To create a flat or contoured surface, manufacturers often resort to a procedure called "planing," in which the workpiece is moved back and forth against a fixed cutting tool. Planing is like shaping in that respect. The tool used for shaping moves back and forth across a relatively immobile workpiece, which is the primary distinction between the two operations.
Extra material is gradually removed layer by layer through shaping to achieve a flat surface. It is accomplished through cutting motion provided by the linear-forward motion of the reciprocating tool and the intermittent feed motion produced by the slow transverse motion of the workpiece.
Wood can also be planed mechanically to a uniform thickness using surfacers. The planer comprises a frame, an adjustable bed, feed rolls, a feeding system, and a cylindrical cutting head with three or more knives to trim extra wood.
Planing cuts, vee cuts, and conical cuts can all be accomplished with the right turning and planing tools. The turning and planing tools include a 10-millimeter spindle gouge, a 19-millimeter roughing gouge, and a 13-millimeter skew chisel. Tools like jigsaws and planers have two speeds: one for quick cutting and one for smooth.