I enjoyed the 3-in-1 Shooting Board article (p. 26) in the April/May 2020 issue. However, as I consider the accuracy of this process, I suspect that the design relies on proper plane adjustment to cut squarely. Could you discuss a method to perfectly square the blade to the plane body? I look forward to shaving pieces by a few thousandths.
—Bill Sherman, via email
Craig Bentzley replies
Start by ensuring that the blade is sharp and that its business edge is square to its sides. Then, advance the blade and inspect its relation to the sole. To do this, hold the plane upside down and sight down its length to laterally adjust the blade to be parallel (side-to-side) to the sole. Finally, take a few swipes on the edge of a piece of scrap and check the board with an accurate machinist’s square, and adjust accordingly.
