What are essential planes to have?

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JohnsonMBrandon

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Brandon Johnson
What are essential planes to have. I think a #4 is, but what others are very useful? Also who has decent ones, and where is the best place to get them?
 

Monty

New User
Monty
When I was pondering questions like yours, I read this series of articles by Bob Feeser (rfeeser on Woodnet) and found it to be very helpful. You can learn about how certain planes are used, and then figure out where you should start based on what you plan to use them for. For example, once I learned what a scrub plane really is and what they are used for, I have decided that I don't really want one - at least not right now anyway.

Having said all that, here's what I have found that I use most often: low-angle block plane, #4, #7, #80 &/or #12. I use the #5 also, and have used the #3 some, but I still haven't figured out why I bought the #6. :roll:
 

Monty

New User
Monty
Oh yeah - where to buy... well, that depends how much risk you're willing to take. Safest approach is to buy from a known trusted source in the Woodnet HT forum (rarebear, WaltQ, Timberwolf, Todd Hughes come to mind, but there are a few others). Not the cheapest, but a fair deal, and safe -- if there are any problems with the item you're buying, you'll know about it up front and the price will reflect the true value of the tool accordingly.

Ebay = less safe, but some excellent deals if you are willing to put some serious time into learning what to look out for. I have been able to steer clear of the lesser quality/defective tools, or outright dishonest sellers. But this requires careful attention to detail when looking at the descriptions and pics, etc. There are lots of considerations, but all of my hand tools came from eBay, and I only rarely paid more than about 1/2 what they are probably "worth". Anyway, buying on eBay is a whole other topic...

The third option is to go to tool sales/flea markets, estate sales and yard sales. Probably the best deals to be had here, but I personally just don't have the time to devote to this on Saturday mornings.
 

JohnsonMBrandon

New User
Brandon Johnson
Cool thanks for the help. I guess I am making sort of a dream list and will start knocking them out as I run up on a deal. What kind of planes did you get, or what kind should I get?
 

Monty

New User
Monty
What kind.... IMHO the safest approach to begin with is to get old Stanley planes. Look at the pictorial type study on rarebear's site to learn about what is meant by plane "type". Most people seem to prefer the Sweetheart types (SW - types approximately 12-15 IIRC), so they tend to be more expensive. They are nice, but I go for the type 17's, made during the WWII war years. They're easy to spot, good quality, and most people don't bid on them because they have a plastic depth adjustment knob instead of brass. So they tend to be cheaper - bonus! :mrgreen:

Anyway, enough of my opinions. I'll be quiet now.
 

Jonz

New User
Chris Jones
What Insomniac said. Those Bob Feeser articles are really good as far as helping you understand what planes you need for what, what is a good minimum # and sizes to have etc.

And let me emphasize again, you WILL get burned on ebay if you don't spend the time learning what you are looking at. Why? Because people suck.:evil:

For starters, I would buy from one of the woodnet guys. I have bought from WaltQ, Rarebear, and Timberwolf (I feel stupid typing these names for some reason) and all are straight up folks who will treat you right.
 

JohnsonMBrandon

New User
Brandon Johnson
So I guess I was under the impression that you can get new versions of these planes? Is it just way to expensive to do that? Or do they not exist? Or Not as Good? I know hardly anything about them so trying to learn what I can.
 

sapwood

New User
Roger
Brandon,

Glad you asked the question as I've be considering plane purchases too. As Insomniac and Jonz suggested woodnet has a ton of info. I've had very little luck with flea markets (and rarely have an opportunity to check them out). Woodcraft has a sale on the Lie-Nielsen adjustable mouth block plane ($125) that I'm hoping Santa will put in my stocking :eusa_pray

Currently I'm reading Garrett Hack's "The Handplane Book". I found it at the library and highly recommend it--fantastic!

Insomniac,
I think rfeeser is a deity. He has posted a wealth of info on woodnet (esp bandsaws and planes) and his civility, economy of words, and cogent writing style sets him apart. He lives in Winston-Salem--sure would like to have him join us here!

Sapwood
 

fsdogwood

New User
Pinwu
It's really LUCKY you can check out "The Handplane Book" from the library.
Guess it was not the ones in Wake Co.

First, buying planes is addictive!
Then, at the beginning, you need to find out what you want to do with them,
with which you could come up with a list that you want to acquire. Rfseer's
articles are good, Garrett Hacks "The Handplane book", "The Classic tool",
Michael Dunbar's "restoring classical tools" book (sorry, I cannot remember
the title). The Handtool forum on Woodnet is really nice, as well as the one
on woodcentral.
 

Jonz

New User
Chris Jones
Another "must have" link for the Stanley planes, Patrick Leach's Blood and Gore. One of the best resources available that I am aware of.

Read the rfeeser stuff and look up the planes in B&G to learn more about them.

http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

As far as the newer versions, Stanley still makes many of the same planes, but most enthusiasts don't care for them much in comparison to the older ones. About like anything else, corners have been cut since the "old days". I have Stanley planes from the late 1800's that I use, right on up to the 1940's.

Other manufacturers are out there making new planes. Lie-Nielsen makes a high end plane based on the Stanley Bedrock design, but are pricey. Lee Valley's Veritas planes are more their own thing, less expensive and well thought of.
 

DaveO

New User
DaveO
Sapwood, I sent an invitation to Mr. Freeser, asking him to join the site and he very firmly declined. He doesn't have time for a regional site. I was disappointed but still consider him a great local woodworking resource. Maybe he'll find some time, someday, to grace us with his presence. Dave:)
 

Andrew A

Andrew A
User
Ah yes the slippery slope...first the list...then the planes, then more sharpening supplies and more planes and then plane upgrades...next up chisels...oh yea did I mention a nice bench...

this is my confession...please forgive me for what will likely be a long post.

These guys have offered up some excellent advise so I just want to reinforce their thoughts...I started out about 3 years ago after reading some early plane articles by Christopher Schwartz in PW magazine. So after reading the article I was looking through my father in laws shed and found a Stanley #5 and a 220 standard angle block plane...had not been used in 30 years. I refurbished the planes and learned how to flatten the sole and blade backs and sharpen the blade using the scary sharp method. This was a real accomplishment, cause before that I could not sharpen anything worth a durn. So I got those planes really working good and fell in love with that swoosh (no not Nike but the sound that a well tuned plane makes on hardwood). I still had a little chatter with the #5 so I put a thicker Hock blade in the plane and man did that dog hunt...so now I'm hooked.

Then I started reading how to square stock with hand tools. With this goal in mind, I began to realize my bench which was not bad at the time, was inadequate for serious hand planning. I had a few years earlier purchased a sjolberg bench top and made my own base. What I found was that the base was not up to the rigors of serious planning. The base racked slightly and was not heavy enough so it "walked" with the planning action. So began the bench upgrade effort...I had purchased some maple and had planned to make a really substantial base for the bench. Then came the third epiphany (first was discovering hand planes and the second was learning to properly sharpen woodworking tools)...I found and old turn of the century patternmakers bench for a really reasonable price. Now I'm set right....NOT.

I now needed to add to my meager fleet a jointer plane (#7) and a smoother (#3)....you know to properly square that board (well thats what I told myself anyway) so there I go sliding away like wax paper on a sliding board.

So now my growing fleet contains a Stanley #3, 4, 5 and 7, a 40, a 62, an 80 and a 90...for block planes along with the Stanley 220 sits a #19 and 55 and a Miller Falls 60 1/2 equivalent and a Lie Neilson 102 (love block planes).

As I learned more about these lovely tools I began to narrow my focus. I really liked using almost 100 year old tools...I love vintage...if you don't care about vintage seriously consider new Veritas or Lie Neilson's...vintage takes a bit more fettling but can be cheaper (only slightly)...

I now tend to focus on Type 11's pre WW1's, I love the look of these planes, the lower profile front knob and the plain and simple lever cap and knuckle capped block planes. These planes have been purchased from flea markets, eBay and the guys mentioned above on WoodNet...the best source I think are buying from guys on forums...they got planes in better condition and are very reliable. The books mentioned above are all must reads and I have since graduated to Norton Waterstones so as you can see what a slide I have taken...but I have learned a ton about real basic woodworking in the process...

So to answer your question...that original Schwartz article recommended starting out with a #5 and a block plane....its still good advice...but block planes are a must in any shop

Andrew
 
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M

McRabbet

Nice post, Andrew. You've got a serious case of the wood workers lust for life... Welcome aboard.
 

Andrew A

Andrew A
User
Thanks Rob...yes lust would describe it well...but more importantly I have discovered some yet more untapped skills to learn in this hobby...soooo much more to learn still...a
 
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D L Ames

New User
D L Ames
I have been following this thread for the last few days but have not contributed since I don't know squat about planes. All I can say is WOW......great posts by all, once again offering solid advice and very informative links to additional resources. To date all I have are two recently purchased Stanley block planes, a 9-1/2 and a 60-1/2. I haven't done much with them yet other than open the boxes they came in and try to make some shavings. I did use the 60-1/2 on a recent project with some success but after reading through these post I realize I have some serious tuning-up to do on both of these planes before I can get serious about using them successfully. Thanks again to all for your advice and pointers to some great resources.

D L
 

Andrew A

Andrew A
User
DL...you have made a great choice with those two block planes...just learn to sharpen the blades well and flatten the planes sole and they will serve you well for a life time..block planes are the easiest to fettle...good luck...a
 

Jay

New User
Jay
I need a little help here. I looked for the veritas planes that someone suggested and couldn't seem to find them. Maybe you could give me an address to look up. I need to get some planes but cannot afford Lie Nielson and do not have the time to go to flea markets and make other such trips to search for old Stanley's any suggestions on affordable planes that aren't a waste of money.
 

Ozzie-x

New User
Randy
As a newbie I was surfing the site and found this thread, and since hand planes are my "thing", I thought I would post a reply. I could go on for days, but will try to be brief. There's a lot of good stuff in all of the thread replies. The thing that stands out is Andrew's advice about sharpening. Learning how to properly sharpen and tune your plane will take you to a new plateu of abilities. When I first discoverd these "correct" methods, I felt like I had uncovered some deep secret that was hiding in plain sight. It's amazing what these planes (and other old tools) will do when properly sharpened set-up. Your work and skills will improve immensely.

As to what planes do you need, like some of the replies said it's a matter of personal preference. If you're going to do work completely by hand, you will need more of a variety than if you're only going to supplement your power machine tools. I've settled on doing most of the work with power tools but have a pretty full compliment of hand tools right there that I use constantly also. Every woodworker should have a sharp properly tuned Stanley #60 1/2, Miller Falls #56, or similar low angle block plane; this is a must for every woodworker. I keep mine in my pocket when I'm working because I use it so much. As someone mentioned, the #5 is a good size general purpose plane that can be adjusted and used for a wide variety of tasks from roughing to smoothing. So, the bare basics would probably be a #60 1/2 and #5. I have a full set of bench planes in the shop, but since I do most of the work with power tools, I find myself mostly using a #608, #606, #4 1/2 and the Lie-Nielsen #2. If you're going to do a lot of drawer, guides and casework, you'll find some of the specialty planes like a #79, #90, #92, #93 and #98 & #99 to be very useful. I also use the Stanley #45 molding/rabbet plane to make mouldings or to match old mouldings. That's the high spots, but we could easily turn this into a semester long course.

As to what manufacturer to buy, the Lie-Nielsens are the cadilacs and by-far the best. Their quality, adjustability and performance are hard to beat. But they're pricey. I haven't used the Veritas but have headr good things about them. The new Stanleys and Records are probably okay but I don't like them. The best value is probably to seek out some of the older planes. The quality and workmanship in the older planes are great, plus you'll also have a collectible. Stanley, Union, Sargent, Miller Falls are the most well known "old" plane mfgrs, and each of these made quality tools. It should be noted that each of them also made some "low end" and inexpenive model tools that are really not suited to fine woodworking. In the Stanleys, I prefer the type 10 (1907)through type 15 (1936) planes. As someone mentioned in one reply, the type 17's (~1942-1946) "war models" are also good because the castings were heavier on this vintage plane and they perform well. The Stanley Bedrock series are great planes and a good value for your dollar versus Lie-Nielsen. (L-N base their designs on the bedrock) The bedrocks perform well and that's the majority of the planes I have in my user set. Some bedrock models are very collectible and expensive like the #602 (~$600) and #605 1/4 (~+$350) and you probably don't want to use those in the shop.

As to where to get them, some of the dealer guys mentioned in the replies are good sources. Ebay is good if you know what you're looking for (and looking out for). Watch for cracked castings, missing parts, etc. There's a bunch of good guys on ebay that are reputable like "oklatrader", "wanderso1", etc. If there's something you're looking for, I may have it, especially in the bench planes size #2 through #8. I'm pretty sure I've crossed the line from "collecting" to "compulsive-obsesive disorder".
 
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