Hand planer

[Chevythunderman]

What is a good/best hand plane to buy for my first hand plane? I have purchased and regretted ever since a harbor freight set that does not work well. I have sharpened the blades in them so sharp that they will split hairs and still will not work the way they should. They keep slipping the blades and will not adjust out right. I've been looking on eBay and there are a bunch of different ones and I don't want to waste my money on another junk or not worth the time to fix it planer. I need one to shave the sides down on my blanks. Or maybe a better idea than a planer is what i should be using. My band saw is not tall enough to cut the sides of the blank down and I just assume a planer would work the best.

 

[MSW]

Travis B, I hear your pain - or, rather, your frustration. You should go back to your high school and demand a refund for (a) not teaching you basic "shop," because that's icky working class stuff and you won't need that when you go to college or (b) doing a very poor job. I suspect the former.

There are handplane forums on the web, many of which are pretty good. if you have a ton of money to spend, you should check out the Lee Neilsen planes, here:
https://www.lie-nielsen.com/nodes/4065/bench-planes

or, if you have a boatload of money, check out Lee Valley, here:
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=44751&cat=1,41182,48944&ap=1

otherwise, check out the flea bay type websites for a Stanley #4 or #4 1/2 plane. I would recommend that you lurk at the hand plane websites for a bit, so you know what to look for and what to avoid - there are some pitfalls, as in anything bought 'sight unseen.' There are some good bargains to be had, but you may also end up with a plane with moss in the frog (yes - don't ask me how I know).

here's a quick version on how to restore a plane: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=44751&cat=1,41182,48944&ap=1

if you can get to a woodworking show, or if you know anyone who does cabinetry, you can get them to show you how a plane works. once started, however, you may find it difficult to stop, and you may end up with a bunch of planes which you have lovingly restored. this is not a bad thing - once you see what sort of finish you can get with a plane (as opposed to sandpaper) you'll understand what all the fuss is about.

good luck in your search for plane happiness - it's worth the effort to know how to use tools with no power cord

 

[Chevythunderman]

I agree on the tools without cords. All one has to do is look at the old guns from PA and admire there beauty and then think that was all done without power tools or in todays world everyone wanting to use dremel tools to do everything. I'm kind of a traditionalist so I like to do everything the old way. It may take a little longer but in the end it gives me great satisfaction to look at something you've made with your own two hands...

I'll check out some of the forums and see what I can learn. Thanks for the info I greatly appreciate it.

 

[Dane]

Planes are one of those things that follow that age old rule......you get what you pay for.
Stanley sweethearts are probably the least expensive, working plane. With a good bed, a thick blade to eliminate chatter, and repeatable adjustments, they work well.
You can pay a lot more.

 

[Supercracker]

You can get a restorable Stanley #4 (I have a #3 and prefer it, slightly smaller)for less than 20.00 on fleabay. An afternoons work and it will work like it did when it was new. If you want to splurge, you can buy an O1 Hock iron for it for about 50.00 and it will be as good a plane as you can get for less than a house payment.

 

[bob308]

I have Stanley plains from a number 3 thru a 7 just can not find that elusive 8. but then I only go to flea markets and auctions. get on you tube. and look for the woodwrites shop. they will show what the different plains are for and how to use them and sharpen them. I have gotten into the hand wood working too.

 

[ehoff]

The older Stanley planes are easy to find. I have picked up good ones at auctions, flea markets, and yard sales. My two most used ones for gun building are a No. 4 smoothing and a No. 9 1/2 block plane.

 

[44-henry]

You can pretty much forget anything made in the last 40 years (except for some high end exceptions). Shop at garage sales, thrift stores, and places like Etsy and Ebay and you will find some good, old, planes that can be easily restored to give first rate service. Just stay away from ones with serious issues like cracked soles and heavily pitted blades, if you stay away from collector grade pieces in pristine condition you can get a lot of (restore able) tool for your money and end up with something that will put most current production models to shame.

I have many planes, but probably use a #4 and a small block plane the most. I also am a big fan of spokeshaves and much prefer the wood body versions to the all metal variety. Properly tuned a good spokeshave is a joy to use, though you have to watch what your doing as it is so easy to use and fun to play with you can take too much off before you realize it.

 

[Chevythunderman]

I was wondering about the spokeshave if it would work good for this type of work. I have a new Stanley trim plane and it works great for little stuff, its just not big enough for the work I'm doing now. Like any other tool if you don't know how to adjust it or use the right tool properly you'll end up messing everything up. The problem I keep having is the bigger plane I have now is chattering or not cutting at all. And I have micro adjusted this thing and it seems like its nothing or chattering. I have sharpened it till it cuts hairs and it doesn't change anything (other than chattering more).

 

[crockett]

I've made a couple, small ones. One had an elongated bit for grooving the underside of the fore stock for the ramrod. Just a wedge fit on the blade- pretty crude. I've been told you can get flat bar stock and then epoxy glue wood parts above it- laminate style, and make a plane. If I ever have to have a really long plane I'll probably try that.

 

[eggwelder]

re-read your post. my answer not applicable

 

[19 16 6]

You can pretty much forget anything made in the last 40 years (except for some high end exceptions).

This is pretty much the truth.
In my work I have regular cause to use a hand plane & my favourite one is an old Millers Falls No 56 low angle block plane. It is one handed 6" long in the sole & 1 3/4 wide with a 1 3/8 cut.

I very much like the planes that Veritas of Canada offer & I have some of those but not a low angle block plane. They do make them in a 6"x2" & I consider them worth a look. They are a high end job.

Lie-Nielsen Tool Works Inc. USA also make a very nice low angle block plane in that size. $$$$

I say low angle because the blade being set at a 12 degree angle to the work makes them cut so lovely & clean without chatter.
O.

 

[Grumpa]

Travis B, I hear your pain - or, rather, your frustration. You should go back to your high school and demand a refund for (a) not teaching you basic "shop," because that's icky working class stuff and you won't need that when you go to college or (b) doing a very poor job. I suspect the former.

Alas, all too true. Many of us were shortchanged in our education, and not taught shop skills that would have given us much practical knowledge, and
served us for a lifetime of enrichment and satisfaction.

To be able to work with wood and metal, and create a firearm that functions well, and is aesthetically pleasing....

 

[Chevythunderman]

We did the very minimum in our shop class. Everything I've learned as been hands on. Our kids now are at such a disadvantage when coming to learning a trade such as woodworking and a number of other things that are way too long and complicated to post on here... If we don't learn how to do things with our hands and appreciate what we can make with simplistic means then it won't be long and we will be left with a bunch of young people who will only want to make things with computers and find the fastest way to make something and craftsmanship will be lost forever!!


now as I step off of my soapbox I think I will try and find me a low angle plane on ebay or the likes. I've been looking at them pretty hard since I started this topic and the comment of no chatter has me intrigued and after looking at the design it looks like it would be well suited for what I'm trying to do.

 

[eggwelder]

keep in mind that low angle is not meant for highly figured woods. it will tear out a great deal, high angle is best for those beautiful woods. low angle is the best thing for plain straight grains. a Stanley 118 is a good choice for a block plane. looks cheap but well worth the bad looks. check the sole for straight as with any plane, and when using, cut with the grain.
my 118 is my go to plane, and cost me $5.00

 

[Chevythunderman]

Well I have a low angle coming now for some plain wood. I'll keep looking for a no.3 or no.4 Stanley high angle....They're kind of like guns I guess you can never have enough of them?!?!?

 

[19283]

IF you can cough up the dough...one of these Veritas low angle planes is the cat's meow:

It has super fine adjustment capability and a very thick blade that is very hard to sharpen, but once it's sharp, it stays sharp!

My other go to plane. Lie Neilsen low angle:

 

[19 16 6]

That Veritas plane is a truly beautiful tool.
It looks to have the weight to give it authority.
A heavy plane cuts smooth, or so I have found.
My Millers falls No 56 is heavy for its size, a lot heavier than the stanly 110 & 120's that I have.
I now want that Veritas model that you showed in the picture.
O.

 

[19 16 6]

Well I have a low angle coming now for some plain wood. I'll keep looking for a no.3 or no.4 Stanley high angle....They're kind of like guns I guess you can never have enough of them?!?!?

The manufacturers actually say that a low angle plane excels at end grain work.
The standard blade is set at 12deg & the edge is ground with a 25deg bevel giving a cutting angle of 37deg. For curly or more difficult wood they supply blades with edge bevels of 38deg & 50deg giving cutting angles of 50deg & 62deg respectively. So changing the edge bevel gives you a higher angle plane.
O.

 

[Grizzly Adams]

IF you can cough up the dough...one of these Veritas low angle planes is the cat's meow:

It has super fine adjustment capability and a very thick blade that is very hard to sharpen, but once it's sharp, it stays sharp!

My other go to plane. Lie Neilsen low angle:

Are you going to keep showing off and make that curl reach the floor? :grin:

Splendid tools.