Eli Lewis · elilewis2029@u.northwestern.edu · elilewisportfolio.info/work/krenov-style-wooden-hand-plane-in-oak

Design & craft · 2025

Wooden Krenov-style hand plane

Woodworking mentorship project : Krenov-style oak smoothing plane made using traditional woodworking techniques and knowledge

The finished plane

Under the guidance of John Hartman, a retired piano repairman and professional woodworker, I built a Krenov-style smoothing plane. Made from a single white oak block, the sole is flat to < ±0.001 in, verified using feeler gauges on a certified granite surface, and is capable of taking shavings 0.001–0.005 in thick. Additional skills include sharpening technique, precise chisel work, fixturing methods.

Role: SoloI was responsible for the whole build, from layout to final tuning, with John teaching me the proper technique along the way. This is not my own design.
Duration: Several days
Tools: bandsaw, jointer, drill-press, spokeshave, card-scraper, feeler-gauge
Skills: hand-tool-woodworking, tool-making, flatness-inspection, metrology, layout

Goal & constraints

Build a working plane to James Krenov's design as my high-school senior project, spring 2025
Sole flat enough to take fine smoothing shavings and true up boards
Finely sharpened blade to a 30 degree major bevel and 35 degree micro-bevel

Process

Laid out the bed, throat and cross-pin on the oak blank, drilled registration holes on the drill press, and cut the bed and throat on the bandsaw
Used the jointer to flatten and square the stock, then split the blank into two cheeks and front and back center blocks, re-registered with dowel pins for glue-up
Fitted the iron, wedge and cross-pin in the glued-up body
Shaped the body with rasps, spokeshaves and card scrapers
Flattened the sole and checked it with feeler gauges on a certified reference surface
Sharpen iron to 30-degree hollow grind with 35 degree micro-bevel up to 8000 grit on whetstones -Set iron with light hammer taps

Bed, throat and cross-pin laid out in pencil on the oak blank, next to the iron

Drilling registration holes on the drill press

Cutting the bed and throat on the bandsaw

Cheeks and center blocks after the bandsaw cut, with dowel pins to register them at glue-up

Glued-up body with the iron, wedge and cross-pin fitted, before shaping

Shaped oak body with the cross-pin, before finishing

Result

Consistent shavings of ~.001 - .003 in

What I’d change

Shape the body more closely to my hand for better ergonomics.

Printing this page gives a one-to-two page PDF.