plane
Enable an agent to recognise a hand plane, assess its cutting readiness, and determine its suitability for a specified shaping or finishing task.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
recalled by Codex without web access - no source was read
Researched by: Codex
Purpose and description
Enable an agent to recognise a hand plane, assess its cutting readiness, and determine its suitability for a specified shaping or finishing task.
In the woodworking-tool sense used here, a plane is a cutting tool whose blade projects through a supporting sole to remove shavings from wood and produce a controlled surface or profile.
It can be Identify a plane variant from its sole, cutting assembly and intended operation.; Match a plane to a required face, edge, rebate or profile.; Record and compare blade, mouth and guide settings before trial cuts.; Assess trial shavings and the resulting surface against task tolerances.; Determine whether adjustment, sharpening or repair is needed before further use.; Check replacement-iron and accessory compatibility against the particular design..
Distinguishing features
A cutting iron is retained in a body whose sole references the workpiece and helps govern the cut, distinguishing it from a freely guided chisel.
The tool removes material with a cutting edge during a hand-driven stroke rather than with an abrasive surface.
The cutting edge remains fixed relative to the body during a stroke, distinguishing this scope from rotating-cutter powered planers.
Identification depends on the cutting assembly and guiding surface, not on whether the resulting workpiece surface is flat; shaped-sole variants require recognition.
A physical hand tool with an iron and body fits this sense; a mathematical surface or load-bearing ramp does not.
Scope
+ Hand planes for flattening, thickness reduction, edge preparation and profile cutting
+ Relationships among body, sole, mouth, cutting iron and blade-retention mechanism
+ Cutting geometry, adjustment methods and supported working directions
+ Compatibility with workpiece material, grain and required surface geometry
+ Cutting condition, trial-cut evidence and maintenance needs
- Geometric planes and inclined planes: the batch's name containment does not establish a subtype relationship to this tool
- Aircraft called planes
- Powered portable planers and stationary planing machines
- Chisels, spokeshaves, scrapers and abrasive tools as independent tool kinds
- Workpiece design, woodworking projects and complete workshop operating procedures
Characteristics
- Functional variant
- Bench, block, rebate, shoulder, router, moulding, other documented variant, unknown Determines the intended operation and which setup features apply.
- Sole geometry
- Flat, convex, concave, profiled, adjustable, other, unknown Identifies the guiding surface and the shapes the plane can work.
- Sole length
- mm, with measurement endpoints Helps judge support and access on the intended workpiece.
- Usable cutting width
- mm, distinguished from total iron width Determines the width actually available for a pass or constrained feature.
- Iron geometry
- Bedding and bevel angles in degrees; edge camber in mm or radius Supports assessment of cutting behaviour without conflating different blade arrangements.
- Bevel orientation
- Bevel-up, bevel-down, other documented arrangement, unknown Provides context for interpreting bedding and sharpening angles.
- Blade projection
- mm relative to the applicable sole reference, including variation across the edge Records the cutting setting and possible lateral imbalance.
- Mouth clearance
- mm at the cutting edge; not applicable where absent Supports assessment of shaving passage and setup constraints.
- Working stroke
- Push, pull, other documented direction, unknown Prevents assuming that all plane traditions use the same handling direction.
- Workpiece compatibility
- Material, grain orientation and target geometry linked to supporting instructions or trial evidence Makes task suitability specific to the intended cut.
- Cutting readiness
- Unassessed, ready for specified task, adjustment required, sharpening required, repair required Separates general identification from evidence that a particular tool can perform the task.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.plane-2
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 5 bundles · 9 layers · 15 findings · 23 questions.
Plane identity and cutting role Establish the tool sense and the work its particular form supports.
The name is ambiguous, and plane variants differ substantially in the geometry they can produce.
Tool sense and boundaries
Anchor recognition in the cutting mechanism rather than the shared word.
Body-guided cutting identity
Record evidence that the candidate is a hand plane and identify any unresolved neighbouring-tool boundary.
- What retained cutting iron and work-contacting sole establish this as a hand plane? definition
- What evidence distinguishes the candidate from a spokeshave, scraper or powered planer? boundary
Variant and intended work
Connect the plane's form to the intended material-removal operation.
Operation-specific form
Record the supported operation and the physical features that enable it.
- Is this variant intended for flattening, smoothing, edge preparation, rebates, grooves or another documented operation? definition
- Which maker instructions, historical documentation or examined examples support that identification? provenance
Sole and cutting assembly Describe how the plane guides and supports its cutting edge.
Suitability depends on the relationship between the reference surface, iron and blade support.
Work-contact geometry
Capture the sole and guides that register the tool against the work.
Sole reference and access
Record the intended sole shape, its condition and its ability to reach the target feature.
- What are the sole length, contact profile and usable cutting width? measurement
- Do the body, sole and any fence permit the cutting edge to reach the required corner or profile? boundary
Iron support and geometry
Capture edge geometry and the mechanisms retaining and supporting the iron.
Supported cutting edge
Record the installed iron arrangement, with optional components marked as present, absent or unknown.
- What are the bedding angle, bevel orientation, bevel angle and edge profile? measurement
- How is the iron supported and retained, and is a chipbreaker fitted? definition
Cut setup and workpiece fit Relate controllable settings to the intended workpiece and cut.
A plane's identity alone does not establish that its current settings suit a particular grain direction or material-removal task.
Adjustments and stroke
Record the controls actually provided by the design.
Documented cut setting
Capture blade projection, lateral setting and applicable mouth, fence or depth-stop adjustments.
- What blade projection and lateral alignment are set relative to the sole? measurement
- How are the available adjustments made and secured, and what working-stroke direction is specified? action
Material and grain engagement
Describe the actual cutting task rather than assuming universal woodworking suitability.
Task-specific cut compatibility
Link the selected plane and setting to material, grain, access and required finish.
- What material and grain orientation will the edge encounter, including end grain or reversing grain? definition
- What trial cut would establish whether this setup meets the required geometry and surface finish? action
Cutting evidence and serviceability Assess demonstrated cutting performance and the condition of the working assembly.
Visible completeness does not establish edge sharpness, stable blade retention or acceptable results.
Trial-cut outcomes
Use observed shavings and workpiece results to assess readiness.
Observed cut quality
Record performance and defects without assigning an unverified cause.
- What shaving thickness, surface deviation and dimensional change were measured during the trial? measurement
- Were tear-out, chatter, clogging, tracks or failure to cut observed, and which diagnostic adjustment should be tested next? action
Edge retention and restoration
Assess defects and interventions affecting continued cutting use.
Serviceable plane assembly
Record edge damage, sole wear, loose retention and body or handle defects together with design-specific remedies.
- What inspection evidence establishes the condition of the edge, sole, iron seating, retention mechanism and gripping surfaces? provenance
- Which documented sharpening, adjustment or repair procedure applies, and what verification is required before returning the plane to use? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Check these first
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- The registry supplies no sense; the woodworking interpretation is provisional and follows the device, machine or tool context.
- The batch's association with inclined plane suggests a possible surface or geometric sense; check the originating registry identifier before accepting this interpretation.
- Measurement ranges describe common bench planes, not all specialist or regional varieties.
- Which of these check these first hold for the sense of plane this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Kinds and varieties
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Jack plane
- Jointer plane
- Smoothing plane
- Block plane
- Rebate or rabbet plane
- Router plane
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of plane this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Flattening board faces
- Straightening and squaring edges for joining
- Smoothing surfaces before finishing
- Trimming end grain and fitting wooden components
- Cutting rebates and levelling recesses
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of plane this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Sole length of common bench planes - Approximately 230-610 - mm
- Blade width of common bench planes - Approximately 45-65 - mm
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of plane this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- A dull or damaged cutting edge increases effort and degrades the surface.
- Cutting against adverse grain can cause tear-out.
- Inadequate blade support or loose adjustment can produce chatter.
- Shavings can clog the mouth and interrupt cutting.
- The exposed cutting edge can cause cuts during use, sharpening or adjustment.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of plane this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Western bench planes are generally pushed; Japanese hand planes are generally pulled.
- The same edge-cutting feature is commonly called a rebate in British usage and a rabbet in American usage.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of plane this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.
- Chisel - A chisel lacks the plane's supporting sole that guides the cut and constrains blade projection.
- Planer - A powered woodworking planer commonly uses rotating cutters; the hand plane described here uses a stationary blade moved across the work.
- Inclined plane - An inclined plane is a sloping surface used as a simple machine, not a variety of woodworking plane.
- Geometric plane - A geometric plane is an abstract, flat two-dimensional space extending without bound, not a cutting tool.
- Airplane - An airplane is a powered fixed-wing aircraft, another referent of the word plane.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of plane this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Does the existing Vercy catalogue already cover this hand-tool concept, requiring a link instead of a separate publication?
- Which specialist variants belong under this entry, and where should boundaries with scraper planes, spokeshaves and non-woodworking planes be drawn?
- Which manufacturer or craft references substantiate variant-specific setup geometry, dimensions and acceptable trial-cut results?
- Are any standards or certification requirements applicable to particular hand-plane variants or markets, and which issuing bodies define them?
- How should sole wear and historical modifications be judged for working tools versus collectible examples where restoration could erase evidence?