Making Duplicate Parts by Hand

Hand planing a board flat and square on 2 faces is usually all that is needed for most projects.  The opposite face and edge can usually just be made pretty (or not).  But sometimes you need a board that is surfaced and square on 6 faces and sometimes you need another board that is exactly the same.  Very few furniture pieces do NOT have some kind of duplicate part.  Perhaps it is only parallel edges or parallel faces but usually you will need several parts to be sized exactly the same in order to create good joinery and square casework.  Creating the duplicate parts really frustrates and confuses many who may be used to dialing in a machine setting.

making duplicate parts by hand

Doing this by hand isn't nearly as hard as you may think it is.  In fact like all hand work it comes down to working to a line.  This lesson will show you how I create duplicate parts using a hand plane and the tips to use to get those parallel faces and really dial in an exact size match in 3 dimensions: thickness, width, and length.  

Included in this Video:

  • The process (or lack thereof) to mark your duplicate parts
  • How to dial in the perfect thickness, width, and length without a shooting board
  • How to get parallel faces
  • PLUS you gain access to the School Tool Library and Community Forum

Making Duplicate Parts by Hand is really just about working to a line