General use bench plane

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tarheelz

Dave
Corporate Member
You would be better off passing on this and either watching Craigslist patiently for a #5 -- or better, since you're in Morrisville, taking a quick road trip to Pittsboro to Ed's Tool Store. http://www.woodwrightschool.com/the-tool-store/

Note: With the right amount of fiddling, I'll bet you could get that new Stanley plane turned into a functional user in a pinch.
 

Rick M

New User
Rick
For easing edges I'd rather use a block plane, the Stanley 9 1/2 is my favorite. For all around general use, in that price is tough. I don't know anything about the plane you linked but I bought one of these years ago and after a good bit of work it is perfectly usable. The problem with buying used planes is that if you don't know what you're buying, it's a gamble. And there are good brands other than Stanley but it's the most common. I think Dave's suggestion to make a trip to Ed's Tool Store is the right move and will probably save you time and money in the long run.
 

MarkE

Mark
Corporate Member
If you are not in a big hurry, you can find good deals on ebay or Craigslist on used hand planes and block planes. IMO you will get much more bang for your buck buying used.

I have a decent assortment of planes in my shop. You are welcome to stop by and try them out if you'd like to get a feel for the various types and sizes.
 

TENdriver

New User
TENdriver
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Paul, This is a good time to pause before you purchase.

A really great plane is an absolute joy to use. Find someone who really knows how to maintain, sharpen, and use planes. Spend a little time fooling around with their planes, and then start back on choosing a plane.
 

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Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I don't have a plane of any sort at the moment.

I'm looking for a general use bench plane for easing edges, etc.

I don't want to spend too much - it's just going to be used for rough work - so around $30 is about where I want to be.

Would this be acceptable - https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-12-404-Adjustable-2-Inch-Cutter/dp/B000FK3WI2/ ?

Let me look around the shop, probably have something you can use for free. I try to keep watch at yard sales and flea markets just for such.
 

Brogan

New User
.
Thanks for the input everyone.

The last time I used a plane was over 30 years ago so some good advice there.
 

Richo B

New User
Richo
Paul,
My first bench plane was that exact one on Amazon. I hardly use it. Because you can control the blade by two different knobs I use it as a scrub plane to plane down boards because I can fix the blade to tear at an amazing angle. Otherwise its a pretty cheap plane. Other than my Wood River that I bought from Woodcraft and a block plane from Lowes my other bench planes all came from Antique Stores. I went to an antique store today in downtown New Bern with an exceptional selection of old Stanley and Miller Falls bench planes. You don't necessarily need to bother with Craig's list if you have a decent antique store in town. A lot of my tools, not only bench planes came from antique stores up and down the east coast. But you do have to be willing to look for tools in these places.
 
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