Thread: first jointer plane what to buy

I use a no.5 for most of my edge planing after jointing, if the plane is too long it makes it harder to get a concave edge prior to glue up


Pete

Being longer, the 7 should technically give you a straighter edge, but since you're coming off the jointer anyway you can even go down to a 5 - it's certainly easier on the arms.

Originally Posted by Gaza

looking for my first big hand plane, looking for a jointer / #7 to clean up timber for glue ups as it comes off the jointer or saw to give quick clean up,

#6 or #7 to buy, ?

Either will do fine.

I agree with the sentiment that just about any size plane will remove the ripples left by a rotary cutter, so it hardly matters which you choose, if that's all you intend using it for. I have a planer/thicknesser and use it occasionally to clean up edges, but more often than not I do the whole job by hand, as it usually is just as quick (or even quicker, by the time I remove all the junk piled on the planer, wheel it out where it can be used, hook it up to the dust extractor, then put it back out of my way again! ). Once you own a decent jointer, you may find yourself preferring its quiet, dust-free action for a large proportion of your jointing needs. A #7 suits me to a 'T', so that would be my choice if presented with a 6 & a 7.

And pjt, it's quite easy to put a concavity in a short board with a long plane; just skew it. You really don't need anything more than a single shaving's worth, unless you are in the habit of working with very wet boards. Too much spring can bring its own grief down the track, particularly with thermoplastic glues.....

Cheers,

sounds like #5 or #6 is go, what angle do you recommend ?

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Being longer, the 7 should technically give you a straighter edge, but since you're coming off the jointer anyway you can even go down to a 5 - it's certainly easier on the arms.

Definately don't want to go with the #8 unless you 've got arms like an Orangutan or built like Arnie!

Cheers

I use an 8. I feel like it gets a lot of grief for being unweildy, but I'm a big fan of that whole "object in motion will stay in motion" concept, and the extra mass helps with that. A lot.

Now before we diverge onto the 7 vs 8 topic...

Ian is right. If all you want to do is clean up the machine marks, you don't need a long plane. As a matter of fact, you might want to consider a block plane. It will do exactly what you want, and is also an incredibly useful plane to have around the power tool only shop. Or any shop for that matter...

That said, they call the number 5 a Jack plane for a reason. It's a Jack of All Trades plane. With some understanding of how to set it up and tune it in a variety of ways, it can do most tasks, and cleaning up machine marks is certainly among them. If I were going to own one plane it would be a Jack plane, but, as someone who owns many planes, I wouldn't reach for the jack to clean up machine marks. I would probably reach for the #3 or #4, which, traditionally, are dedicated smoothing planes.

My AU$0.02.

Cheers,
Luke

Originally Posted by John Saxton

Definately don't want to go with the #8 unless you 've got arms like an Orangutan or built like Arnie!

Cheers

Oi! I love my #8. But then I'm built like Arnie. No, wait, it's the other one