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Using Router Planes |
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Half-lap Joints
The router plane is the best tool to use when making lap
joints because you can work on both components at once
(if you choose) and fine-tune the fit with ease. Using
power equipment to make this joint is time-consuming and
requires that you waste several test pieces in order to
achieve a good fit. With a router plane, you can skip
the test pieces. Also, once you have the depth set on
your first joint (if your router has a depth stop), it's
simple to make many of them.
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| Half-laps
are tough to cut using machinery such as a
table saw, because it's easy to overshoot
your mark, since the adjustment mechanism
is coarse. Not so with a router plane, which
is simple to dial in correctly. |
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Fitting Tenons
A favorite task for which I like to use a router plane
is fitting oversized tenons into their mortises. The
procedure is similar to cutting a half-lap joint. Clamp
your tenon to your bench and place a piece of scrap at
the end of it. The scrap should be the same thickness
as your workpiece. Then, use the router plane to thin
the tenon cheek. Flip the piece over, and thin the other
cheek using the same setting. Test your fit.
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| Adjusting
your tenons with a router plane ensures
that your tenon will be centered on your
stock—something you can't easily achieve
with a shoulder plane. |
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Other
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