If you plane straight across the end of a board you are sure to splinter the farther corner. Hence you must either:

Fig. 24.

Fig. 25.

1. Plane from both edges toward the center, stopping in both cases before the far edge is reached, or

2. Put a stick behind the far edge to support the fiber of the wood.

If the board is wide enough, the farther corner may be chamfered off to prevent splintering in planing. This method is not, however, approved by most mechanics. Why?

Unless the end of the board is to show, no planing should be required. The saw should finish the job.

Note: Where one must hold his work with one hand while planing the end, a block plane (Fig. 26) is needed, otherwise the jack or smooth plane may be used.

Pointers:

1. The plane iron cap must always be put on the flat side of the plane iron.

2. The plane iron cap must be screwed tight or it will slip.

3. In assembling the plane, be sure that the plane iron is down in place before turning down the lever clamp. If it has to be forced, something is wrong.

4. For fast work on soft, straight grained wood set the plane iron cap back and make the mouth opening ample.

What to do when the grain is troublesome:

1. See that the cutting edge is very sharp.

2. Set the plane iron cap close to the cutting edge.

3. Make the mouth opening as narrow as possible.

4. Take thin shavings. Reference Work:

1. The block plane (Fig. 26) has no cap iron. Why?

2. Collect and mount pictures of as many varieties of planes as possible, and learn the use of each.

3. Look up especially the rabbet plane.

Fig. 26.

1, single plane iron; 4, lever cap; 5, lever cap screw; 6, frog complete; 7, adjusting lever; 8, adjusting nut; 9, lateral adjusting lever; 16, plane bottom; 21, eccentric plate; 22, finger rest knob.

Experimental Work: Take three shavings from the edge of a 7/8" soft pine board 30" long, one to be of even thickness on each edge; one to be thicker on the right edge; and one to be thicker on the left.

Do this by sharpening the plane iron crowning, and holding the center of the plane, first, over the center of the piece, second, over the right edge and third, over the left edge.