The Proper Camber on a Handplane Blade

In this video Philip C. Lowe, the founder of the Furniture Institute of Massachusetts, talks about what handplanes any woodworker needs and why. This video is part of a series with Lowe in which he answers questions from readers and members about choosing, sharpening, and using handplanes. In this episode he talks about why you should camber, or crown, a smoothing plane blade and shows how to do it properly.

Philip C. Lowe was a long-time woodworker, who got his first taste of of the craft while serving in the Navy. He went on to become one of the most respected and well-known instructors in the country and operated his own school, the Furniture Institute of Massachusetts. Lowe passed away in January 2021. FWW published a tribute to him in issue #288 (April 2021). He made this video workshop in 2012.

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QUESTIONS

1		What are the first two or three planes a woodworker should own? PLAY 1   Danny Thompson Via the Internet
2		What do I need to know to get started with wooden molding planes? PLAY 2Ed Harrison Meridian, Miss.
3		NOW PLAYING How do I camber a plane iron, and what’s the right amount of camber?Andrew Homan Burlington, Vt.
4		I ran over a brad with a smoothing plane and nicked the sole. How do I repair the damage? PLAY 4Kevin Barnard Via the Internet
5		What’s the proper mouth opening between the plane blade and the sole? PLAY 5David Brumsickle Via the Internet
6		What plane do you use for smoothing difficult grain? PLAY 6BioMan Via Knots
7		How do you keep a scraper plane from chattering? PLAY 7Malcolm Granberry Via the Internet
8		Can you demonstrate how to level a wide panel with a hand plane? PLAY 8 Jeff S. Jackson Fort Wayne, Ind.