Odate crowning plates are a new product designed to make the task of putting a minute crown on handplane blades fast, easy, and utterly consistent. They are the brainchild of master craftsman Toshio Odate and are produced by Powell Manufacturing Co. 

A slightly crowned handplane blade eliminates blade tracks and ridges where cuts overlap. The plate puts a crown just under 0.002 in. on a 2-in. smoothing-plane blade, for a very fine shaving that tapers to nothing at its edges. The four plates range from 60 microns to 9 microns and can be used dry or lubricated. They cut fast and wear well. The finest plate left a finish still in need of polishing on a 6,000-grit waterstone. For that reason, Powell makes a dressing plate that shapes a polishing stone to the same profile.

At about $109 each, these plates would be a luxury for many woodworkers, but they make the whole process consistent. Call 781-237-4876 for information, or go to www.toolsforworkingwood.com.

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