Thread: plane advice - next one to get?

Spanner69,

You need to give us some clues about what it is you want to build.

A Stanley #8 is not much use to someone who builds small boxes and a block plane is not much use to someone who builds house frames.

But proceed very carefully here... once you are bitten by the plane collecting bug you will find ways to convince yourself you need a #7 & #8 no matter how small your projects are

I haven't got any HNT Gordon planes (maybe one day) so I can't really say.....but....neither the Jack or Block kits should be as heavy or as wide (cut) as the 4 1/2. So you should get both of them.

I think your next plane should be a 220 (or similar) block plane, a handy plane to have in the shed.....of all my planes, that's the one that gets the most use.

I reckon a block plane is the next buy - you will always use it on almost every project.

If you are going to flatten and square longer boards by hand, you will need two planes - something set fairly rough to hog off lumps of wood (it can be a scrub plane, or you can set up a jack plane or even a smoother to work like that (Stanley #40 and #5 or #4 /41/2respectively) and something longer to straighten the board (a tryplane or a jointer - #6, 7 and 8 in Stanley numbers) taking a finer shaving and then you want a smoother (Stanley 4 or #41/2) set up to take really fine shavings to finish the surface.

So if your #41/2 is set to take gossamer shavings - use that as your smoother and fill in the other gaps. If it's set to take rough lumps, camber the iron a bit and turn it into your plane for hogging wood.

It might be a slippery slope, but it is fun!

I do not think that I am the best person to answer this but here goes as to what I have done and am doing.

First purchase was a Stanley number 4. Once I sharpen the blade I got very good shaving. Only took me three years or so to get around to do that. The second purchase was a block plane. Ready to go out of the box, so only had to use it. The third was recent and it is a Stanley number 5, I am trying not to take three years to get around to sharpen the blade. The next plane that I am after is a number 7 type plane.

This is the path that I am on. I have come across some wood that I aquired that has some cupping and do not want to prepare this via machines (Jointer and Thicknesser). So I am looking and have been looking for second hand number 7 plane. It is slow but I have time.

I hope this helps and not confuse.

Such good advice from all and sundry.

I am doing small to mid sized projects at themoment so I think I will definitly be getting a smaller block plane ...... something that fits well in the palm.

I also already "need" a trying plane which I am talking to HNT Gordon about.

On that note: I just want to say how brilliant HNT Gordon are. They have been the only people who have consitently replied to my emails and given me usefull information AND photographs.

If their presales service is anything to go by I am sure the quaslity and after sales service will be fantastic.

Right .... I think I will get my self a hogging style plane to take some serious wood off the stock and set up my 4 1/2 to be a smoother for the time being.

Then I will try and get a smaller block plane and .....well keep going .

I have unfortunatly "gone down the path to the dark side" as like above I have had the 4 1/2 for 7 years and only "tuned" it up last year and sharpend the blade earlier this year and am in LOVE with the slience.

I ahve put in a bid for a hand powerd drill press on E-pay.

I am also going to build a bow saw in the near future as well.

Originally Posted by Spanner69

I have unfortunatly "gone down the path to the dark side" as like above I have had the 4 1/2 for 7 years and only "tuned" it up last year and sharpend the blade earlier this year

I thought that I was bad. Ok you win.

Spanner

some more opinion to further confuse you

read this article by Chris Schwarz
http://blog.woodworking-magazine.com...MediumFine.pdf
and get a DVD or two about using hand planes to make stuff
then you'll have a better idea of what you need

Personally, I think a #6 is a good choice for an "all round" plane -- buy a fettled one from Jim Davey or a new premium one,
a #5 is a good second choice, especially if you find a #6 too heavy
and the #5-1/2 is favoured by some whose opinions I respect
which ever plane you buy, have two blades one haevily curved for rapid stock removal, the other for slightly cambered for fine shavings.

then you can go as wild as you like
Block planes
between them, the premium makers (Lie Nielsen and Veritas) make something like 20 different block planes -- I can see very good reasons for owning at least 4 or 5

and you'll need a router plane or 3

and a shoulder plane

and on it goes


Birthdays and Christmas are good reasons to acquire more