Thread: Choosing hand planes

Know of a bloke who has almost every Stanley plane from No2 through not one has ever been used. He uses his old No4 for every thing

Nick - I think he puts it reasonably well; you could quibble over the odd statement here or there, but in the main it's a good, no-nonsense primer for anyone starting out. It would have helped me when I began - I was convinced you had to have at least one of every single size from #1 to #8 before you could be a real woodworker. Then I started to discover all those specialty planes - there was no end to it! Fortunately, I couldn't afford to start buying up, back then, or I might have ended up with a shelf full of unused planes like Wheelin's friend.

I think his recommendations for 'starter sets' is on the money, p'raps because for years I had only a #5 and a 110 block (the most basic block plane it's possible to make, I think). With those in my kit I managed to make a few items that are still around & in use......

He does say it at one point, but maybe could have emphasised it more, that you should choose the plane from each group according to your own size/strength, & how it feels in use. Unfortunately, it takes a bit of using before you know for sure - hefting it in the shop wil give you a rough idea, but you need to make a few piles of shavings to really get to know the beast. So anyone who gets serious about planes, inevitably ends up doing a bit of horse-trading before arriving at the perfect stable (perfect for them, that is!).

I notice he studiouly avoids even mentioning that there are two ways the blade bevel can go.....

Cheers,

My first plane was a no 4 which I bought quite a few decades ago because I thought everyone used one of those. It stood me in good stead for many years. Lately I have been using my no 7 more and more. With a fine adjustment it can plane as smoothly as any other plane I have.

I now have a reasonable collection of planes, most of which I use from time to time, but there is one plane that I have not found yet. That is one that is comfortable to use one handed, to arris an edge for example. The small block plane is OK, and is good for getting into awkward spaces, but not perfectly comfortable to hold because it is so small. The no 4 is possible but again a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps there is a small wooden plane that is the answer?

I also agree with the article.

As Ian pointed out, financial limitations have kept my hand plane collection at the bare minimum. For the past 4 years (since I took up this hobby) I have managed to get away with a #6, #4, a block plane and a few specialty planes such as router, rabbet and plough planes.

Although I have fanticised about increasing my collection I have not had the necessity to do so. In the not-to-distant future I'll be spending money on replacing my existing planes with higher qualtiy ones rather than filling the gaps.

Regards,

Denim.

I had a 4 1/2 for a long time and barely used it - basket of a thing . Bought it new in the late 1970s - nice plastic handles

Then I read a few posts on this forum and fettled it and discovered the joy of a reasonably well set up plane. Have picked up a couple here and there since

I wish I'd seen the article in the beginning, I'd also like one on saws, chisels, etc etc

Originally Posted by tonyw

I now have a reasonable collection of planes, most of which I use from time to time, but there is one plane that I have not found yet. That is one that is comfortable to use one handed, to arris an edge for example.

A number 3 is the one handed plane that I use for something larger than a block plane. A number 2 is too small for my big hands so I don't have one of those.
Strangely the 3 is about the same length as the 4 but narrower. It must be this reduced mass that makes it so comfortable to use one handed..
Having said that, there are some large-ish block planes out there that would be my first choice for chamfering an edge.
Cheers
SG

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

......I wish I'd seen the article in the beginning, I'd also like one on saws, chisels, etc etc

SM - I've been thinking about doing something similar on small saws for some time, but it keeps getting put aside for other projects. Back-saws are certainly another of those tools that bamboozle beginners and even moderately experienced wood hackers. I think most quickly cotton on to the distinction between cross cutting and ripping, but how do you make sense of the bewildering variety of lengths, widths weights & numbers of teeth? This is not helped in the least by an inconsistent naming system - names like tenon, dovetail, sash-tenon and so on are applied, but try & find consistent definitions of what makes one or the other!

I would like to propose a few simple criteria you can look at to choose a saw that is ideal for the task. Forget about names, what matters is overall size of saw, plate gauge, tpi and the bit you hang onto, and these can be lumped into rough categories as our friend has done for bench planes.

Just as with planes, you can make almost anything work, but the sheer delight(not to mention accuracy) you get from a tool that best fits your style and work mode is a revelation.

Well, it was to me.....

Cheers,

Ian

tend to agree

Lashed out last year and got a set of the veritas backsaws - quantum leap in regard to anything I'd tried before and I'm sure (after reading some of your and others posts) that there are a lot better then those available.

But I'm happy at the moment, but would dearly love to make my own at some stage, maybe using one of those cheap kits from, say, Wenzloff but I need time and to know more about my style and the use I'd put one to (gawd that's bad grammer)

Nick, you are well on your way, then. I've used the Veritas saws and they are excellent bang for buck, I agree. The law of diminishing returns cuts in pretty savagely with saws, I reckon - you can pay a lot more for saws that are only a small improvement on the Veritas...

I guess you saw Derek Cohen's post on putting a kit together - the Wenzloff kits seem like very good value for money, and a very good way to get a saw that suits you -you can muck about with handles as long as you wish. I found it a long journey to get where I am with back saws, and probably still have as far to go, but it wasn't too hard to make a saw that felt pretty good to use. Consistent sharpening still eludes me - some days it seems to be a breeze, others.....

Cheers,

[QUOTE=Perhaps there is a small wooden plane that is the answer?[/QUOTE]

The name Krenov comes immediately to mind if you want to make it yourself

Or a little chinese woody

Neil

Originally Posted by brontehls

The name Krenov comes immediately to mind if you want to make it yourself
...

Neil

Thanks Neil. I have been wanting to try my hand at making a plane. A good start might be a Hock blade and one of their plans to use as an initial guide.

Tony

Originally Posted by tonyw

Thanks Neil. I have been wanting to try my hand at making a plane. A good start might be a Hock blade and one of their plans to use as an initial guide.

Tony

Tony, I was going to suggest rolling your own too, but got sidetracked yakking about saws (apologies for the hijack. ). Making a plane by the lamination method is very straightforward, and hardly needs a plan, but it will help you with the one critical part of the construction (in my experience), which is the position of the cross-piece that holds the blade-retaining wedge. It has to be set so that it holds the wedge firmly against the business end of the cutter, but doesn't get in the way of shavings. If you use a wooden bar, don't make it too fat. I didn't appreciate this aspect at all when I made my first laminated body, and the result was a real choker. I decided I don't like the standard wooden-crosspiece Krenov design, and much prefer the solid body style, but that probably seems too daunting for your first plane build. It isn't as difficult as it looks, but it is a lot more trouble getting the blade bed straight & flat because you have to work in a confined space. With the laminating method, you cut the bed & smooth it before assembly.

I highly recommend that every keen woodworker makes at least one plane in their lifetime, as it's a quick way to learn the fundamentals of 'planery'. My first couple weren't brilliant due to the above-mentioned, plus other flaws, but they did work after a fashion, and I've gone on to make several planes that I use daily. Making a plane (or any tool) that fits your hands & needs has got to be one of the more satisfying exercises, I think. If you don't get it bang-on first try, it's not a disaster - the blade is re-useable, & there's only a couple of $$s worth of wood in a small plane, even if you buy fancy stuff...

Cheers,

and if it is a little daunting to make your first from scratch then this chap will sell you a kit
link here
I made one and it turned out ok

I tuned up a Mathison wooden fore plane a while ago after reading a Robert Wearing book on basic woodworking and I must admit that its now my goto plane for most work now.Easy to set , easy to sharpen and with good ergonomics to stave off the arthritis a bit longer. I sometimes use my 3, a 78, a big ECE jointer and a 103 thats a real sweetheart of a plane, but most of the Stanleys are now just gathering dust.