fore plane
Definition
Noun: A fore plane is a carpenter's hand plane, specifically one that is sized and designed to be used after a jack plane and before a jointer plane in the process of preparing and smoothing a wooden surface. It is an intermediate tool for flattening and straightening wood.
Usage
The term "fore plane" is used specifically within woodworking to refer to this particular type of plane. It is a tool name. * The carpenter used a fore plane to remove the high spots from the board before finishing it with a smoother. * A well-tuned fore plane is essential for efficient stock removal and initial flattening.
Advanced Usage
- Historical Context: In traditional woodworking, the fore plane (typically around 18 inches or 46 cm long) was a critical tool for the "fore" work—the initial stages of bringing a rough-sawn board to a flat, straight, and square condition, following the coarse work of the jack plane.
Variants and Related Words
- Jack plane (noun): A shorter, general-purpose plane used for coarse planing before the fore plane.
- Jointer plane (noun): A long plane (usually 22 inches or more) used after the fore plane to create perfectly straight edges and flat surfaces.
- Smoothing plane (noun): A short plane used for final surface finishing after the jointer plane.
- Try plane (noun): Another historical name for a fore plane or a long jointer plane.
Synonyms
- Intermediate plane (descriptive term, not a common tool name)
- Try plane (in some historical or regional contexts)
Related Phrases
- To fore-plane (verb, rare/technical): The act of using a fore plane.
- He fore-planed the timber to prepare it for jointing.
Noun
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a carpenter's plane intermediate between a jack plane and a jointer plane
