Jointing Fence

Squaring board edges is one of the typical tasks where traditional woodworking hand planes truly show their effectiveness. Stanley produced the famous—but rare—No. 386 fence attachment to be mounted on the side of jointer planes.

Of course, the best modern plane makers offer similar solutions. I recently needed to square the edges of long fir boards and chose to use the new Stanley No. 62—a low-angle plane with the length of a jack plane, modeled after the historical No. 62. While it’s not a jointer, the low-angle configuration provides advantages when planing softwoods. However, its very low sides don’t allow for attaching traditional guides, so I had to create a custom solution.

I built a simple guide using a beech board, composed of several laminated pieces for greater stability. The top part of the guide is shaped to match the plane, while the bottom extends about 7 cm below the sole.

A second removable piece, attached to the main guide, covers the outer edge near the plane’s mouth. This ensures that when the guide is aligned with the workpiece, it remains within the cutting area. In special cases, this piece can be replaced with a custom-shaped insert to set a different angle from 90°.

The anchoring system consists of two L-plates with a central pivot, forming a very effective third-class lever. Rubber pads between the plates and the plane ensure a secure grip.

During use, lateral pressure holds the fence tightly against the board, maintaining stability and accuracy throughout the cut.