Router Plane

While a router plane doesn’t share the same iconic status as a smoothing plane or a hand saw, its usefulness has earned it a place in my toolbox. Just as a hand plane smooths large visible surfaces of a project, a router plane levels surfaces that usually aren’t seen but are just as vital to the success of a project. These include the bottoms of rabbets, dadoes, grooves, tenon cheeks, and hinge mortises.

The way a router plane does all this lies in its construction. An L-shaped blade extends below the sole to reach hard-to-get surfaces. The base acts as