Thread: Hand plane advice wanted.

I have had quite a few block planes over the years but have settled these days with two. Both are low angle, one is an old low angle Millers Falls 56 with adjustable mouth (similar to a stanley 220 only far better quality) which I have put a LN A2 blade in and the other is a LN low angle rabbit both work realy well. Low angle I think is better for blocks as a lot of the work with blocks is end grain and I have generaly always picked up the low angles, somtething sub concious. I would look at the LV with the halndle that plugs in the back, once again just makes it a little more versitile. (Or the LNs I do realy love my rabbit) I have the LV LAJ with varios blades, haven't had it long but do realy like using it. I know with just these two planes I could earn my living without too many issues.

Errr.....since block planes are by definition bevel up, is there any reason you wouldn't just buy a low angle one (e.g. Veritas) plus one extra blade ground at a higher angle???

My Veritas LAJ has blades for all occasions - a standard angle blade (O1) with slight camber for general surface planing, a high angle (A2) blade also with slight camber for nasty grain, plus one standard blade (A2) ground dead straight for edge jointing.

One plane to rule them all?

A small block plane gets into a lot of places you can't get the LAJ and a lot of the time I only need a small plane I can hold with one hand. A quick champher here and there a little trim there. Depends what you make, I almost always have a block plane on the bench when I'm working.

I have read throught all the replies and must admit after getting my first plane to do a small job I got the bug I now have a collection of planes some that have been restored and some to be done. I was reading and article in the Australina WW about a chap that has 400+ record planes. Truely amazing.

Cheers

Agreed, Vann is on the money with his 3 plane recommendation.

The LV LA Jack you can use on a shooting board, the LV LA Smoother you can't.

I'll add a complication.
I recently got the HNT Gordon Jack which can be used as a smoother by turning around the blade. Definately recommended, a cost effective way to get two really great tools.

How does a timber bodied plane compare to a steel bodied plane??

Originally Posted by Rattrap

How does a timber bodied plane compare to a steel bodied plane??

The steel bodied planes are naturally heavier and as a result have more heft.
Zelk

Thanks Zelk, i've had very limited experience with steel bodied planes but that makes sense.

Originally Posted by Clinton1

The LV LA Jack you can use on a shooting board, the LV LA Smoother you can't.

Err, not quite....

The LV Low Angle Smoother (with 2' iron) can be used for shooting. It's the LV Bevel Up Smoother (with the 2 1/4" irons same as the LAJ) that you can't shoot with (rounded sides). Lee Valley (Veritas) are just so confusing...

Rattrap, sorry I can't help with recommendations for blockplane angles. I'm fairly new to blockplanes myself. Though I think what Brush says makes sense:

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

...since block planes are by definition bevel up, is there any reason you wouldn't just buy a low angle one (e.g. Veritas) plus one extra blade ground at a higher angle???

Cheers, Vann.

This topic is is a lot of fun

I have a few planes and know I'll be buying more, maybe even trading some out over time as my work practices evolve.

Van has said it very well but I'll embelish slightly

If you are going to go for a small volume starter set then I would suggest:

1) the Veritas (Lee Valley) Low Angle Jack (the best all round plane on the market in my view)

2) a block plane either Veritas (Lee Valley) or Lie Nielsen,

3) a hack plane for rough timber, I'd suggest an auction site/vintage tool market/garage sale Stanley No. 4 (the number 5 would be better in function but they reach ridiculous prices these days)

4) a Stanley 151 spoke shave, again from an auction site/tool market/garage sale.

Once you want to be a little more "set up" I'd add:

5) The Veritas bevel up smoother

6) The Veritas bevel up jointer

7) The veritas Medium shoulder plane

You can swap blades between 1) 5) and 6) allowing you a range of angles for different tasks and timber types.

This collection isn't what I have but if I were starting from scratch today it's what I'd get. I collected mine over time and they are a hodge-podge of eras and sizes. For example I have a stanley number 8 (probably my favourite) and number 7. They have subtley different uses but I think the Veritas Bevel-up jointer would more than substitute for the pair. I also have several different smoothers but I would be happy with the Veritas Bevel-Up Smoother for the great majority of my work in that category.

I have recommended a couple of second hand purchases so I'd be remiss if I didn't add to be extremely cautious in purchasing second hand tools. The prices asked by some vendors are quite opportunistic, some of the tactics used are not what I consider to be ethical either. Shop around and follow prices for a period before making a purchase.

Cheers

Horaldic

Thanks for chipping in Horaldic. I have to say, i'm still very much in the power tool camp even with my desire to own a couple of hand planes. So far my handplane experience has been far from successful which is why i am much more comfortable with power tools. However i do believe that with a bit of practice & a lot of reading on just how to use & sharpen handplanes that could easily change. There is something tangible or tactile about using a handplane, & of course there's none of that awful noise too. I recon for now i'll start with the Veritas low angle jack & block planes that i linked earlier, i'll wait till the 'hand tool essentials' book that RossM recommended to arrive & i've had a good read before i do anything.

Originally Posted by Rattrap

I have to say, i'm still very much in the power tool camp even with my desire to own a couple of hand planes. So far my handplane experience has been far from successful which is why i am much more comfortable with power tools. However i do believe that with a bit of practice & a lot of reading on just how to use & sharpen handplanes that could easily change. There is something tangible or tactile about using a handplane, & of course there's none of that awful noise too.

I recon for now i'll start with the Veritas low angle jack & block planes that i linked earlier, i'll wait till the 'hand tool essentials' book that RossM recommended to arrive & i've had a good read before i do anything.

Hi Rattrap
I'm going to take an almost completely different tack

For a power tool user, I think the best "starter" planes are those you would use in conjunction with the corded tools. To that end I think you should start with

a plane for use on a shooting board -- you can use a LA Jack or a #4, #5, #5½ or #6, but my preference is the #9. I really like the heft of the LN version -- once started no end grain I've tried it with, including Jarrah, will stop it.

a plane for adjusting joints -- here the #9 is again useful for levelling the joint between the rails and styles
then I'd add a shoulder or rebate plane, I find the smaller sizes most useful

block planes are very useful because they can be used one handed

If your aim is for one plane that can do many things, then it's got to be a LA jack or a bed rock version of the #5, #5½ or #6 -- the bedrock version because the frog can be adjusted without dismantling the plane menaing you spend most of your time using the plane to remove wood, rather than fiddling with the adjustments. The bedrocks don't come up all that often on the Australian 'bay, but Jim Davey often has fettled Stanleys for sale. and of course Lie Nielsen has new ones

by way of partial explanation, at Tech I'm currently building a curve fronted cabinet using veneered chip board. Power tools are used almost exclusively for this project, but a block plane was very useful for trimming the solid wood edgeing flush with the board surface, then a #6 or #9 and a shooting board was essential for trimming the solid wood construction rails to exact length (i.e. within 0.1mm). But the most useful plane so far has been a Record #020 compass plane. The curved front is cut using a template and router -- but in my case the plantation grown Tassie Oak in the construction rail experienced some very deep tear out. Twenty minutes work with the compass plane -- which included queuing to get the plane from the store and sharpening the blade -- fixed the tear out and ensured that the top and bottom of the cabinet had the same curvature.

G'Day Rattrap

Yeah, I understand where you are coming from. I use a mix of different tools depending on the circumstances. It mostly comes down to using power tools for their convenience and time saving and hand tools for the enjoyment. I, along with many others, get a lot of joy using properly set up hand tools.

If I am making something as a gift or to use myself I'll try to do as much by hand as possible. This introduces a different quality to the finished piece. It's not commercially viable, I don't know of many folks willing to value the fact that I might have hand dimensioned the timber, for example. However, the finished piece has more of me in it and there is a certain quality that comes from a completely hand made item; even if it's only the rack that holds my mallets.

Ian has raised some good points too, if he is describing the way you want to work then you should consider that path.

I should add two further points that I forgot to add earlier. The first is that in order to wield hand planes in a satisfactory manner you need a decent bench. This will enable you to hold your work steady. If you don't have a bench suitable for holding the pieces of timber, carcases and semi-finished furniture in all the different ways you will be working then your hand plane experience is going to be very frustrating.

OTOH a bench is a great project. It'll help you get to grips with techniques and skills you'll use for the rest of your woodworking life. I'm hoping to pass mine on to a grandchild when I can no longer use it. Maybe around my 95th birthday or something

The second is that if you don't like sanding and the dust it generates then hand tools can make your woodworking experience so much better you'll wonder why you ever did it any other way. I used to pretty much run all my timber through the planer and thicknesser and then assemble the projects sanding as necessary. It used a lot of sandpaper and generated a lot of noise and dust not to mention the time it chewed up.

My revelation came when I saw the finish a hand made infill smoother gave to a piece of fiddle-back blackwood. The stuff was just glowing. There is no way sandpaper could give that quality of finish.

Anyway, it's late and I'm rambling.

Best of luck

Horaldic

Good rambles all.

A necessary part of the slippery slope is means of shaping and honing the cutting edge; that's a whole new topic and set of kit. For it you will need to set aside a decent amount of moolah and some time to read up and learn. Sorry.

Though it can be addictive.

ADDED:

Yes, key is what you need to do, as has been posted.

If plain carpentry, stick with a power planer is my advice.

If fine cabinetry, I can give you the name of an addiction counsellor ;-}