Scraping Plane Blade Width 2-7/8 in. (73 mm)

VERITAS

Final leveling and smoothing of large, flat surfaces before applying oil or varnish – that’s the task of the scraper plane. Since it is similarly constructed as a bench plane, it can be used just as comfortably, and the large sole ensures that the surface of the workpiece becomes truly smooth.

The scraper plane does not replace the smoothing plane but is used after it. Therefore, the surface should already be in good condition, just as it should be or nearly so with a smoothing plane. On the other hand, the scraper plane replaces sanding, that is, the step before applying the surface finish (The fact that experts use the smoothing plane for the final finish will not be discussed here – it’s possible but significantly more challenging). Sandpaper tears the wood fibers, while the scraper plane cuts them. The result looks like this: The scraper plane highlights the wood grain, whereas sandpaper dampens the vibrant expression of the wood.

This plane is equipped with a 73 mm wide and 1.4 mm thick iron made of carbon steel. The bevel has a grind angle of 45°. The advantage of the scraper plane is that you can adjust both the bedding angle of the iron and slightly flex it in the cutting area to achieve the best result. The bedding angle of the iron is adjustable from perpendicular to 25° forwards. The more you tilt it forward, the deeper the blade penetrates the wood. You can extend the edge retention (time between sharpening sessions) by increasing the forward tilt of the iron. If the iron is flexed in the cutting area, you have additional fine-tuning of the cutting depth. Furthermore, this prevents the edges of the iron from leaving unsightly grooves on the workpiece. The latter is accomplished with the thumbscrew labeled „Blade Bow Thumbscrew” in the image below.

As an accessory, there is also a 3.2 mm thick iron made of A2 steel, which cannot be flexed and is particularly suitable for extremely wild-grained wood.