You have to start making things for her Duane. It's much easier after that. There used to be lots of old planes to be had in used stores/flea markets. I don't know if that's still the case or not. Most just need a severe sharpening, which is probably why the last owner decided to part with it. While they won't work quite as well as a new Veritas or Lie Nielson, they are also just a fraction of the price. I've gotten a few good ones off ebay fairly cheap. You gotta watch shipping costs on them though.

 

Duane:
I don't have 200 of them , but I've got a few. Older Stanley's, #4, #5, #6 - never found a #7 that was reasonably priced and a couple of block planes. My planes weren't that expensive - some bought new a number of years ago, some at flea markets.

What I did buy new was a Hock blade (cost more than the planes I've got) - keep it sharpened and works a charm. If you go that route, they come in different sizes, so you have to make sure it will fit the plane you get.

I can't see spending hundreds of dollars on Veritas or Lie-Nielsen, at least not for me. Someone who uses it every day might disagree.

If you go the used route, make sure the body isn't cracked, and the sole is flat (or you can flatten it yourself with a bit of work) and that all the parts work. There's a bit more to it than that but that's a start.

If you want to do some reading, this is a pretty extensive site that goes into the history of Stanley planes, the differences in the various years made, etc. It's a long read, but for me it was interesting. It will also tell you what to look for in the way of used planes.

The Superior Works - Patrick's Blood & Gore: Preface

 

I have 4 generations of planes... of all of them the Veritas are my go to tools..

which 30$ planes are you looking at??...

A LA block for a 1st plane is a very good start...
you know you can make your own planes???
buying a plane is a hands on deal...
comfort is #1...
flat/true soles, better irons, ease of fine adjustment, heft are #2...

but lets take a different tact... (save your money for a good plane at a later date)
get yourself a sur-form plane w/ a micro bale... (blades come in 4 grades.. shave to dig a hole)...
use the fine or medium blade for what you are doing.. perfect...
10/12 bucks and yur golden...
up grade to a file/rasp for another 5/6 dollars...
.
.

 

+1 on the block plane for the first one.
When I was contracting I always carried one with me in my tool belt, when we got down to the finishing stage. (I retract the blade when not actually using it; religiously!)

 

@vchiarelli...
great site.. thanks....

years of garage sale have produced some winners... like a #8... 25$...
wish I could that again...

next time you need an iron look to LeeValley less money than Hock and maybe a bit better...
every economical plane I have ever used or had, had iron issues.. some would go dull because because you stopped sharpening them...

 

Agreed, block plane first, then a jack plane (#5 or #62 for low angle) after that. I have a pretty good spread between vintage planes (some over 100 years old!) and new ones for Lie-Nielsen & Lee Valley. If budget is an issue, do some homework first on vintage planes (it is very easy to over pay for some), and then start looking through E-Bay, Antique Stores, Flee Markets, Garage Sales, Auctions, etc to get them.

As you start collecting planes, continue to do your research, as there are cases where you are better off buying new. I spent a good year searching for a vintage router plane, that was complete with no missing parts. They would frequently sell for $100-$150+ (not counting shipping costs) on E-Bay, and complete ones are almost non-existent elsewhere. I ended up getting the Veritas from Lee-Valley with the fence for $150.

 

Thank you for the replies so far. For me, I am a "buy it new" guy so it will have to be new. I also just don't have the time to go yard sale shopping looking for a deal on one, nor the desire to restore one after I find it.

One person asked which ones I was looking at. None specifically, I just did a fast Amazon search for a rough idea of pricing, and saw anywhere from $20 up to $100 and higher. $20-30 sounds appealing to me obviously, especially for a tool that will see little use based on my style and project choices. I would use a plane when it is the best took for the job, or maybe the only one that would work, but otherwise if there was another way I wouldn't choose a plane to work with. I've honestly never understood how some people can use one to flatten a board and talk about how enjoyable it is. I'm far more interested in building and using a router jig to do that with if needed. Using planes to do a lot of work makes it seem too much like "work".

 

go w/ the sur-form...
problem solved...

 

Duane; there's nothing quicker than a block plane to ease a board edge. If it's right beside you on your workbench, and it's sharp, you'll use it a lot!
I've been known to pull the blade out and use it to 'scrape' a fuzzy bit of grain that's causing me grief. Bad practice, know...

 

As someone who has nearly no experience with one, can you explain easing a board edge?

Also, I do the scraping thing with a chisel as well. I have a set from 1/4" all the way up to 2" wide.

 

after you machine a board there are sharp right angle corners (face to edge)... easing an edge is putting a micro chamfer on it to get rid of the sharpness, improve esthetics and alleviate splintering...

 

Oh yeah, I remember you telling me about this. I just didn't connect the name to the action. Now, my next question is, wouldn't a palm router and a chamfer bit do the same? Might not be as fast so I guess a plane would be better there. Knowing me, I'd somehow cut too deep whereas a router would be more consistent.

 

Alright, I just went and looked at some planes on youtube to see what the differences were. I have to say I was impressed with what I saw and I learned a few things. First, I never even knew there was such a thing as a jointer plane. That thing is huge.

I saw the guy skewing the planes as he used them, no matter what he was doing (except on the jointer plane). Does this make them cut better?

What do all the numbers mean? I am overwhelmed by this alone. Seems there are many many numbers involved with these (Stanley #295, and so on).

Before I ask any more questions, I am going to go read some of the PFD's Stick posted in another thread. Maybe what I want to know will be in one of them.

I guess I should know this by now, to keep my mouth shut until I have more information. I tend to leap first and then look. It's a bad habit. Disregard my earlier comments about not caring for planes. I may have made a rash decision without doing enough research first (no, surely not! Me?).

 

Duane; it's so much faster to just grab the plane and do it...no cords, no changing bits, and delicious hand control!
Picture yourself up on a step ladder, and you need to touch up the end of a board that you're trying to install.
On the skewing thing, you'd be slicing across the fibres instead of hitting them head on. With a razor sharp blade probably not a huge difference on most woods, but on the difficult stuff, like a hot knife through butter. Less force required which means you have better hand control.
A plane isn't better than a router, they're complimentary. You need both (and lots of 'em!)

 

One question I have to ask now. At my most basic comprehension of planes, the blade or iron always extends slightly below the sole, which is dead flat, right? So, how is it that this will ever make a board completely flat? It looks like if you keep sliding it on the wood surface, it will just keep cutting, and cutting, and continue to cut, and cut some more, if you don't know just when to stop making passes. Looks like on a broad surface, much broader than the plane itself, that you would have "puddles" develop if you weren't consistent and have a feel for what you are doing. This thought here is what has prevented me from getting into planes as a form of woodworking. I figured I'd make it worse instead of better, and it would be so much work to ever get a board right that I'd be hopelessly frustrated. Can someone clear this up for me?

 

In the most basic form. The sole bridges the cut area of the blade. you could certainly cut a groove if you left it in one spot. However, that is not how to properly use a plane.

There are three basic categories of planes, Jointers, Jacks and Smoothers. Some planes do double duty and overlap in the functions. Jacks are the workhorse for hoging out material, usually #4, #5 and #6. Jointers are used for a more refined surface and are the longer planes, usually #6, #7, and #8. The Smoothers are the smaller soled planes for that final finishing touches, usually #2, #3, and #4. (Notice the overlaps).

The numbering system above is a basic Stanley (Bailey) numbering system. Other mfgs. use different numbers for the same, comparable, planes.

Lots of good info on the NET for details.

Hope this helps

GET A BLOCK PLANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bill

 

It's only the blade that sticks down below the sole, and the cut is to the point that the plane is riding on the sole. That's why the planes come in different lengths. A jointer plane has a very long sole which bridges the low spots aloowing only the high spots to be hit by the blade. Eventually the whole surface is flat and the sole rides evenly across the entire surface.
But yes, you're right, if you don't stop at that point, the board will just get thinner. The key is really the depth of cut, and knowing when to quit.
I learned all this stuff as a pimply kid in Gr. 8 woodworking; I'm guessing it wasn't that difficult considering what (who) the teacher had to work with...

 

@schnewj...

Bill, power cord replacement...
10 or 15' extension cords are the ticket... go to 25's if the length merits it...

cut the female end off and install it...
bright colors, wear better and being more flexible are pluses...
2 or 3 conductor cords in 16 or 14 gauge are cheaper than OEM...

 

Stick,

You hit the nail on the head as usual. I always go heavier gauge and longer if merited. I have a 15" cord on one router...and it has come in handy. Beats a 6-8' OEM cord all to hell.

Cords, switches and strain reliefs are cheap. I have seen people pass up good tools because the cords were dry rotted or the strain reliefs or switches were broken. A screw driver, cord/relief, or switch and 10 minutes fixes that problem. CHEAP!

I don't hesitate to buy used. I have never been burnt on a tool. I feel that if it goes south I have parts worth more then what I paid for the tools. I've yet to have one quit! I can fix just about anything if I have the right parts. Unfortunately, not everyone is mechanically inclined and able to do that.

I think a lot of folks miss out on excellent tools because they are "used" and take the tact, that, they are worn out. In reality, I see a lot of tools that were, gifts that/or got little or no use with a lot of life left in them. You just have to know the difference and what to look for when you buy.

Bill

 

While you are thinking of buying a plane, you best consider how you are going to re-sharpen it (because you could only use it as a hammer when its dull and I assume you have one of those). Of course there are many cost flavors of doing this task and lots of how-to information out there. I do make lots of use of a $25 flea market special (Stanley) but it did need sharpening and a new $35 handle. I only have 4 planes (and not really room for those) and I would love one of those high end planes but I wouldn't use that one to practice my sharpening techniques on. :smile:

 

because at a later time Duane is seriously going to consider this...

Veritas® Mk.II Honing Guide System - Lee Valley Tools

 

has anybody mentioned that the blade sticks out of the sole about the thickness of a piece of paper or less...

 

I wish someone would "mention" how to reliably and repeatably set this adjustment. I hate this aspect of plane usage - it takes me forever to get it "just right". And each plane has it quirks I've tried "fixturing" this setting ... adjusting the plane blade setting on a flat piece of wood laminated (except where the blade was) with laminating film in one case with no real luck. I still have to "eyeball / trial & error" it - my eyes are getting worse, my patience less.

 

On easing edges:
One place I worked at had a painter doing the lacquer finishes who was one of the better I seen. Before he finished anything he would go over all the edges with a sanding sponge to get rid of any sharp edges. I asked him why once and this is how he explained it.

Paints and top coat finishes have surface tension that helps level the finish as it dries. If you have a sharp corner the finish will pull itself away from it as it is pulling from only one direction. If the corner has been eased then the finish will pull from both directions as it goes around the corner even if the radius is quite small. This means you'll get a thicker more uniform film at the edges of your piece.

 

ahhhhhhhhhhh a slippery slope it is indeed my friend

application, choosing, sharpening, maintaining and use...ya just can't beat a properly tuned hand plane..

I've several planes now, and enjoy using them all, but my favorite is just a lil ole apron plane from Lee Valley..(veritas)

a word of warning however.. they can be addictive. You start pulling those .003 shavings off of hard maple like butta...
there ain't no turnin' back..

(((when you get to the point that you can do that, you've earned your stripes and you'll know what a hand
plane is all about)))

 

@schnewj, @Stick486, and others

This thread is the Reader's Digest of handplane use. It should be read by anyone who has either never used a plane, or has poo-pooed their use.

@Danivan

I've got the Veritas® Mk.II Honing Guide - wouldn't be without it. Tried a cheaper version, didn't work, and free-hand was a disaster as well.

Duane - I use a block plane to ease edges, but I've also used sandpaper to soften them.

Quite frankly, a hand plane is another tool in a woodworker's arsenal. I'm not a neanderthal but I have made small tables without the use of any electric tools. And the upside - no need to wear hearing protection

 

@Duane Bledsoe....

long range plan...
block plane...
bench plane..
shoulder plane...
but for you...
but for a life time...

and that Mk II will help get you chisels so sharp you'll be afraid to enter the room they're in...

there'a a thread here on the Mk II I started but I can't find it...

 

Several years ago, Stanley introduced its 'new' line of planes. They suffered horribly from quality control issues, primarily machining issues. Not to mention that handle was like grabbing a axe handle.. *L* Wood River introduced a line of planes that suffered the same machining issues. The line bombed.. but they stuck with it, made corrections and today the Wood River lineup is an excellent choice for mid priced hand planes. Look for the V3 (version 3) lineup. Miles and miles ahead of the Buck Brothers and Craftsman type of planes, a distant third to Lee Valley (veritas) and Lie Nielsenz..but a fine plane none the less..especially for the money

 

the irons on a WR's is a bit ''soft'' IMO but they sharpens easily and well....
agreed on standing...

 

I'm guessing that the irons is one of the corners they cut to come in at a given price point.. still not a bad iron..

 

this would be a good place for Duane to shoot to...
all V3's....

Buy WoodRiver Ultimate Block Plane Set at Woodcraft.com
Buy WoodRiver Ultimate Cabinet Maker's Kit at Woodcraft.com

 

I like that about WR... the sets they package...

the cabinets makers kit is an excellent starter...only problem I see with em is that the irons will need a bit of
attention out of the box... LV just a little honing and LN good to go right out of the box...