The jack plane is used for the rougher work to give the preliminary smoothing after the lumber comes from the mill. It is bigger and, as a rule, heavier than the finishing planes, and is almost always made of wood, while the others are often made of iron. Fig. 26 shows a view of a jack plane. The handle is necessary to push the block forward, and it is usually necessary to bear down heavily on the forward end of the block to keep the knife down into the wood.

Fig. 26. Jack Plane.

Fig. 27. Wood-Bottom Smooth Plane with Handle.

Fig. 28. Wood-Bottom Smooth Plane without Handle.