Skew blade

[RB61]

What, if any, difference is there between using a block plane with a skewed blade and using a block plane with a square blade that is skewed during use?

[Gregory of Sherwood Forest]

On an open piece of flat wood, there isn't a difference. The difference actually lies in WHERE the skew plane can be used.

You cant get all the way (or even close) to the shoulder of a tenon, for instance, with a normal block plane held at a skewed angle, but a skew block plane can get very close while maintaining the skew.

Additionally, if you have a skew block plane with a removable side plate, like with a Stanley 140 or a variant thereof, then you can cut all the way against the shoulder, skewed.

[AHill]

In most skew block planes, the blade extends across the entire width of the plane body, whereas in a normal block plane, the blade is narrower than the plane body. A skew plane will help to trim all the way to the corner of a rabbet. Can't do that with a normal block plane. You will find most skew planes are offered in a RH or LH version. Used correctly, the leading edge of the blade would be on the inside of the rabbet. That way, the plane will want to hug the side of the vertical, keeping it in contact with the inside corner of the rabbet throughout the cut. Skewing a normal block plane reduces the effective angle of the cut, but that's about it. Another feature found in most skew planes is a nicker, which scores the fibers when used across the grain. Helpful when establishing a rabbet, or when trimming the end of a board for dovetailing (you are establishing a slight shelf for the tails, making it easier to mark the tails when the pin board is set to mark the tails. A skew block can also trim tenons to fit vs. a shoulder plane in a similar manner to rabbeting.

[Phil S.]

Yup - with my MF#7 I can dismount the side plate and cut right to the edge of a rabbet.



The skew also lets me keep the whole sole on the wood when working a narrow edge rather than having most of the sole hanging in mid air and drastically shortening the supported surface of the plane. Hope that's understandable.

[C. in Indy]

A few of us "small project" w-workers also like to use a LN140 Skew plane as a pretty wicked shooting plane (with the side-piece installed to prevent the blade from digging in to the shooting board base).

The LN140 and similar planes also give the opportunity to install a fence, which actually I find to be a nice guide for both edge-squaring and rabbeting.