOTHING PLANE OBSESSION AND WORK ON YOUR JACK PLANE.

NOW, WHAT HAS LED YOU TO THIS ANARCHISTIC, THIS TOTALLY BLASPHEMOUS POSITION IN WOODWORKING?

WELL, ACTUALLY, NO, THE REVELATION CAME FROM THE GOOD BOOK.

THE GOOD BOOK?

THE GOOD BOOK-- JOSEPH MOXON.

OH, OF COURSE.

WELL, YOU HAVE IT RIGHT HERE-- THE JOSEPH MOXON.

OF COURSE.

NEVER FAR AWAY.

NOW, TELL US ABOUT JOSEPH MOXON HERE.

WELL, YOU KNOW JOSEPH MOXON.

HE WAS THE FIRST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE CHRONICLER OF WOODWORKING AND SUNDIAL REPAIR AND BRICK-RAILING... OK.

SO THIS IS AN EARLY HOW-TO BOOK, AND, WELL, WHAT WAS IT IN HERE?

ALL RIGHT.

HERE'S THE SECTION ON CARPENTRY.

IT SHOWS ALL THE PLANES AND SAWS AND STUFF RIGHT THERE.

AND THEN HE GETS TO-- IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, ROY, YOU CAN SEE THIS RIGHT HERE.

RIGHT.

THAT'S ALL HE WROTE ABOUT SMOOTHING PLANES-- 33 WORDS.

ON SMOOTHING PLANES.

YEAH.

33.

OK. "THE SMOOTHING PLANE, "MARKED B-4, MUST HAVE ITS IRON FET VERY FINE BECAUSE ITS OFFICE IS TO SMOOTHEN--" WELL, HE CAN'T EVEN SAY THIS RIGHT.

SO THIS IS-- BUT HE HAS SO MUCH MORE ON THE DIFFERENT PLANES.

I SEE A LOT ON THE JOINTER AND SEVERAL PAGES ON THE FORE PLANE.

YEAH, THE FORE PLANE, HE SPILLS 1,800 WORDS OF PRECIOUS INK IN AN EARLY BOOK ON IT.

I ALMOST SPILLED THE OLIVE OIL THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'RE GONNA PUT THE SMOOTHING PLANE ASIDE AND LOOK AT THIS.

IT'S TIME TO PUT IT AWAY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, SMOOTHING PLANE-- THE LAST PLANE YOU WOULD USE.

THE FIRST PLANE, FORE PLANE.

THE FORE PLANE, YES.

THIS IS THE PLANE YOU SHOULD BE OBSESSED WITH.

THIS IS THE PLANE THAT THE 17th AND 18th-CENTURY JOINTERS AND CABINETMAKERS WOULD REALLY MAKE THEIR MONEY WITH.

THIS GETS THE WORK DONE.

THIS DOES THE WORK OF, YOU KNOW, 10 SMOOTHING PLANES IN THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL THAT IT REMOVES.

WHAT'S THE MAGIC OF THIS THING?

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

WELL, YOU'VE GOT TO GO LOOK UNDER THE HOOD.

OK. AND YOU LOOK UNDER HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE IT HAS THIS WIDE-OPEN MOUTH WITH AN IRON THAT IS SHAPED.

IT'S CRESTED.

I SEE A CURVE TO IT.

YEAH.

IT HAS ABOUT AN 8-INCH RADIUS.

AND THAT IS WHAT ALLOWS THE SMOOTHING PLANE TO WORK ITS MAGIC, ACCORDING TO JOSEPH MOXON.

WOW.

I'LL BE DARNED.

NOW, OF COURSE, IN MOXON'S TIME, IT WOULDN'T HAVE LOOKED LIKE THIS IRON ONE.

THIS IS A 19th-CENTURY STANLEY.

THIS IS PROBABLY MORE-- BUT THE SAME THING.

IT'S THE SAME TOOL.

WHAT MOXON WOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT.

BUT THE SAME LENGTH.

HOW LONG AGAIN?

USUALLY ABOUT 14, 16 INCHES LONG.

AND SLIGHTLY-- AND AGAIN WE SEE THAT ROUNDED IRON DOWN IN THERE, THAT CAMBERED IRON.

ALL RIGHT.

SO HOW DO YOU USE THIS THING?

WHAT'S THE DEAL?

WELL, THERE'S... LIKE WITH ALL THINGS THAT ARE MAGIC, THERE IS A MAGIC WORD.

OH, NO.

WHAT COULD IT BE?

AND THE MAGIC WORD HAS TO DO WITH THE WAY YOU USE THE PLANE.

WE DON'T USE THE PLANE ALONG THE GRAIN, LIKE WE DO WITH MOST, YOU KNOW, BENCH PLANES.

WE DON'T?

NO, WE DON'T.

INSTEAD, WE DO WHAT MOXON SAYS-- HE CALLS IT "TO TRAVERSE," WHICH MEANS USE ACROSS THE GRAIN.

SO GO ACROSS.

AND THIS ALLOWS YOU TO TAKE A REALLY BIG BITE WITH THE PLANE.

WOW.

BUT LOOK.

WOW.

SO YOU CAN REALLY LEVEL A ROUGH-CUT PIECE.

ABSOLUTELY.

BUT LOOK AT THESE.

THESE ARE HEAVY.

THESE ARE CRUNCHY SHAVINGS.

THEY'RE NOT GOSSAMER LIKE WE LOVE SO MUCH.

I KNOW.

I KNOW.

BUT MOXON WAS VERY SPECIFIC.

HE SAID TO GO AFTER A SHAVING THAT WAS THE THICKNESS OF AN OLD GROAT.

AN OLD GROAT?

AN OLD GROAT, WHICH IS NOT A FURRY ANIMAL, BUT AN ENGLISH COIN.

SO THEY WERE GOING FOR VERY THICK SHAVINGS.

WOW.

SO THAT CAMBERED IRON ALLOWS YOU TO SCOOP OUT ACROSS THE GRAIN.

I GUESS CAMBERED.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU CALL IT.

BUT ANYWAY, A RADIUSED IRON.

YEAH.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THEN YOU'VE DONE THAT.

NOW WHAT DO YOU DO?

DO YOU PUT IT IN LIKE THAT?

YOU'RE GOOD TO GO?

I MEAN... NO, NO, NO, NO.

THE NEXT THING THAT MOXON SAID TO DO, AND HE WAS VERY SPECIFIC, WAS YOU CAN BACK OUT THE IRON A LITTLE BIT, AND THEN YOU CAN START TO WORK DIAGONALLY WITH THE PLANE.

OH, OK. AND YOU CAN HEAR-- I DO.

I HEAR A MORE CONTINUOUS... AN INCREASINGLY CONTINUOUS CUT.

YES, AND IT'S REMOVING THE DOCKS.

WHAT ARE DOCKS?

DOCKS ARE WHAT MOXON CALLS THE SHALLOW... OH, THE SCOOPS.

THE SCOOPS LEFT BY THE IRON.

ALL RIGHT.

THE RIDGES AND SO FORTH.

YEAH.

WOW.

AND NOW YOU GO WITH THE GRAIN.

AT THE VERY END.

AND THIS WILL GET EVEN THE ROUGHEST PIECE OF LUMBER PRETTY FLAT, AND REALLY FAST.

NO MESSING AROUND.

SO USING THE SAME IRON BUT JUST GOING FLAT.

AND THEN... WELL, THAT LOOKS GREAT.

I MEAN, BUT...

HE TALKS ABOUT OTHER PLANES AS WELL.

I MEAN, YOU DON'T DO IT ALL WITH A JACK PLANE.

NO.

NO.

THE NEXT PLANE IN MOXON'S WORLD IS WHAT WE CALL THE TRY PLANE.

A TRY PLANE?

YES.

T-R-Y?

T-R-Y, WHICH MEANS NOT THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAKE IT FLAT, BUT THAT WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT FLAT, AND MAKING SOMETHING FLAT IS TO TRY IT, IS TO... THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE EXPRESSION "TRIED AND TRUE."

TRIED AND...OK. AND THIS, I SEE, IT DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH CAMBER IN THAT IRON.

IT'S ALMOST...

ALMOST SQUARE ACROSS.

IT'S ALMOST SQUARE.

NOT QUITE.

AND THE MOUTH ISN'T SO BIG.

AND THIS IS VARIABLE, OF COURSE.

EVERY USER CAN SET THIS TO DIFFERENT OPENINGS RIGHT THERE AND DIFFERENT CAMBERS TO THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, HOW DO YOU USE THIS PLANE?

THIS IS THE TRYING PLANE.

THIS IS THE TRYING PLANE.

IT'S USED FOR FACES.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE USING IT ON THE SURFACE OF THIS BOARD.

AND IT'S LONGER, SO I GUESS IT'S SKIPPING OVER THE HOLLOWS MORE.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S DOING RIGHT NOW.

AND I CAN HEAR IT.

OK. AND WE WORK IT DIAGONALLY UNTIL WE START TAKING A CONTINUOUS SHAVING.

AND WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT, THAT MEANS THAT THE BOARD IS PRETTY MUCH FLAT.

UH-HUH.

AND I CAN SEE THAT I'M TOUCHING ALL POINTS.

ALL RIGHT.

OH, YEAH.

WOW.

SO NOW THIS BOARD IS REALLY COMING INTO FLATNESS.

OH, THAT SOUNDS GREAT.

SO THAT'S, AGAIN, THE WOODEN TRYING PLANE.

BUT THESE WERE IN IRON AS WELL.

SO YOU HAVE WOOD, IRON, ALL DIFFERENT KIND OF VERSIONS OF THESE THINGS.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LENGTH.

WELL, THIS IS THE LONGEST ONE.

WHAT'S WITH THIS NOW?

THIS WOULD BE THE JOINTER?

THAT IS THE JOINTER PLANE.

AND IN MOXON'S BOOK, HE WOULD ACTUALLY CALL IT, WHICH IS A LITTLE CLUE, BUT HE WOULD CALL IT THE GLUING JOINTER.

GLUING.

GLUING.

GLUING.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU WOULD GET TWO VERY STRAIGHT SIDES, THEN YOU CAN GLUE THEM TOGETHER.

LIKE MAKING A TABLETOP OR SOMETHING.

IT WAS MAINLY DESIGNED FOR EDGES.

OH, AS YOU'RE DOING HERE.

OK. LOOK AT THAT.

YOU'RE SHAVING THAT.

HA HA!

I LIKE THAT.

WELL, THAT IS ALMOST AS MUCH FUN IN TERMS OF SHAVINGS AS THE GOSSAMER ONES THERE.

LOOK AT THAT.

MOXON BRAND TOILET PAPER THERE.

VERY NICE.

HA HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, YOU JUST KEEP ON GOING.

NOW, HOW DO YOU-- BECAUSE I KNOW THE LENGTH WILL KEEP YOU FROM HOLLOWING THIS OUT, BUT WHAT KEEPS YOU FROM CROWNING?

BECAUSE THAT HAPPENS.

YOU SEE THAT A LOT.

OH, YEAH.

THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM WITH A LOT OF PLANERS AS THEY'RE LEARNING ESPECIALLY, IS THE TENDENCY OF THE PLANE IS TO TAKE A HEAVIER CUT AT THE BEGINNING AND THE END, SO YOU MAKE WHAT WE LIKE TO CALL A BANANA.

WE DO?

YES, WE DO.

WE LIKE TO MAKE IT A BANANA.

IT'S A BANANA SHAPE.

AND SO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO IS YOU HAVE TO USE YOUR BODY MECHANICS TO FORCE THE PLANE INTO DOING THE RIGHT THING.

AND THE WAY I TELL PEOPLE TO DO IT IS WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IS THEY NEED TO TRY TO SCOOP OUT THE MIDDLE LIKE THEY'RE SCOOPING ICE CREAM OUT.

BUT YOU CAN'T.

I MEAN, YOU CAN'T.

THE PLANE'S TOO LONG.

EXACTLY.

AND BY TRYING TO SCOOP OUT THE MIDDLE AND HAVING A FLAT SOLE, IS YOU PRODUCE A STRAIGHT EDGE.

THAT'S THE NET RESULT.

TRYING TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE GIVES YOU THE POSSIBLE.

EXACTLY.

AND YOU'RE GETTING ICE CREAM-- THE IMPROBABLE.

BUT YOU'RE GETTING ICE CREAM INSTEAD OF BANANAS.

THAT'S THE OLD EXPRESSION.

ALL RIGHT.

OH, MY GOSH.

NOW, YOU ALMOST KNOCKED OVER A LITTLE PLANE.

THIS IS...THAT'S A SCRUB PLANE, ISN'T IT NOW?

YEAH.

THAT LITTLE GUY-- IS THAT IN MOXON?

DOES HE TALK ABOUT THESE?

OF COURSE NOT, BECAUSE THAT IS USED BY PEOPLE ACROSS THE ENGLISH CHANNEL.

SO ON THE CONTINENT, IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE, THEY WOULD USE THIS PLANE, LIKE A GERMAN JOINTER, AND HE WOULD USE THIS PLANE INSTEAD OF THE FORE PLANE.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IT HAS A WIDE-OPEN MOUTH.

YEAH.

AND IT HAS THAT CRESTED IRON, BUT IT'S A LITTLE EVEN MORE CRESTY THAN THE ONE ON THE FORE PLANE.

IT'S WAY, WAY CURVED THERE.

SO THAT STICKS UP AND TAKES A REAL SCOOP.

THIS IS A DEEP SCOOP OF ICE CREAM RIGHT THERE.

IT IS.

IT'S FOR THE DOUBLE SCOOP.

BUT THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE TOOL IS IT HAS A VERY SHORT SOLE.

IT'S ONLY ABOUT 9, 10 INCHES LONG.

AND IT'S REALLY NARROW.

AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE WHEN I USE IT...

I CAN REALLY HOG THE MATERIAL OFF.

BUT I'M HAVING TO TAKE A LOT MORE STROKES BECAUSE OF THAT SHARP CURVATURE.

IT'S VERY NARROW.

YEAH.

WOW.

AND IT'S NOT VERY WIDE.

AND THE OTHER PROBLEM IS IS BECAUSE OF THE SHORT SOLE, IS THAT THERE'S MORE CHANCE FOR ERROR, IS THAT I COULD MAKE A LOW SPOT BECAUSE OF CARELESSNESS.

SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE MORE SKILL TO USE A SCRUB PLANE EFFECTIVELY THAN WHAT THE BRITISH AND AMERICAN JOINTERS PREFERRED, WHICH WAS THE LONGER SOLE WHICH WOULD HELP KEEP THINGS FLAT.

I SEE THESE IN WOOD, YEAH, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS THAT GERMAN STYLE.

WITH THE HORN UP FRONT, YEAH.

BUT THIS IS, OF COURSE, AN AMERICAN IRON VERSION OF THAT SAME GERMAN-STYLE TOOL.

MM-HMM.

WELL, ALL RIGHT.

I GUESS YOU WOULDN'T USE THAT ALONG WITH THE GRAIN, WOULD YOU?

NO.

YOU WOULDN'T GET VERY FAR.

OH, MAN.

SO THAT WILL SCOOP IT OUT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'VE GOT THE...

SINCE WE'VE ESTABLISHED THE JACK PLANE AS THE KING OF PLANES, ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT ONE HERE, IF WE CAN.

I'VE GOT... WELL, NOW THIS IS, WE'VE GOT TO SAY, THIS IS A COMMON NUMBER PLANE BUT MADE UNCOMMON BY THE ENGRAVING YOU'VE HAD DONE ON IT.

SO MY STUDENTS DON'T TAKE IT.

OH, OK. WELL, THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO THINK THERE.

BUT IT'S GOT THIS BEAUTIFUL ENGRAVING THAT YOU HAD DONE IN YOUR FRAMING SQUARE THERE, OR WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?

LAYOUT SQUARE.

SO, BUT STILL-- WELL, HERE.

THIS IS WHAT IT-- THIS IS ONE HERE.

SAME PLANE.

BECAUSE THEY WERE JUST MANUFACTURED BY THE ZILLIONS.

THIS IS A NUMBER-5 STANLEY.

THIS ONE WITHOUT THE ENGRAVING.

WHAT IS THIS?

I WAS NOTICING ON THE BOTTOM THESE CORRUGATIONS.

YEAH, THESE ARE CORRUGATIONS, AND THIS WAS A 19th-CENTURY MARKETING GIMMICK, IS THEY SAID THAT IF YOU HAD THESE CORRUGATIONS, THEN THE PLANE WOULD BE LESS LIKELY TO STICK ON RESINOUS SURFACES AND WOULD REQUIRE LESS PRESSURE TO MOVE IT, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, HOKUM.

OH, REALLY?

BUT IT WORKED.

AND THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THE CORRUGATIONS IS IT MAKES THE SOLE EASIER TO FLATTEN BECAUSE THERE'S LESS METAL.

BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK FOR IT, OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ONE WITH CORRUGATIONS.

WELL, HERE I CAN SEE THE IRON IS CAMBERED THERE.

IT'S GOT AN ARC TO IT.

AND AGAIN, THE MOUTH IS PRETTY OPEN.

THERE'S LOTS OF ROOM IN FRONT OF THAT.

IN FACT, WHERE'S YOUR-- HERE'S THE SMOOTH PLANE.

LET'S LOOK AT THAT.

THERE'S THE DIFFERENCE.

YOU'LL SEE THE SMOOTH PLANE HAS JUST NO ROOM IN FRONT OF THE MOUTH.

IT'S JUST A HAIRLINE.

AND SO THE WOOD IS HELD DOWN UNTIL JUST THE INSTANT BEFORE THAT BLADE GETS TO IT AND CUTS IT.

BUT OF COURSE, IF WE TRIED TO MAKE A HEAVY SHAVING, IT WOULD CLOG... WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?

WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THAT?

I HAVE A FOULED MOUTH.

FOULED MOUTH, YES.

WHEREAS HERE ON THE JACK PLANE OR THE FORE PLANE, WE'VE GOT A BIG OPENING FOR BIG SHAVINGS.

WHY DON'T WE TAKE THIS THING APART AND SEE WHAT IT'S MADE OF HERE?

YEAH.

LET'S SEE WHAT MAKES THIS TICK.

THE IRON AND EVERYTHING IS HELD IN TENSION BY THE LEVER CAP HERE.

AND THAT'S SIMPLY REMOVED BY LIFTING THE LEVER UP, TAKING IT OFF THE FROG ADJUSTMENT SCREW.

ALL RIGHT.

IT'S A CAM.

ALL RIGHT.

A LITTLE CAM OPERATION.

AND THAT HOOKS RIGHT THERE AND PUSHES DOWN RIGHT DOWN THERE AT THE END OF THE IRON THERE.

YEAH.

AND THEN BELOW THAT, WE HAVE TWO PIECES OF METAL THAT ARE SCREWED TOGETHER IN SOME PLANES BUT NOT IN ALL PLANES.

AND THE TOP PIECE OF METAL IS CALLED THE CHIP BREAKER, AND THE BOTTOM PIECE OF METAL IS CALLED THE IRON OR THE BLADE, AND THAT'S WHAT DOES THE CUTTING.

THE CHIP BREAKER HAS A LOT OF LITTLE FUNCTIONS.

ONE, IT STIFFENS A THIN BLADE.

YOU CAN SEE IT'S HUMPED RIGHT HERE.

IT IS HUMPED, AND WHAT THAT DOES IS THE SHAVINGS COME IN, THEY HIT THAT HUMP, AND BAM, OUT THE MOUTH, YOU HOPE.

SO THAT IS ONE GOOD FEATURE OF THE CHIP BREAKER, AND IT ALSO, BACK HERE, LOCKS IN WITH THE PLANE'S ADJUSTMENT MECHANISM SO YOU CAN CHANGE THE DEPTH OF THE IRON VERY EASILY.

SO THAT'S WHAT THE CHIP BREAKER DOES.

AND THAT ALLOWS YOU TO-- BECAUSE OTHERWISE, IF YOU HAD THIS HOLE IN THE IRON, THE BLADE WE WOULD SAY, AS IT WAS SHARPENED, THAT HOLE WOULD MOVE BACK UP.

AND WOULDN'T WORK.

SO YOU GET MORE MILES OUT OF IT.

LET ME TAKE THEM APART HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU TAKE THAT SCREW OUT, AND I VERY CAREFULLY PULL BACK AND SCISSOR THAT OFF.

ALL RIGHT.

AND HERE WE SEE, OF COURSE, THE BEVEL IS DOWN IN THIS SCALE OF PLANE.

NOW, THIS HAS THAT ARC TO IT.

WHAT DEGREE OF ARC DO YOU RECOMMEND?

AND I ASK THIS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE KIND OF PLANE THAT YOU CAN FIND.

PEOPLE CAN GET THESE VERY CHEAPLY.

YEAH.

I BOUGHT MY FIRST ONE FOR 12 BUCKS.

OK. AND, WELL, THIS IS, LIKE, AN 8-INCH RADIUS.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, "WELL, HOW DO I GET AN 8-INCH RADIUS?"

OK.

HERE.

THIS IS YOURS RIGHT HERE.

IS THAT RIGHT?

THIS...

I'VE GOT A LITTLE JIG TO DEMONSTRATE THE 8-INCH RADIUS.

SO, IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS, NOW WHAT?

WOULD YOU USE THIS AS THE-- ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'VE GOT A HOLE HERE 8 INCHES AWAY FROM ANOTHER HOLE.

AND WE JUST PUT THE PENCIL IN, AND THAT'S ALL THE ARC THERE IS.

THAT'S ALL YOU REALLY NEED.

AND THAT WILL TAKE A HUGE BITE.

SO I WILL, WHEN I'M MAKING THIS AS A PATTERN, I'LL CUT THAT OUT, AND WITH SOME RASPS GET IT TO THE PERFECT 8-INCH RADIUS, AND THEN I CAN DRAW THAT PATTERN ON THE BACK OF MY IRON.

OH, YOU ACTUALLY DRAW IT ON THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT THEN, THAT'S FOR THE GRINDING NOW.

SO WE'LL TAKE THIS AND TAKE IT TO THE GRINDER HERE.

AND I'VE GOT MY LITTLE CRANK GRINDER, AND I'M PUTTING ON MY INVISIBLE SAFETY GLASSES FOR THIS ONE.

SO THIS IS WHAT YOU DO?

JUST...SO FIRST, STEP ONE.

WHY DON'T YOU GET OUT YOUR SHARPENING STONES?

AND WHAT WOULD YOU GRIND IT TO?

THAT'S WHAT I MEANT TO ASK.

I USE A 25-DEGREE GRIND.

THAT'S AN ALL-PURPOSE GRIND.

SOME PEOPLE MIGHT USE A LITTLE HIGHER.

BUT 25 IS WHAT I USE FOR ALMOST ALL MY TOOLS.

25 DEGREES?

ALL RIGHT.

REAL COMMON.

YEAH.

YOU CAN SEE BY THE SPARKS, THIS IS GOOD STEEL HERE, TOO.

IT'S GOT THE REAL FORKING SPARK THAT YOU GET ONLY WITH THE BEST OF STEEL.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I GET THE ARC.

AND I THINK THAT'S GROUND PRETTY GOOD.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW YOU'VE GOT SOME STONES OUT.

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT HERE?

THESE ARE NATURAL ARKANSAS STONES.

AND THESE WERE QUARRIED NEAR WHERE I GREW UP IN ARKANSAS.

REALLY?

OK.

IN PEARCY, ARKANSAS.

FROM YOUR BACKYARD.

WOW.

AND THEY'RE STILL... YOU KNOW, 100 YEARS THESE STONES LAST, SO DON'T LET ANYBODY TRY TO FOOL YOU INTO THINKING YOU HAVE TO BUY SOME OTHER STONE.

THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL NATURAL STONES.

NATURAL ARKANSAS STONES.

AND THEY'RE JUST GORGEOUS.

THEY CUT VERY QUICKLY, AND ALL YOU DO IS-- I'M GONNA LOCK MY ARMS.

HAVE YOU GOT SOME KIND OF SPECIAL OIL ON HERE?

OLIVE OIL.

IT'S EITHER THAT OR THE OIL FROM THE BACK OF MY EAR.

HA HA HA!

OK.

BUT THAT'S SORT OF HARD TO COLLECT.

ALL RIGHT.

OH, MAN.

NOW, ALL THE ACTION HERE IS NOT JUST HAPPENING ON THAT STONE.

YOU'VE GOT YOUR WHOLE-- THIS IS A LOT OF ELVIS ACTION GOING ON HERE.

WELL, HE'S A SOUTHERN BOY, TOO, SO...

THIS IS DISTURBING HERE.

SO WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THIS?

YOU'RE USING YOUR WHOLE BODY TO SHARPEN.

YEAH, I ALWAYS-- THIS IS HOW I LEARNED TO DO IT.

AND SO I'VE GOT MY ARMS LOCKED.

BUT I AM ROCKING THE IRON BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE STONE TO TRY TO GET THE ENTIRE CAMBER, AND THEN I'M USING MY HIPS TO SWAY BACK AND FORTH.

OK.

SO, WOW.

IT'S LIKE A COMPOUND MACHINE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW, THAT'S... AND THIS IS THE... SOFT ARKANSAS.

SOFT ARKANSAS.

AND THAT'S WHAT ESTABLISHES OUR BEVEL AT FIRST.

AND THEN WE CAN COME OVER HERE TO THE HARD ARKANSAS-- WOW.

THAT'S A NATURAL STONE, JUST THAT DARK?

BEAUTIFUL, YEAH.

AND CUTS SO SMOOTHLY AND NICE.

GOLLY.

OK.

SO THIS IS LIKE YOU'D USE FOR SURGEONS THAT USE THIS.

SURGEONS ARE VERY FOND OF THE BLACK ARKANSAS, AND NOW I'M JUST FINISHING UP AND POLISHING THAT SECONDARY BEVEL ON IT, AND AFTER A FEW STROKES, I CAN TAKE THE BURR OFF THE BACK.

AND I ALSO TRY TO RUB THE STONE IN THE AREAS WHERE I WASN'T SHARPENING TO TRY TO KEEP THE STONE FLAT.

OH.

OH, OK. A LITTLE TRICK.

THESE ARE PRETTY HARD, BUT THEY WILL WEAR HOLLOW IF YOU DON'T DO THINGS LIKE THAT.

A BEAUTIFUL STONE.

A HANDFUL OF SHAVINGS, AND WE'RE DONE.

OK. JUST CLEANING OFF THE OIL?

YEP.

SINCE WE DON'T HAVE ANY BREAD TO DIP IT IN.

ALL RIGHT.

AGAIN, JUST OLIVE OIL.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'M GOING TO PUT THE CAP IRON BACK ON NOW.

NOW YOU TELL ME, HOW CLOSE SHOULD I-- BECAUSE THAT CAP IRON IS CALLED A CHIP BREAKER, AND IT SHOULD BE WITHIN A MICRON OF THE EDGE, OR WHAT DO YOU SAY?

NO, NO.

YOU'RE ALREADY THERE.

YOU'RE DONE.

I'M DONE?

YEAH.

YOU DON'T WANT TO GET ANY CLOSER THAN THAT.

YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE CORNERS.

AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE CHIP BREAKER REALLY IS NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING TO BREAK CHIPS.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF... THAT'S ANOTHER PLACE THERE'S A LOT OF HOO-HA FLOATING AROUND.

WOW.

I MEAN, BECAUSE THAT WAS A BIG THING.

PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE CHIP BREAKER, YOU KNOW, CREATED BACK PRESSURE AND... YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.

BUT THERE WERE PLANES FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS THAT DID WORK WITHOUT A CHIP BREAKER, AND SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FURNITURE EVER MADE WAS MADE WITHOUT PLANES THAT HAVE BREAKERS.

SO IT MAY HAVE BEEN A THING JUST FOR... WHO KNOWS?

YEAH.

LET'S NOT GET INTO THAT.

I DON'T KNOW WHY.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT LET ME SEE.

I WANT TO TAKE THIS PLANE APART NOW.

YOU'VE GOT OTHER PARTS IN HERE.

I'M GONNA UNS...

I'M GONNA TOTALLY DISASSEMBLE THIS AND HAVE YOU... BECAUSE YOU DON'T LIKE METAL PLANES?

NO.

I DO LIKE THEM FINE.

AND THESE ARE GREAT.

YOU KNOW, JUST THEIR ABUNDANCE.

PEOPLE INTERESTED IN-- BUT HERE I'VE LOOSENED UP THIS THING CALLED THE FROG.

YES.

RIBBIT.

NOW IF YOU'LL TELL ME HOW TO ADJUST THAT.

THAT MOVES... THAT'S WHAT HOLDS, CARRIES THE IRON OR THE BLADE.

HOW DO YOU ADJUST THAT?

WHERE DO YOU WANT THAT TO BE?

WELL, IN A FORE PLANE, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A BIG CHIP, YOU NEED A WIDE-OPEN MOUTH SO YOU DON'T GET THAT FOUL MOUTH.

AND SO I'M GOING TO MOVE THE FROG BACK AND AS FAR BACK AS I CAN WITHOUT THE BASE CASTING INTERFERING WITH THE IRON.

REALLY?

SO YOU GO TO WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY-- ALMOST ALL THE WAY BACK.

OH, WOW.

AND YOU'VE GOT TO TIGHTEN IT UP REALLY TIGHT.

OK, BECAUSE--ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S DONE.

THAT'S TO GIVE YOU A BIG MOUTH.

SO YOU CAN ADJUST THAT.

IF YOU WANT A SMALL MOUTH AND YOU WANT TO USE THIS FOR FINER WORK... YOU CAN CHANGE IT.

WORK ACCORDINGLY.

NOW, HERE YOU'VE GOT THIS INTERESTING BUSINESS HERE.

WHAT'S WITH THIS?

YEAH.

THAT'S WHAT WE CALL THE DEPTH ADJUSTER.

AND DON'T SCREW IT ALL THE WAY OFF.

KNOCK IT OFF, YEAH.

AND THAT'S FOR ADJUSTING THE DEPTH OF THE CUT.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A THICKER SHAVING, YOU GO CLOCKWISE; A THINNER SHAVING, YOU GO COUNTERCLOCKWISE.

AND THIS ENGAGES THE CAP IRON RIGHT THERE, THAT LITTLE CAM.

SO THIS SCREW IS ACTUALLY MOVING THIS LITTLE HOLE RIGHT HERE, RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE, AND THAT GOES ON TOP WITHOUT TOUCHING.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

AND THEN THIS LATERAL ADJUSTMENT, THIS DOES SIDE-TO-SIDE?

MM-HMM.

OK.

SO NOW WE'VE GOT IT READY TO GO.

LET'S PUT THE LEVER CAP ON.

SO JUST SLIDE IT IN THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND I'M GOING TO TRY THAT, BECAUSE I WANT TO FEEL IT.

HOW TIGHT SHOULD THIS BE?

THAT'S A BIG THING.

YEAH, A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.

AND IT DEPENDS ON THE PLANE.

BUT THE WAY I TELL THEM IS THAT YOU WANT IT TIGHT ENOUGH THAT THIS WON'T MOVE AROUND WHEN YOU PLANE, BUT YOU WANT IT LOOSE ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN STILL ADJUST THE IRON WHEN IT'S UNDER PRESSURE.

SO YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE THIS EVEN WHILE IT'S CLAMPED DOWN.

FAIRLY EASILY, YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW WE'VE DONE ALL THAT STUFF.

WE'VE TAKEN IT APART.

WE'VE EXTOLLED ITS VIRTUES.

BUT NOW YOU'VE GOT TO SET IT, AND I WANT TO SEE YOU SET THIS THING AND GET IT TO WORK.

SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO MOVE THE IRON TO A POSITION WHERE I KNOW I CAN PUSH THIS PLANE, BECAUSE I COULD MOVE IT TO WHERE I COULDN'T.

AND SO I'M GOING TO USE THE LATERAL ADJUST.

AND I'M SIGHTING DOWN THE SOLE, AND I CAN SEE THAT CURVE.

AND WHEN IT'S IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOUTH, THEN I KNOW I'M GOOD BY MOVING THIS LITTLE LATERAL ADJUST LEVER.

SO THAT'S THAT LATERAL ADJUST LEVER JUST RIGHT UNDER THE IRON?

YEP.

OK. AND THAT SWINGS IT BACK AND FORTH.

ALL RIGHT.

THEN WHAT?

UM...THEN I'M PRETTY MUCH DONE.

REALLY?

WHAT ABOUT YOUR DEPTH?

IS DEPTH GOOD ON THIS THING?

YEAH, DEPTH WAS GOOD.

I MOVED IT TO A POSITION FIRST AND THEN LATERALLY ADJUSTED IT.

AND THEN DID YOUR LATERAL.

ALL RIGHT.

WOW.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW LET'S SEE.

IT'S READY TO GO.

I MEAN, I TORE THIS THING, HAD THIS THING ALL APART, AND, UH... AND WE GROUND IT, AND WE SHARPENED IT.

AND WE'RE ABOUT DONE FOR THE YEAR.

THESE DON'T REALLY NEED TO BE SHARPENED ALL THE TIME LIKE A SMOOTHING PLANE, BECAUSE IT'S A REAL PAIN TO SHARPEN AND SET.

BUT THE FORE PLANE IS VERY FORGIVING.

IT'S YOUR FRIEND.

YOU SAY SHARPEN IT ONCE A YEAR?

I SHARPEN MINE ONCE A YEAR.

DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO WOODWORKERS?

I MEAN, NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO STOP COVETING OUR SMOOTH PLANES.

WE'LL HAVE TO STOP GETTING INTO THE FETISH OF SHARPENING AND ACTUALLY WORK WOOD.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING.

BUT ANYWAY, YOU'RE TEARING US ALL APART.

NOW, THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL JACK PLANE, EASY TO GET, BUT I SEE SOME OTHERS DOWN HERE.

LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT THESE.

I'LL JUST COMPARE THEM TO... WHAT WE'VE GOT.

NOW, HERE IS...THAT'S WHAT I'D CALL A JACK PLANE.

AND THIS ONE ALSO.

HERE, OF COURSE, ONE IN ALL WOOD.

WHAT'S WITH THIS ONE, THOUGH?

IT'S HALF AND HALF.

IT IS.

IT'S LIKE A CENTAUR.

WHAT IT IS IS IT HAS THE METAL ADJUSTMENTS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKED, BUT IT HAD A WOODEN SOLE, AND THIS WAS REALLY FAVORED BY CARPENTERS IN THE LAST PART OF THE 19th AND EARLY 20th CENTURIES BECAUSE THEY LIKED THE FANCY ADJUSTMENTS.

THOSE WERE CONVENIENT.

BUT THEY REALLY PREFERRED A LIGHTWEIGHT PLANE THAT THE WOOD GAVE THEM.

AND THEY LIKE THAT WOOD-ON-WOOD ACTION.

SO THAT WAS VERY POPULAR WITH CARPENTERS.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT AGAIN, MADE AT THE SAME TIME AS IRON ONES AND THE SOLID WOOD ONES.

YEP.

YEP.

THEY ALL EXISTED IN THE SAME TIME.

AND THEN THE LAST PLANE-- THAT'S A WOODEN STOCK JACK PLANE OR FORE PLANE.

BUT IT HAS THE DOUBLE IRON, AFTER MOXON'S TIME.

YEAH, AFTER MOXON'S TIME, BUT IT...EVERYTHING WORKS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.

IT DOES THE SAME JOB.

HOW DO YOU ADJUST IT, THOUGH?

WELL, I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT.

WELL, THAT'S GOOD.

YOU HAVE TO GET YOUR MICRO-ADJUSTER OUT.

AND SO--NO, THIS IS NOT FOR YOU.

SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO HERE IS... TO LOOSEN THE IRON OR TO RETRACT IT, WE TAP IT AT THE HEEL.

TO INCREASE THE CUT, WE CAN TAP IT THERE ON THE TOE, OR WE CAN EVEN TAKE A LITTLE METAL HAMMER, AND WE CAN INCREASE THE PROJECTION OF THE IRON, AND THIS IS WHERE WE CAN TAP IT SIDE TO SIDE.

SO INSTEAD OF THE LATERAL ADJUSTMENT, TAPPING IT WITH A HAMMER.

AND IT'S JUST AS PRECISE.

OH, YEAH.

AND THEN JUST AS SOON AS EVERYTHING'S DONE AND IT'S WHERE YOU WANT IT, YOU TAP THE WEDGE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS TIGHT, AND YOU'RE OFF TO THE RACES.

HOW SHOULD YOU TAKE THE IRON OUT?

SAY WE WANTED TO TAKE THAT IRON OUT FOR SHARPENING.

WELL, YOU CAN... WHACK IT.

ON THE BACK?

YEAH, AND THEN EVERYTHING COMES OUT.

WOW.

YOU WEREN'T EVEN HOLDING ONTO THAT, AND THAT LOOSENED THE IRON.

AND AGAIN YOU CAN SEE THIS IS A MUCH HEAVIER IRON THERE.

SO I THINK I'D PREFER THESE OLD HEAVY IRONS.

BUT ALL RIGHT.

THE SMOOTH PLANE, THOUGH, DOES HAVE ITS PLACE.

EVEN THOUGH IT ONLY GOT 33 WORDS, THAT'S STILL 33 WORDS FROM MOXON.

THAT'S MORE THAN I'VE GOT, YEAH.

SO I'VE GOT TO GIVE THEM SOME CREDIT.

HOW DO YOU USE THIS THING?

I MEAN... WELL, YOU KNOW, THE SMOOTHING PLANE, IT HAS THAT TIGHT MOUTH THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU COMPARE IT TO A JACK, THAT IT HAS AN IRON THAT IS PITCHED MUCH HIGHER.

OH, MUCH HIGHER.

OK. YEAH, THIS IS AT 55, AND THAT'S AT 45, AND THAT HELPS PREVENT TEARING.

OH, GOSH, AND YOU'RE GONNA USE IT NOW, AREN'T YOU?

WELL, I'M AFRAID SO.

OH, MY GOSH.

OH, THE GOSSAMER SHAVINGS.

OH, NO.

OH, DON'T DO IT.

OH, I CAN'T--YOU KNOW I AM POWERLESS TO RESIST.

I REALLY--OH, GOSH.

I REALLY LIKE THE SMOOTHING PLANE.

LET ME JUST DO JUST A LITTLE BIT.

LET ME JUST DO-- COME ON.

JUST A LITTLE BIT!

LET ME HAVE IT!

SPEAKING FOR ROY UNDERHILL, I'M CHRISTOPHER SCHWARZ, AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

ROY, TIME TO GO TO YOUR SPECIAL PLACE.

SPECIAL PLACE.

SECRET WORD.

SECRET WORD, ROY.

LEARN MORE ABOUT "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" AND TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING ON OUR WEBSITE.

YOU CAN FIND US ONLINE AT pbs.org.

[UPBEAT OLD-TIME FIDDLE MUSIC] ♪ MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [WIND BLOWING] [BIRD SQUAWKS] [THUNDER] [CAR ALARM BLARING] WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, STATE FARM HAS THE TOOLS TO GET YOU TO A BETTER STATE, PROUD SPONSOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

ROY UNDERHILL IS THE AUTHOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S GUIDE: WORKING WOOD WITH WEDGE AND EDGE," AS WELL AS OTHER BOOKS ON TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING, ALL PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS AND AVAILABLE AT BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.