What is a try plane?

A try plane, also known as a jointer plane, trying plane or trueing plane, is a long hand plane of wood or metal used to plane timber flat and straight over its full length. Its long sole bridges the hollows in a board and only takes off the high spots, so step by step you end up with a flat face or a straight edge. The Dutch equivalent is the “reischaaf”.

How long is a try plane?

Jointer planes are typically 20 to 24 inches (about 510 to 610 mm) long, making them the longest hand planes in common use. In the Stanley Bailey numbering system, the No. 7 (22 in) and No. 8 (24 in) are jointer planes.

Where it fits in the planing sequence

1. Rough down with a shorter plane, such as a fore plane or jack plane.
2. Flatten and straighten with the try plane.
3. Check with winding sticks laid across the board: sight across them to see whether the face is flat and not twisted.
4. Finish where needed with a smoothing plane.

Many try planes have a cap iron (chipbreaker) that breaks the shaving, giving a cleaner surface.

Application

• Planing long components, such as window frame stiles, flat and true.
• Flattening twisted boards or beams.
• Shooting edges so two boards meet without a gap, for example for a glued-up panel.

In practice, this work has largely been taken over by the planer-thicknesser. For restoration, one-off work, or when no machine is available, the try plane is still the tool of choice.

Tips

• Plane in long, continuous strokes over the full length, with pressure on the front of the plane at the start and on the back at the end.
• Set the iron fine. Set too deep, the plane will dig in and tear the wood.
• Plane with the grain. Against the grain, the fibres tear out.
• Check as you go, not only at the end, so you don’t take off too much.

Related terms

• Block plane
• Planer
• Fine planing
• Screeding straightedge
• Planed and grooved timber
• Wood movement

Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.