Make a router plane from a chisel.

Make a FREE router plane using a chisel and my easy construction method.

Tools in this build (affiliate):

Wood Work for Humans Tool List (affiliate):

Follow me on Instagram: @rexkrueger

[RexKrueger]

Yes, I know many people make router planes with an allen key as the cutter. Yes, I like this approach. But, it requires a grinder, which many people don't have. This version requires no power-tools.

[williamcarson]

After watching so many of your videos I firmly believe that your catchphrase should be " Let's just make one"

[wolfgang]

I love that you love the old tools and crafts so much. And that you care for people not being able to invest lots of money into their hobby. Thank you very much for showing how I can build a router plane on the cheap (and yes, the plans are very fair-priced)!

[Joe.oo]

Jeez, Rex, where do I start? I'm 21, and just started to pick up woodworking for the first time since I took shop classes in high school. You've encouraged me to build an entire fireplace surround during my winter break! I think it came out great, used rough cut cherry and maple, and your videos gave me the confidence to design, route, shape, sand, and install all of it by myself, using my grandfathers' (both my mother and father's dads were carpenters/machinists) 100+ yr old tools to create something new. Thanks for all of the help, and here's to all of the other fine projects in my future, thanks to you! Keep it up man!

[Alpemomi]

I personally LOVE that name: Hag's Tooth. It describes so vividly the object with beautiful fantastic imagery. Immediately I imagine the Hag in Legend and her sharp teeth, or a Baba Yaga travelling through the woody Russian lands. Straight out of a Grimm Faery Tale and nothing unwoke about that name, just pure poetic imagery.

I absolutely love that this tool actually exists - so amazing and ingeneous were our fore-fathers. I always thought that routers had to be electric, well lo and behold! Thanks for all your awesome videos Rex! I really like that carriage bolt detail.

[BattleBornFLB]

I started watching your channel a few weeks back... I felt like I have learned more from you than any other YouTuber. Thank you for your videos!

[RichardMerrillHawk]

Ingenious solution for beginners! That mortise only really has only one surface to chisel. That's awesome!

[tomdenny]

Rex,

I think you fill an important and unique niche in social media wood working especially for newer, less experienced wood workers. Your series "Wood working for Humans" is an extremely useful and groundbreaking approach to creating with wood. Thank you for showing the world that one does not need a large budget and a shop full of expensive tools to create useful, beautiful objects.

[adamjones]

Well, it only took me a month and a half, but by following your videos I was finally able to construct my very own router plane and all it cost me was a 6mm chisel. And it even works! Thanks mate! Keep up the great work.

[DanYHKim]

This is really nice! A great melding of modern consumer goods (the steel chisel) and older tool-making (the body). The trick of cutting the body for access to the mortise is really nice, and I've seen it applied to other plane constructions.
The channel is very informative and entertaining, with excellent production qualities. Good lighting, great camera angles, steady shots, and no wasted time! It is a pleasure to watch.


Finally, all of the work and techniques feel accessible to mere mortals, especially when the videos are viewed in sequence. They really build on each other, building the skills and confidence of the student as they go. The channel truly turns the aspiring beginner into a real craftsman.

[bigguy]

I totally plan to be a patron once i get working again. I am the poor and your "do everything by hand" is really appealing. Thank you for your fun videos.

[carloshuggins]

Hi Rex. I just made one of your router planes from a some scraps of 1/2 inch oak (need to be laminated together) that i found in a corner, and a 3/16 chisel I was given . I actually took my semicircular cut out right back to intersect the front mortice as far as the chisel edge, as this it makes it very easy to see the blade engage the work, and the chisel is still fully supported. It works a dream and now I need to build some something with dados so I can smooth them down... Great inspiration and explanation. Thanks for all

[brianknowles]

Use a bit of bannister rail [ staircase rail ] for the wood bit. Already moulded.

[kraftfamilyadventures]

Thanks Rex. I've been semi - agonizing about this for a bit. I first thought about buying a power router, but discarded that idea after I realized that it wouldn't get enough use in my shop to justify the storage space, as my shop isn't just small, it's outright tiny. I've since been trying to find a used metal router plane, but they're kind of expensive, and like I said the tool will get only occasional use. This build is my next project for sure. It's outstanding, since I can disassemble the plane into 3 pieces for storage as well.

[laurieboy]

I use a small Japanese rabbit plane that's around 3/8 of an inch wide. It works great because the whole body of the plain fits down in the dado nicely.

[johnford]

Very cool idea - splitting the block to make cutting the mortise for the blade and wedge easier.

[TimothyEdDoran]

I really enjoyed the video and bought the plans. Well worth the money. I changed the angle from 60 to 45 degrees. Maybe 60 works well for hardwood but for pine 45ish seems to work nicely. Thanks for the great content

[willemkossen]

Years ago i made a routerplane as a quick hack (not hag lol). I also started a playlist and added every other routerplane build i could find or found since. I'll add this video to that list too. So many ways to make a routerplane.

[jeffandthings]

i expected either something overly simple, like paul seller's version, or over complicated. nice job making something beautiful yet attainable for us average folks!

[marcuscornall]

wow man ! You talk so much sense about all this for a beginner ! THANKYOU ! I have already learned more about woodwork in a couple of your videos than I have with all the other Youtube videos. You make it approachable for someone who has no previous experience .Thanks again for demystifying so much, and especially for how to achieve things without previous knowledge or expensive tools .And by the way i have subscribed to you because all your videos are so helpful.