Woodworking planes

Tsinubel
Toothing Plane

The roughening specialist

The tsinubel is a specialized hand plane fitted with a serrated (toothed) blade. Unlike smoothing planes that create polished surfaces, the tsinubel deliberately scores wood with fine parallel grooves — creating a texture that is essential for strong glue joints and veneer adhesion.

Blade angle 80–85°
Tooth pitch 1–1.5 mm
Primary use Surface prep
Origin Europe, 18th c.

Anatomy

01
TOTE TOOTHED BLADE WEDGE MOUTH SOLE KNOB BODY
A
Toothed Blade
The defining feature — a blade with fine serrations on the cutting edge, set at a steep 80–85° angle to the sole.
B
Body (Stock)
Traditionally made from dense hardwood (beech, hornbeam) or cast metal. Houses the blade and provides mass for stable cutting.
C
Sole
The flat bottom surface that rides along the workpiece. Must be perfectly flat for even tooth marks across the surface.
D
Mouth
The narrow opening in the sole where the blade protrudes. Relatively tight to control chip removal and scoring depth.
E
Wedge
Secures the blade firmly in the body at the correct angle. Tapped in with a mallet; removed to adjust or sharpen the blade.
F
Tote & Knob
The front knob guides direction, the rear tote provides grip and downward pressure. Ergonomic shaping reduces hand fatigue.

Applications

02

Veneer Preparation

The primary application. Toothing creates micro-grooves that dramatically increase glue surface area, ensuring veneer bonds firmly and evenly to the substrate without air pockets.

Difficult Grain

Interlocked, burl, or figured grain that tears out under a regular plane is handled cleanly by the tsinubel. The steep blade angle and toothed edge prevent fibres from lifting.

Glue Joint Prep

Before laminating panels or edge-gluing boards, a toothed surface provides mechanical keying for the adhesive. The grooves allow glue to spread uniformly and grip tightly.

Surface Flattening

Used as a preliminary step to flatten rough or warped stock before finishing with a smoothing plane. The serrated blade removes material efficiently without clogging, even on resinous woods.

How to use

03
1

Set the blade

Insert the toothed blade at the correct angle (80–85°) and secure with the wedge. The teeth should barely protrude past the sole — a light touch with your fingertip should feel the serrations.

2

Work diagonally

Push the plane across the surface at a 45° angle to the grain. This creates a cross-hatch pattern. Then make a second pass at the opposite 45° diagonal. The resulting diamond-shaped grooves maximize adhesive grip.

3

Check coverage

Hold the piece at a low angle to raking light. The entire surface should show even, consistent tooth marks with no glossy untouched spots. Any missed areas will be weak points in the glue joint.

4

Apply adhesive

Proceed immediately with gluing while the surface is fresh. The parallel grooves act as channels for even glue distribution. For veneering, use hide glue or PVA and apply even clamping pressure.