mia442•1mo ago

Found a hidden use for my chisel plane today

I was fitting a drawer front last week in my shop in Portland and had like a 1/16" gap on one side. Tried everything then remembered my old chisel plane could shave that edge perfectly, took me 2 minutes. Anyone else got a go-to tool they only use for one weird situation?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_rowan1mo ago

My grandfather's old Stanley 140 sits in my drawer for exactly that kind of thing. I bought a new chisel plane a few years back thinking it would replace it, but the older one has a tighter mouth and just works better for fine shaving on drawer fronts and cabinet doors. The trick I learned is to wax the sole before you start, even if you think it's just a quick shave. That little bit of wax keeps the plane from catching and digging in, which is real easy to do when you're only taking off 1/16th or less. Also make sure your iron is sharp as a razor, a dull chisel plane will just crush the edge rather than cut it clean.

mila3951mo ago

Got a little block plane I picked up at a garage sale years ago, thing sat in my toolbox forever. One day I was trimming a shim for leveling a wobbly shelf and nothing else would give me that precise shave. Now it lives on my workbench just for that one job, shimming things by hair widths. It's funny how a tool can find its purpose years later, like it was waiting for you to figure it out. That's a good feeling, finally getting the right tool for the exact problem you have.