The MTC-11084, from Melbourne Tool Company (MTC), is a closed-throat, bevel-down, router plane that has a large 100mm × 183mm (4″ × 7″) sole with robust 44.5mm × 76mm (1-3/4″ × 3″) maple handles. It weighs in at a substantial 1150g (2.5 lbs). The plane comes with a 12.7mm (1/2″) straight blade and a 12.7mm × 79.4mm (1/2″ × 3-1/8″) aluminum fence that provides 54mm (2-1/8″) of travel. Optional metric and impe­rial blades are available separately or in sets. You can install the fence on either side of the plane and also use the fence-mount­ing holes to attach a sub-base (user made) when working on delicate workpieces.

The plane body is made of steel and has a 50° bed angle. The knurled knobs are brass and the blades are made from a single bil­let of M2 high-speed steel. A tungsten-molybdenum alloy, M2 is the industry standard because it has good wear and abrasion resis­tance, is easy to sharpen and has a Rockwell hardness between 60 and 65 that’s “tough enough.” The blades are ground to a 30° bevel and can be put straight to use (unless, of course, you’re a perfectionist).

To do its job well the sole needs to be perfectly flat, and the MTC-11084 is spot-on in this regard. As well, the blade needs to sit perfectly flat in relation to the sole. In my tests the bevel edge of all the blades aligned perfectly with the sole. I really like the design of these blades. Unlike other router plane blades, which have the end of the blade oriented 90° to the arm, these MTC blades are easily sharpened.

Adjusting the cutting depth of the blade is straightforward. There’s a locking depth stop you use to set your target depth-of-cut. You then use the depth adjustment knob to set the cutting depth, working in small incremental steps to reach the target depth. Two clamping knobs hold the blade firmly in place once you’ve estab­lished your cutting depth – each time you adjust the cutting depth you need to loosen these knobs. The depth adjustment knob is fixed to an M6 × 1mm threaded rod. One full turn of the knob advances the blade 1mm. Because of the 50° bed angle this translates to a 0.77mm (.03″) depth-of-cut – near enough to 1/32″.

The large sole and closed throat offer a lot of support when you’re working on narrow edges without sacrificing visibil­ity. I like the large upright wooden knobs more than canted handles as they’re comfortable to hold and provide excellent manoeuverability.

The machining on this router plane is excellent and the adjust­ment knobs easy to manipulate. Setting the cut depth is about as easy as it gets. I’m hoping that the MTC decides to add a few spear-point blades to their inventory. I find them exceptionally handy for getting into tight corners. This isn’t a plane that I use as often as my bench planes, but I appreciate having it when I need to fine-tune dadoes, grooves and other recesses.