OldTools Archive

Recent Bios FAQ

276937 Adam R. Maxwell 2023‑01‑27 Re: DIY Miter plane
> On Jan 26, 2023, at 19:26 , Frank Filippone  wrote:
> 
> I an still in the opinion that I will build or buy a special purpose miter
plane....

They're fun to build, and you can do it all with hand tools!

> But I had something that bugs me....
> 
> Why is it that most if not almost all the miter planes I find are from
England?  I rarely find a US based miter plane...

I read Joel Moskowitz's blog series on mitre planes years ago, and he contends
that they were used for marquetry and difficult woods. It seems plausible to me,
but I've not researched it further.

https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/142

https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/143

https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/195/title/The%20History%20of%20Mitre%
20planes%20-%20Pt%202%201/2%20-%20Details%20of%20the%20Gabriel%20Mitre%20Plane%2
0C.%201790


> So the question I am asking i what did US ( or for that natter, German French,
etc) makers of fine cabinetry use to square the ends of their boards?

This blog post talks about Moxon's "Strike-block" plane for shooting mitre
joints, but he doesn't think they were that common.

https://toolsforworkingwood.com/store/blog/145/title/Wooden%20Mitre%20Planes%20-
%20John%20Green%20c.%201800

I suggest that they used a sharp bench plane or chisel. They can work as well as
a mitre plane, are easier to sharpen, and more readily available.

Adam in Benton City, WA 
(just restarting a project from 2018 and relearning how to plane and saw)

Recent Bios FAQ