Bargain Gidgee Smoothing Plane
The smoothing plane is a necessary component of your hand tool collection, with the ability to smooth an array of timber surfaces with little to no sanding required. The plane can be used as a plane or as a scraper, which ultimately provides you with two tools in one. To use the plane as a scraper you place the blade in bevel down, which results in a blade pitch of 60 degrees. By reversing the blade to bevel up you are effectively creating a 90 degree blade pitch which is the same as a cabinet scraper.
The style of this plane is comfortable as you use the plane square on (either behind or in front depending on whether you are pushing or pulling the plane). Having the option to push or pull the plane makes certain jobs easier, for example planing a table top. You can push the plane half way through the table and then pull it from the other end of the table, meaning you are getting a full length shaving. It also means your body is more in balance. The handle on this plane is removable on a taper if required.
This plane is made from gidgee and is 210mm long x 67mm wide x 38mm high, and has a weight go 0.9kg. It has a 50mm wide x 6mm thick x 97mm long Tool Steel (TS) blade hardened to Rc 62-64.
This plane is only a bargain due to the sap wood seen in the photos. This does not affect the life and function of the plane, and is a beautiful feature.