How to Adjust a Blade on a Hand Plane

Place the plane-iron cap on the blade with the curve of the cap within a sixteenth to an eighth of an inch of the sharpened edge. Tighten the cutter screw.

Carefully guide the blade assembly into position on the frog without hitting the blade edge on any part of the plane. Lock the blade in place with the lever cap. The lever cap needs to clamp the blade firmly. If it doesn't, tighten the clamp screw until it does.

Turn the plane over, and sight down the sole from the front of the plane. The blade should be close to the edge of the throat without protruding. Reposition the blade and frog if necessary. While sighting down the sole, turn the adjustment knob until just the slightest sliver of a blade can be seen at the throat. Move the lateral adjustment lever if necessary to ensure that the blade isn’t tilted to the left or right.

Test the plane on a scrap piece of wood first. The blade should just barely catch on the wood beneath the center of the sole. Gradually adjust the blade downward until a paper-thin curl of wood is removed with each smooth stroke of the plane.