In using the planes, so as to obtain good results, they ought to be kept quite sharp; the covers must be screwed firmly in their proper places on the irons ; the shavings should be kept clear out of the plane mouth to prevent choking; and the planes held steadily and straight along the wood.

Planing The Face

The best surface should be selected for the face. If a piece of wood has been standing for some time on the ground, the end may be covered with sand, and to avoid blunting the planes, it may either be cut off with the saw, or a small corner, called a chamfer, taken off the surface to be planed This may be done by the paring chisel or jack plane. A shaving should then be taken off all over, and the face made approximately correct with the jack plane before using the halflong upon it. The properties of a true face are threefold, Ist, flat across, tested by the edge of the square blade applied crossways; 2nd, straight lengthways, tested (if short) by the edge of the square blade placed along the wood, but if long, by a straightedge of suitable length, or more commonly by the eye; and 3rd, out of twist or winding, tested by diagonal application of the edge of square blade both ways, by the eye, or by two winding-sticks, which are simply parallel pieces of wood laid across the piece to be tested, one at each end, with the edge up, when any twist or winding may be detected by looking across their upper edges. After the face has been properly finished with the halflong, some distinctive mark should be put upon it, as on a, Fig. 12.

The Edge

If the wood is thin and broad, it will be most easily held in position by fixing in the vice, with the edge up, which will allow both hands to be free for manipulating the planes. The properties of a true edge are its being, Ist, at right angles to the face, and 2nd, straight lengthways. The former is tested by firm application of the edge of square stock upon the face, with the edge of the blade passing across the edge of the wood, accuracy being obtained when the wood exactly fills the square. The latter is tested by the same means as the corresponding property of the face. The edge when finished with the halflong should be marked in the same way as the face. None of the other sides, however, should be marked in this manner.

The Ends

The ends can be most easily planed when the wood is fixed into the vice, end up, and only a little above the surface of the bench. As in this process there is a danger of splitting pieces off the edge, it is advisable to use as little iron as practicable and to plane away from the finished edge. To prevent splitting, a small chamfer can be taken off the far corner with the paring chisel. If sand should happen to be on the end, then a short piece should be cut off with the saw before planing. The properties of a true end are - square to both face and edge, and tested by the square in a similar manner to the first property of the edge. Both ends may be planed if the exact length is known.