by David Finck
foreword by James Krenov

You can download an excerpt of this book here.

No matter what sort of handplane you use, “Making & Mastering Wood Planes” is perhaps the best guide available to understanding, tuning and using these tools at a high level.

Written by a graduate of the College of the Redwoods (now The Krenov School), “Making & Mastering Wood Planes” is ostensibly about the laminated handplanes that James Krenov made famous in the 20th century. But author David Finck decided to probe far deeper into the topic – so much so that this book is actually an excellent primer on handwork itself.

It begins with a discussion of wood as a material – both for making a plane and for working it with a plane. Then he delves into the basic tools and techniques one needs to begin making a plane and making furniture. And the reader is instructed on how to tune up a metal plane, plus how to grind and sharpen its iron before building a laminated wooden plane.

The building of planes is, of course, covered in immense detail. Even though laminated planes are simpler than traditional wooden planes, there are many fine points to understand and master. Most helpful is the section on troubleshooting a wooden plane and the steps required to get it back in perfect tune. 

Finck then proceeds to discuss how to use planes to dress the edges, faces and ends of boards, plus he addresses a variety of specialty techniques – planing thin stock, shooting ends, planing large surfaces and curved edges.

Finally, Finck covers scraping, both with a cabinet scraper and scraper planes.

“Making & Mastering Wood Planes” has sold thousands of copies worldwide. When the author considered letting it go out of print, we offered to keep it available. We also sought to upgrade the book’s mechanical characteristics. The book’s pages are sewn for durability. The paper is slightly thicker and whiter. We upgraded the binding to a hardback. And we moved production from overseas to the United States. 

This book has been in our personal library for almost 20 years – we wore out our first copy. We are pleased to offer it to you under the Lost Art Press imprint.

Contents

Acknowledgments 3
Foreword by James Krenov 7
Introduction 9

Chapter One: Tools and Materials for Making a Plane 13
Chapter Two: Tuning and Using Hand Tools 35
Chapter Three: Sharpening Techniques 43
Chapter Four: Making a Plane 73
Chapter Five: Planing Techniques 125
Chapter Six: Planing Aids and Special Techniques 151
Chapter Seven: Scraping Techniques 167

Epilogue 180
Metric Equivalents Chart 181
Glossary 193
Index 187

About the Author

Many know David Finck as author of “Making & Mastering Wood Planes,” a classic in woodworking circles first published by Sterling and now sold under the Lost Art Press imprint. But since David first wrote that book he finds himself in a different place entirely, as a luthier making violins, violas and cellos. His career is built on the musical and artistic influences from his family that came before, and from his own daughters. It is anchored by a lifetime of dedication to making fine instruments and fine furniture. Instrument building came David’s way while he was still in college in 1983. He built a classical guitar and knew he had discovered a passion for fine woodworking. In 1984, he began two years of training under James Krenov at his internationally recognized fine-woodworking school and then established his business building acoustic guitars and designing and building fine furniture. David built his first violin in 2012. The experience was transformative and the success was immediate. Since then, his focus has been on creating concert-quality violins, violas and cellos. They have been purchased and are played by professional musicians, advanced students and dedicated amateurs.

Read more about David in our full profile: (part 1) and (part 2).