What are the parts of a surform plane?
What are the parts of a surform plane? |
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A surform plane has three main parts – the blade, the handle and the body. | |||
Blade |
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The blade of the surform plane is the part that shaves the unwanted material from a workpiece in order to shape it. | |||
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The blade is made of metal and has lots of small holes punched through it. Each of the holes has sharp rim on its edge which cuts as the tool is pushed or pulled across a workpiece. A surform blade is replaceable, meaning once the rims of the holes have dulled, the blade can be detached and replaced with a new one. | |||
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Different types of blade are available, which can be attached to various types of surform tool. However, a surform plane is usually fitted with a flat or fine cut blade.
For more information, see What are the different types of surform blade? |
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Handle |
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A surform plane generally has a moulded handle which is ergonomically designed for comfort. | |||
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Some surform planes have arched handles which form part of the tool’s body, allowing the user to firmly grip the tool in a number of places, and providing greater control when working on tough materials. | |||
Body |
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The blade is fastened to a moulded body, the shape of which can vary. This depends on the type of surform plane: some are designed for one-handed use, while others have a different body shape to allow for two-handed use. | |||
Additional parts |
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Thumb gripA surform plane may have a thumb grip on the end opposite to the handle, providing extra grip for the user when working on difficult surfaces. |
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Quick-release screwMany surform planes have a thumb screw which, when rotated, rapidly releases the blade from the body. This feature is ideal when you need to quickly replace a blade that has become dull during use. |
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