Thread: If you could only have one plane.

For just one plane, Lie Nielsen low angle jack with high angle and toothed blades.
Just my opinion for what its worth. I have that plane but with only one blade. I also have about 40 (and growing) other planes so I dont need the other blades (yet, just want them). Everything I have from Lie Nielsen has proven to be of the highest quality. Having said that so has everything from Veritas (Lee Valley planes).

Scott

THanks Scott

I feel honoured that you chose to reply to my question as your first post, despite the probable repetetiveness of the question.

I have a few planes, of various quality - the best of them being a Veritas bevel up smoother, which I love for difficult grain and end grain.

The if-I-could-plane would either be a Hotley 98 Smoother (bevel up) Holtey Classic Handplanes - No.98 Smoother. or the 982 Smoother (bevel down) Holtey Classic Handplanes - No.982 Smoother.

But they don't help towards your question. But for intents and purposes the Veritas does what I want specifically when I want to get all zen like, otherwise I like to burn carbon emissions and turn to the thicky and ROS and make noise.

Yep, your little block plane is great.
Mine lives in the back pocket of my overalls, all the time.
I probably use it more than I should, but it has become an extension of myself.

My 2nd choice would be a Stanley/Record No 2.

Small and light. I have several of these planes.

My other planes, far too many I must admit, come from my boat building trade.

They are special to my work.

Paul.

Bryan

I have a fair range of planes and the two that I favour are a no 5 1/2 Bedrock and a No 6 stanley, Usually I have one set for a cut of decent thickness and the other set very fine for a final polish. If I had to narrow this down to one then it would be a No 6.
It would be nice to buy a Lie Nielsen or one of similar quality. However, don t discount a used older Stanley, and fettle this, with a new 01 or M2 steel blade fitted, this will give you the same performance but teach you a lot about planes and provide a great deal of satisfaction.

Regards & enjoy

Morning all. Happy New Year.

Me? I'd have a Stanley No1 in mint condition in original box.

I could then flog it on ebay for far too much money and be able to buy all the planes I needed.

Cheerio,
Virg.

Originally Posted by Basilg

Bryan

I have a fair range of planes and the two that I favour are a no 5 1/2 Bedrock and a No 6 stanley, Usually I have one set for a cut of decent thickness and the other set very fine for a final polish. If I had to narrow this down to one then it would be a No 6.
It would be nice to buy a Lie Nielsen or one of similar quality. However, don t discount a used older Stanley, and fettle this, with a new 01 or M2 steel blade fitted, this will give you the same performance but teach you a lot about planes and provide a great deal of satisfaction.

Regards & enjoy

Hi Bryan,

In furniture trade, we're trained to use only one plane, a No. 6. Basil's found the same conclusion through trial and error. As well, all the furniture making university degrees also specify a Stanley 5 1/2 or 6 as their preferred bench plane, as do most of the famous UK makers. (David Charlesworth, for example, uses a 5 1/2.)

It's probably no coincidence that the No 6 is the same length as the old wooden bench planes that are around. It's a perfectly sized plane to do most tasks.

The last time I touched a smaller plane was about 12 months ago, but I'm not on the tools alot now.

Going against the overwhelming torrent of internet advice, but the planes that I'd recommend are:

No 6 as a bench plane (This is the one that I'd say is the main plane, and the 'one plane if I had to')

Shoulder plane (This one is a must, but not as critical - between the No. 6 and this one, you can do any job.)
Small smoother - either wooden or metal (No 3 or 4)

All my other planes gather dust. I haven't used a block plane in *years.*

I agree that these wouldn't be useful in boatbuilding, as Paul said. Furniture making is predominantly straight lines, so the length in the plane sole is what's needed in furniture.

The main work you do does, to some extent, dictate the plane that will be useful to you.


CHeers,

eddie

edit: to answer your question on the low angle planes, yes, it is, to some extent and *in my opinion,* marketing hype. They work well on figured grain, especially when skewed. There was a reason for their non-adoption 100 years ago when Stanley issued their original version, I'm unsure of why however. Perhaps the original castings were brittle in the sole, under the blade, where the blade is supported - this would not be an issue in the ductile/malleable iron castings used now.

You can hone a tiny back bevel onto a standard bench plane blade to turn it into a high angle blade for cranky grain.

Just another data point.

My very first handplane was a Stanley 4 1/2.
As my only handplane, I used it for many years for all manner of planing tasks and got to know it very well.
I have often thought that if I could have only one plane then this would be it. It is an old friend after all.
Today however, I think that I would lean towards a Veritas low angle smoother.
It is able to take blades with a variety of bevel angles and it has an adjustable mouth as well. Its size makes it a handy plane for one handed operation and it is extremely well made. Its square sides make it useful on a shooting board.
I am sure that I would pine for a block plane, and that would be my next purchase. I think I could live with just these two.
Cheers
SG

Originally Posted by BryanMc

THis question may well have been asked before but I cant find it, at least not directly. THere are hundreds of threads that dance around the subject a bit. But help from an unbiased expert would help.

I am looking at buying my first serious plane. I already have a stanley block plane that is good for small stuff, trimming etc. and works well enough on end grain.

But the real question is if you had one plane to do it all what would it be?

I have been looking at the LN and LV low angle jack planes and the are presented as the plane that can do most stuff (with the addition of perhaps one additional high angle blade). Is this correct or sales hype?

I have a jointer, thicknesser, jet saw etc, so dont need to joint long boards, but final tuning of joints would be good, followed by smoothing and straightening glued panels. Shooting board use also would be good, and I would like it to make me coffee every hour and 25 min.

Opinions based on others options welcome, but this plane needs to be an heirloom at this price level. My son is 18 months old so not long till I pass it on then.

a little late.

For guality you can`t beat The Lie Neilson, I have a low angle jack plane and save it for my most critical work, if I had to choose one it would be a standard jack plane of their making. The standard jack with it`s chipbreaker seem to work better on uneven grain. When I first started aquiring hand tools years ago I bought Record planes and had to spend many hours on a glass plate to flatten the soles. Once flat they proved to be good tools and I have nearly worn out my jack plane I`ve used it so much. Hope that helps Mike Williams

If you're looking at the L-N and LV low angle jack planes, you're looking at the two most versatile planes out.

In my opinion the LV is the better of the two because it has the lateral ajustment and the side set screws to make adjustment easier (although the L-N looks nicer).

Do buy a spare iron (blade) for higher angles, but don't buy a higher angle iron - instead buy a second 25 degree bevel iron and put on a higher micro bevel (as recommended by Derek C).

Good luck with your decision-making.

Happy New Year all.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

If you're looking at the L-N and LV low angle jack planes, you're looking at the two most versatile planes out.

In my opinion the LV is the better of the two because it has the lateral ajustment and the side set screws to make adjustment easier (although the L-N looks nicer).

Do buy a spare iron (blade) for higher angles, but don't buy a higher angle iron - instead buy a second 25 degree bevel iron and put on a higher micro bevel (as recommended by Derek C).

Good luck with your decision-making.

Happy New Year all.

Cheers, Vann.

I second what Vann said.

The LV is probably the superior - technically. The LN, however, is simply more beautiful. They are both wonderful.

Once again, I wish I had more money...

Cheerio,
sCORCH

Hi Bryan

If you predominantly use power tools, which means you do not need to flatten your boards, and you are looking to clean up saw marks or shoot end grain, then you really could do worse than the Veritas LA Jack.

I like the LN LA Jack as well, but the Veritas is the better plane in a number of ways. Think of the Veritas as akin to a #5 1/2 where the LN is a #5. The extra size also includes more heft and width, which is a positive when shooting ends.

The BU planes are not hype. I think that they are tailor-made for the Australian market, with our interlocked hardwoods. Using a high angle blade in a BU plane is not the same as adding a backbevel to a BD plane - the latter require extra work every time you need to sharpen the blade. And high angles are very necessary - why otherwise did Terry Gordon design his HNT Gordon planes with high beds?

The alternative is the Veritas LA Smoother. I say this one rather than the BU Smoother as the LAS may also be used on the shooting board, while the BUS cannot. The LAS is a fantastic smoother when used with a high angle blade. Frankly I think that you'd be better off with a plane this size as you do not need to be jointing.

Regards from Perth

Derek

THanks Derek and all other people who have put forward their ideas.

I think i am getting closer to a pick.

Derek you said the advantage of the LV versus the LN is the size and heft of the tool, but then suggest that I may be better off with a smoother which is 2-3" smaller and obviously lighter. Not trying to pick falts in your arguement as you know a hell of a lot more than me (ive seen you tool and plane collection on the web), but would this make the LN a good mid point between the LV jack and smoother?

I do predominantly use power tools to prep cut boards etc for jointing panels etc. ( i am an electrician and need to do my part to keep me in a job, sorry darksiders). I do however have the problem that most if not all others have, that despite use of cauls, clamps and everything else I have tried, perfectly jointed boards do not always glue up that way. So i need to smooth, flatten and clean panels after glue up, as well as end grain and trimming to final widths etc.


So the question is the smoothers use is obvious by its name but will a LA jack do just as well at smoothing. Still not having picked jack or smoother, has anyone had experience with the adjuster on the LN smoother (bailey type by its website). It seems fiddly to me and looks a little more touchy on adjustment than the direct drive of the others, as well as adding $30 to a smaller lighter plane than the LN LA Jack.

I do like the look of the LN planes from a purely aesthetic view.

Cheers
Bryan

Hi Bryan

Withiout going into all the details (too long, sorry - you could do a search here), the LN and Veritas are similar on the surface. However, the LN follows the design of Stanley (I have their #62), while Veritas built a new plane based on the idea of the #62. It has several innovations that the LN lacks, and improves on the design significantly.

These changes are even more user-friendly with the LAS. For example, changing blades in the LN is complicated by hanging an extenal "dongle" (adjuster).

All Veritas planes have a depth stop for the mouth, which adjusts more easily than on the LN, and also side screws to help replicate the placement of the blade, support it under load, and act as a fine adjuster.

However, it sounds like you like the looks of the LN, so get that. It is a very good plane nevertheless.

Regards from Perth

Derek