Definition

1. Noun:
   • A specialized woodworking hand plane: A router plane is a tool used in woodworking. Its defining feature is a narrow, adjustable cutting blade (the "cutting head") that protrudes from the sole of the plane. It is specifically designed for precise, controlled cutting tasks where a smooth, flat-bottomed surface is required.

Usage

• The router plane is used to clean up and precisely define the bottoms of grooves, dados, mortises, and recesses made by other tools like saws or chisels.
• It is operated by pushing or pulling it along the workpiece, with the blade shaving the wood to a consistent depth.
• The cutting depth is adjusted by loosening a locking mechanism, setting the blade, and then re-tightening.

Examples

• Noun:
  • After chopping out the mortise with a chisel, he used a router plane to ensure the bottom was perfectly flat and smooth.
  • A router plane is essential for trimming the tenon to fit snugly into its corresponding mortise.
  • The adjustable fence on some router planes helps guide the tool for cutting consistent grooves parallel to an edge.

Advanced Usage

• "To ride on the shoulders": This phrase describes how a router plane works. The sole of the plane rests on the two raised edges or "shoulders" bordering a recess, allowing the blade to cut only the material in between, thus creating a flat bottom at a consistent depth.

Variants and Related Words

• Plane (n): A general category of hand tools for shaping wood by shaving thin strips. A router plane is a specific type of plane.
• Shoulder plane (n): A different type of plane used for trimming the sides of tenons and other joinery.
• Block plane (n): A small, general-purpose plane for trimming end grain and small surfaces.

Synonyms

• Grooving plane (n): A less common term that describes a similar function.
• Rebate plane (n): A related tool for cutting rabbets (notches at the edge of a board); some router planes can perform similar tasks.

Related Phrases

• "To plane a surface": The general action of using any plane to make a surface flat or smooth.
  • He planed the surface of the board until it was perfectly level.
• "To rout a groove": To cut a groove or channel, often using a powered router. The hand-tool version is the action performed with a router plane.
  • The carpenter routed a groove for the inlay using a router plane.

Noun

1. a woodworking plane with a narrow cutting head that will make grooves with smooth bottoms