Constant research and development has evolved the modern concept of woodworking tools. Among them, one of the essential tools in woodworking is known as the Jack Plane.
A jack plane is a woodworking tool that’s been around for a very long time. Carpenters through the ages have used this simple tool to smooth raw pieces of wood into even surfaces.
There’s something special about sliding a hand plane across a section of wood and feeling the shavings peel off. A little pile of trimmings gathers at your feet, and the smell of fresh wood fills the air. A craftsman loves the sensation of being close to his work, shaping the wood, and transforming its roughness into a silky smooth texture.
Table of Contents
What Is A Wood Plane?
A wood plane is commonly used to thin down pieces of lumber to make them even in their thickness and completely level on both sides of the board. A traditional wood plane is a handheld tool. More modern planers are electric and contain a platform that will automatically adjust the thickness of the wooden material fast and accurately.
This style is often called a thickness planer, and it comes in a wide variety of sizes, both in terms of height and width, and in terms of power output. After all, the home user’s needs can be quite different from the needs of an industrial shop. Some planer models are manually controlled, while other ones feature electronic control boards to allow for the most accurate cuts.
What Is A Jack Plane?
The Jack Plane is used to get rid of rough surfaces of undressed wood and reduce the thickness. It’s one of those critical tools that you will definitely find in a woodworker’s shop and is an integral part of woodworking.
They are used for evening out the surface of a piece of wood. The slicing-edge in the blade is ground to gouge the solid wood removing thick shavings but leaving ridges and hollows that have to be afterward removed by a fore-plane or smoothing-plane.
Hand planes are used for smaller pieces of wood, while planer machines are used for evening out larger pieces of wood.
Why Is It Called A Jack Plane?
It’s name comes from this tool being a “Jack of All Trades” as it can be used to perform multiple tasks like scrubbing, smoothing and jointing planes, especially for smaller pieces.
What Is A Low Angle Jack Plane.
The Low Angle Jack Plane is a versatile and simplified version that will do a great job on both end and long grain wooden planks. Moreover, its lightweight design makes it extremely convenient to use compared to bench planes. The single-piece tool with an adjustable mount opening gives you the freedom to smooth and shape wood efficiently.
Its beveled angle design makes cutting easier – For example, if you want to make a cut of 45-degree, than you must set a 33-degree blade angle. This is easily done by refining a small secondary bevel – no need to alter the entire bevel.
A Brief History of Low Angle Jack Plane
The story of the wood plane is almost as old as the art of woodworking itself. Early craftsmen have been using the hand plane for epochs to create furnishings and buildings. Nearly 2,000 years ago, the hand plane was one of the most important essentials for woodworkers because it helped shape and make wood smoother.
Examples of antiques and ruins where you can clearly see signs of the use of a simple wood plane abound across the world. Earlier, wood was roughly trimmed and smoothed with a stone or using sand as an abrasive. Afterward, people discovered the first plane, a chisel-like tool inserted in a woodblock.
The first hand plane was invented in 79 A.D and was found at Pompeii – It was a wooden case covered with an iron plate about ¼” thick. The base was cut about a third of the way back from the front, and the iron set an angle of about 50-degrees.
Later on, after several developments, the correct version of the wood plane came into existence in the 19th Century and was known as a Jack Plane.
How Do You Set Up A Low Angle Jack Plane?
The low angle jack plane has a handle, knob, cap iron and blade. The depth adjuster is a neural knob turning in a slot in the bottom of the blade. The mouth opening is controlled by loosening the front knob and turning the lever that moves a plate milled into the mouth of the front of the plane.
Make adjustments to each of these settings for the specific cut you need to make. It’s important that the cap iron is not too tight.
How Do You Sharpen A Low Angle Jack Plane?
Though many novice carpenters find the sharpening process difficult – No doubt, the process is such a crucial topic in itself.
Before sharpening the blade, you must determine its ideal angle at which your blade should be sharpened, which is crucial. The blade or iron is located against the frog (remain constant), which is clamped via a lever cap.
You could reasonably sharpen the bevel of the blade of a low-angle Jack Plane to 33-degrees, giving you a 12-Degree bed angle, which makes a perfect 45-degree cut.
In contrast to that, if you want to make a low-angle cut shallow cut, than sharp the bevel blade at 17-degree, giving a bed angle of 20-degree, which makes a perfect 33-degree cut.
Low Angle Vs. High Angle Jack Plane
The Low angle Jack Plane tends to be better for end grain and High Angle jack planes are better at avoiding tear out – You can simply flip the bevel down blade to face up and fit on a low-angle 15-degree bed to make a perfect cut of 45-degrees.
The Low Angle Jack Plane is convenient to push and produce a more shaved surface, whereas a higher-angle plane is slightly harder on the arms but will tear-out less. Further, the Low Angle Jack Plane has more iron behind the edge as compared to the High Angle Jack Plane, making chatter less problematic.
Lie-Nielsen Low Angle Jack Plane
Patterned after the Stanley # 62, the low angle Jack Plane is one of the most demanding yet outstanding wood planes in the market. Its massive bevel-up blade set in the milled bed at 12-degrees, making it incredibly precise and giving you ultimate support of cutting low angle joints. It’s smartly designed with a depth adjuster, which gives you the freedom to adjust mount opening by making shoe adjustments. Its heavy blade allows you to control the most challenging jobs with the power of Jack Plane Lie-Nielsen.
Info and Specs:
- Overall Length – It’s measured 14″ long.
- Blade Specs – It’s equipped with 2″ wide by 1.75″ thick blade.
- Blade Angle – The sharped blade bedded at an angle of 12-degrees.
- Sturdy Design – Its sturdy iron body with bronze cap, making it durable and resilient.
- Tool Weight – It only weighs 4.5 lbs., making it lightweight and convenient to use.
Wood River Low Angle Jack Plane
Low-Angle Jack Plane by Wood River is another most favorable model among woodworkers due to its incredible design that comes with extreme precision. It was initially advertised as a plane for hefty stock removal across the wood grain. The #62 has found a home as a smoother and is relatively popular among users. The product is made of ductile iron, making it durable and resilient against intense wood shaping and cutting activities. Its high-carbon steel blade with Mb65 specs makes it superior to other models that are assembled with a hardwood tote and front knob.
Info and Specs:
- Overall Length – It’s measured 14″ long.
- Blade Specs – It’s equipped with a 2.43″ wide by 2″ thick blade.
- Blade Angle – The sharped blade bedded at an angle of 25-degrees.
- Sturdy Design – Its sturdy high-carbon steel body, making it durable and resilient.
- Tool Weight – It only weighs 4.6 lbs., making it lightweight and convenient to use.
Lee Valley Low-Angle Jack Plane
This fantastic low-angle Jack Plane is perfect for initial smoothing, working end grain, and shooting miters. It’s smartly designed with a low center of gravity with #62.5 and a very set-back mouth. This low-angle Jack Plane set on a 12-degree bed to make ideal cuts.
It’s one of the most promising designs among woodworkers due to its flawless specifications. The product body is made of ductile cast-iron, making it extremely durable and stress-relieved. Moreover, it’s cleverly designed to provide maximum comfort and excellent control when shooting because it’s equipped with thumb rest on either side of the body.
Info and Specs:
- Overall Length – It’s measured 15″ long.
- Blade Specs – It’s equipped with a 2.25″ wide by 0.18″ thick blade.
- Blade Angle – The sharped blade bedded at an angle of 25-degrees.
- Sturdy Design – Its sturdy ductile cast-iron body, making it durable and resilient.
- Tool Weight – It only weighs 5 lbs., which is comparatively heavier than the above models but still worth the investment.
Quangsheng No. 62 Low Angle Jack Plane
The Quangshend # 62 Jack Plane is ideally designed for beginner woodworkers who’re looking for a much simpler yet multi-functional tool for their craftsmanship. It comes with all the necessary functions, like adjustable mount, wide grip, durable body, stability, etc.
Info and Specs:
- Overall Length – It’s measured 14″ long.
- Blade Specs – It’s equipped with 2″ wide by 0.18″ thick blade.
- Sturdy Design – Its sturdy ductile cast-iron body, brushed stainless steel lever cap, and cherry wood handle, making it durable and resilient.
- Blade Angle – The sharped blade bedded at an angle of 25-degrees.
- Tool Weight – It only weighs 5 lbs., which is comparatively heavier than the above models but still worth the investment.
- Optional Blades – Moreover, it comes with an optional blade of 38 & 50 degrees too.
- High-Quality Standards – It conforms the high-quality British Standards.
Stanley Sweetheart No. 62 Low Angle Jack Plane
Another mesmerizing supplier of Low-Angle Jack Plane known as Stanley – Its classic #62 design is made from extra thick A2 steel, which makes an excellent woodworking tool for edge retention.
Info and Specs:
- Overall Length – It’s measured 14″ long.
- Blade Specs – It’s equipped with 2″ wide by 0.18″ thick blade.
- Sturdy Design – Its sturdy ductile cast-iron body, Norris-type adjuster, and cherry wood handle making it durable and resilient.
- Tool Weight – It only weighs 6.36 lbs., which is comparatively heavier than the above models but still worth the investment.
Veritas Low Angle Jack Plane
It’s one of the most detailed designs with an adjustable mount, which can be closed via a narrow slit to perform fine or delicate wood smoothing activity.
Info and Specs:
- Overall Length – It’s measured 14″ long.
- Blade Specs – It’s equipped with 2″ wide by 0.12″ thick blade.
- Blade Angle – The sharped blade bedded at an angle of 45-degrees.
- Sturdy Design – Its sturdy grey cast-iron, brass frog, and cherry wood handle making it durable and resilient.
- Tool Weight – It only weighs 6 lbs., which is comparatively heavier than the above models but still worth the investment.
The Low Angle Jack Plane is one of the most crucial tools in the woodworking industry, which gives you the freedom to transform raw wood pieces into an artistic ones.
