Woodworking hand planes are often categorised according to the jobs they are used for.
Reducing the size
Some – including jack and scrub planes – are used for the initial trimming, or reduction, of stock (pieces of wood) to the desired size.
Levelling
Others, such as fore and jointer planes, are for making perfectly level surfaces on the faces and edges of pieces of wood.
Smoothing
Some – most often smoothing planes – are used later in the course of a woodworking project for smoothing and ‘polishing’ the surface of the wood.
Chamfering
There are types, including the block plane, that can be used for chamfering wood – that is, planing the corner off a length of wood to give a bevelled edge.
Rebating, grooving, moulding…
There are also specialised types of woodworking hand plane. These include:
Rebate and shoulder planes for, respectively, cutting and smoothing internal and external shapes (recesses and projections), often when making joints between two pieces of wood
Grooving planes for cutting narrow channels
Moulding planes for cutting decorative shapes along edges and strips
Compass, or circular, planes used for trimming and smoothing curved pieces of wood, including the inside and outside of full circles.
Who uses hand planes?
Woodworking hand planes are used by joiners, carpenters, cabinet makers and DIYers.
Joiners are woodworkers who make items from wood, for instance windows and doors. They usually work in a workshop.
A carpenter fits or installs the items that have been made. They usually use their planes on site, to get items like doors to fit properly.
A cabinet maker specialises in fine joinery, which includes most types of wooden furniture.
