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Plane.


1. (Wood-working.) A carpenter's cutting and surface-smoothing tool, of which there are many varieties, called from some peculiarity of construction or purpose.

A tool having a bit-iron set in a flat-soled stock, and used for smoothing surfaces by taking thin shavings therefrom.

The bit is known as the iron.

The iron is fastened in the stock by the wedge, which holds it to the slanting surface known as the bed. The abutment is the shoulder, between which and the plane-bit the wedge is driven.

The bottom of the stock is the sole.

The toat is the handle.

“The shavings of fir, when briskly planed, always curl up in circles like the tendrils of the vine.” — Pliny.

The plane of the Romans was known us runcina.

The Japanese planes are small, with single irons, — no handles. The planes are shorter, lighter, and the wood shallower than ours, being generally not more than an inch deep. To plane a piece of wood, they lay it on the ground, squat on their hams, hold it fast with their toes, and work the plane by drawing it with both hands toward them.

Some of their tools appear to be mere children's toys for instance, they have a smoothing-plane two and one half inches long, one inch broad, and half an inch thick.

Planes (diagram showing the kinds).

In Fig. 3782, a shows a flat solid plane applied to a curved exterior surface; the rounding can, however, be effected more speedily and conveniently by the concave plane b. The compass-plane c is adapted for curved interior surfaces, and may be used for forming curves having a greater radius than its sole. d is a plane for the handrails of staircases; e, spokeshave; f, benchplane; g, section of stock of bench-plane; h, i, k, l, m, sections of moldingplanes.

In Fig. 3783, a is a jack-plane; b, smoothingplane; c, d, double planeiron, the shorter is termed the break-iron. e illustrates the action of a plane in which the mouth has become much worn; the shavings are comparatively unbroken, and the iron, splitting the fibers, does not give a smooth surface. f, mouth of miter-plow, of small aperture, faced with metal and effecting a comparatively smooth cut; this object is better effected by the double plane-iron, as shown at g; h, fillister; i, plow.

Planes.

In Smith and Carpenter's plane (A, Fig. 3784), the stock is stiffened by an upper metallic frame; the plane-iron a is held between the wedge b and curved branch c, and is adjusted by a thumbscrew d.

Evans's plane-stock B consists of a metallic piece a, in which the bit is secured by a lever b provided with a thumbscrew; curved arms c c, to which the flexible sole d is attached, work in slots at the ends of the stock; the sole may thus be adjusted to any desired curve within certain limits, the arms being secured by the screws e e.

The stock of Buckel's plane C is made in two parts, pivoted together at a through metallic guide-plates on each side. A spring b is interposed between the two parts at front, their distance apart being regulated by the screw c. The plane-iron is fixed in the upper part, and is caused to protrude more or less from the mouth, according to the downward pressure exerted by the hand; the depth of cut may thus be varied at each stroke, and the drag of the bit as the plane is drawn back is prevented.

Planes.

An American plane, patented in 1832, has a thumbscrew on the top iron, which moves two lateral pins fitting in grooves in the sides of the plane. The plane-bit being adjusted to the required position, rotation of the thumbscrew tilts the top plate, which bears against the bit and holds it in place without a wedge.

The following are the dimensions of some of the more common varieties of planes:—

Length in Inches.Width in Inches.Width of Irons.
Modeling-plane1-51/4-23/16-1 1/2
Smoothing-plane6 1/2-82 3/8-3 1/81 3/4-2 3/8
Rabbet-plane9 1/23/8-23/8-2
Jack-plane12-172 1/2-32-2 1/4
Panel-plane14 1/23 1/22 1/2
Trying-plane20-223 1/4-3 3/82 3/8-2 1/2
Long-plane24-263 5/82 5/8
Jointer-plane28-303 3/42 3/4
Cooper's jointer-plane60-725-5 1/43 1/2-3 3/4

The angle of the bit varies with the work; the harder the wood the steeper the pitch.

Common pitch is 45°, and half-pitch is 60°. There are other pitches between the two. See pitch.

See under the following heads:— [1725]

Angle-plane.Overshave.
Astragal-plane.Ovolo-plane.
Badger-plane.Panel-plane.
Banding-plane.Panel-plow.
Bead-plane.Pistol-router.
Bench-plane.Plane-guide.
Border-plane.Plane-iron.
Break-iron.Plane-table.
Capping-plane.Plow.
Carpenter's plane.Quarter-round.
Compass-plane.Quirking-plane.
Concave-plane.Rabbet-plane.
Cooper's plane.Reed-plane.
Core-box plane.Reglet.
Cornice-plane.Rounding-plane.
Counter-check.Round-nose plane.
Covetta.Router.
Cutting-plane.Sash-fillister.
Cutting-thrust.Sash-plane.
Dovetail.Scaleboard-plane.
Dovetail box-plane.Scraping-plane.
Edge-plane.Shooting-plane.
Fillet-plane.Side-fillister.
Fillister.Side-plane.
Fluting-plane.Side-rabbet plane.
Fore-plane.Side-round plane.
Forkstaff-plane.Side-snipe.
Grooving-plane.Single and three reed planes.
Hand-rail plane.Skew-plane.
Hollows and rounds.Skew-rabbet plane.
Hollow-sash plane.Slat-plane.
Howel.Slitting-plane.
Ice-plane.Smoothing-plane.
In-shave.Snipe-bill plane.
Jack-plane.Splint-plane.
Joiner's plane.Spokeshave.
Jointer.Spout-plane.
Jointing-plane.Square-rabbet plane.
Lamb's-tongue.Stock-shave.
Long-plane.Sun-plane.
Matching-plane.Table-plane.
Metal-plane.Tonguing-plane.
Miter-plane.Toothing-plane.
Modeling-plane.Try-plane.
Molding-plane.Whisk.
Ogee-plane.Witchet.

2. A straight surface; a “true plane” is a gage or test of flatness. The “true” planes exhibited by Whitworth at the Paris Exposition were polished metallic surfaces of 100 inches area. These were prepared in triplets, to avoid the error which may occur, as, when ground together, one might become convex and the other concave, but a third could not possibly fit both unless they were all correct. The error is said not to have exceeded the 1/1000000th of an inch. One slides over the other as freely as upon ice, until, by pressure, the film of air is removed, and then the adherence is so strong that one is readily lifted by the other. See plane-surface.


3. (Fortification.) Plane of defilade; a plane passing through the crest of a work parallel to the plane of site.

Plane of site; the general level of the work, horizontal or inclined.

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J. M. Cooper (2)
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Lamb (1)
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1832 AD (1)
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