Synopsis: Vic Tesolin’s wooden pull plane is not a Japanese plane, but his own version that cuts on the pull stroke instead of pushing like a standard western plane. Constructed of two core pieces and two cheeks, with a wedge that holds the blade secure, it takes about a day to make.

A couple of years ago, I was exposed to Japanese plane making. A friend let me try some of his planes and I fell in love with them. They feel nimbler in my hands, and I feel like I have more control over what I’m doing on the pull stroke. But after a few failed attempts at trying to make a Japanese plane, I realized it was not an easy task. They don’t have any flat surfaces and the blades are tapered in two directions.

I truly enjoy pulling planes, so I set out to simplify the construction for a pull-style plane. I’m not making a Japanese plane. I’m simply making a plane that you pull instead of push.

I’ve been making wooden planes for years using the sandwich method, dubbed “Krenovian,” so I made this plane from two core pieces and two cheeks. I also wanted to get rid of the pin that typically holds the wedge and blade in place, so I looked to old wooden planes that had a bed or a pocket cut into the sides to receive the blade and wedge. I didn’t include a chip breaker. There are other methods that I prefer to employ to reduce tearout, such as a sharp blade, a tight mouth, and a bed angle that suits the wood you’re smoothing.

Traditional Japanese planes have soles that are hollowed out in the center by 0.001 in. or so. I decided to keep the sole of this plane flat. Flat soles have yielded fantastic surfaces for me over the years. This plane, a smoother, only takes about a day to make. You can increase or decrease the size for different types of work.

Body parts and wedge

Start by milling out the core piece, which you’ll cut into two smaller pieces later, and the two cheeks. If you cut the parts from the same blank, you can maintain the grain picture, but it is not necessary. Crosscut the bed at 37° and the escapement at 45°. Lay out the wedge, cutting the slope on the bandsaw, and clean up the milling marks.

I make pockets in each cheek for the blade and wedge to slide into. To lay out these pockets, clamp the bed part of the core to one of the cheeks and transfer the bed location to the cheek.

From Fine Woodworking #288

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