Miter Plane is a Versatile Trimming Tool

Designed for trimming end grain, a miter plane is like a big block plane with sides that are square to its sole. This means you can use it not only with the sole down for jobs like trimming end grain on wide panels, but also on its side, with a shooting board. The tool gained popularity in the 19th century. The miter planes of that era, made by Spiers, Mathieson, and Norris, were precise but awkward and downright uncomfortable to hold.

 

Veritas has updated the miter plane with a version that is vastly more comfortable than those old ones, and easier to adjust to boot. The Veritas plane has a Norris-style adjuster that controls both the depth of cut and the blade’s lateral position. It moves smoothly and adjustments are precise. Backlash was negligible. It has an adjustable mouth, too, allowing you to set the opening for coarse and fine shavings.

 

The plane is very comfortable to hold when used sole down. The palm of your back hand rests nicely on the back knob, while reliefs machined into the sides of the plane at the back provide the perfect grip for your fingers. The plane is comfortable on its side, as well, thanks to a detachable handle, or shooting horn. It fits between your thumb and forefinger, making it easy to push the plane through a cut.

 

I used the plane with shooting boards to trim case and frame miters, with a miter jack to refine a long, handsawn miter, and like a block plane to clean up the end grain of a wide panel. The blade’s low cutting angle (mine was set to 37°) was able to slice off continuous end grain and miter shavings with ease. The plane’s low center of gravity facilitates fine control when planing, both sole down and on its side.

 

It’s true that this is a specialty plane, but if you trim joinery and end grain by hand, the Veritas miter plane can’t be beat.