Specialty Planes by Diego de Assis

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According to Leo P. McDonnel, in his book Hand Tools for Woodworking (published in Brazil by Record in 1962), “Specialty planing tools are necessary for mortise and tenon and half-lap joints, and for moldings on trim and frame work.

On the left, top to bottom: 3 irons from molding planes, 4 irons from round planes used in making molding profiles. On the right, top to bottom: 3 irons from rabbet planes, 3 irons from match (tongue and groove) planes, and 3 irons from plow planes.

For this article I have chosen a few planes in my collection, acquired mainly in Rio de Janeiro flea markets, to describe their basic functions. Most of them are antique wooden bodied planes, of diverse origins, made by anonymous craftsmen—the co-authors of this overview.