A #5 for a beginner

[Jim Koepke]

I strongly agree with andrew. Its hard to learn how to sharpen, let alone adjust and use a plane properly. Walk before you run.

If you decide you want the romance, do it on your next plane. Trust me, planes are like potato chips.

There are many different levels of motivation and abilities among people who want to do some woodworking.

Most of my experience about wood came from my folks having a furniture and appliance store. Most of my knowledge consisted of how to unpack and assemble factory furniture. There was a little knowledge of different types of joinery.

My education was fairly eclectic. There was my main studies in college consisting of electronics and graphic arts. Some of my life was spent working on mechanical things.

This was before SMC and other resources were available. My first plane purchase was a wooden plough plane, $10, sold as a decorative item in an import chain store. After that a friend gave me a couple of planes. It was quite awhile before I actually had some good stones to put a good edge on the blades.

Taking things apart and putting back together was one of my favorite ways to pass the time for as long as I can remember. Trying to figure out how things work has always been one of my passions.

For someone like myself buying an old piece of junk and making it work like new is a part of life.

Surely others have taken different paths encountering other experiences. Some folks will be entirely outside of their element trying to buy a plane and clean it up. It surprises me, but there are actually households that do not have a set of tools or even a screwdriver.

It is always easy to spend other people's money, in my case if my first plane 'had to be an LN or LV' there would likely not have been any planes in my shop.

My suggestion is if a person wants to know 'the feel' what a properly set up plane can do they should attend a tool event, see if a local woodworking store has items to test drive or try and find someone close to home who will let them test drive a working tool. Otherwise one can seek help on one of the forums like we have here at SMC.

Some seem born to fuss and fettle.

It all depends on the person and what they feel they can accomplish. Some will have problems figuring it all out from the start. For them maybe it is better to buy a plane set to go out of the box.

Some are more adventurous and will not be deterred by having to clean off a bit of rust and figuring out how things work.

jtk

[Shawn Pixley]

Like David, I would advocate for the first plane to be ready to go. That way they have a reference point of how a plane should work. From there, they should be able to rehabilitate other planes.

A Bailey pattern #5 is an excellent place to start.

[Jim Koepke]

Just saw this:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tedtal...b_5662349.html

David Kwong says all humans are wired to solve.

jtk

[Shawn Pixley]

Most of my experience about wood came from my folks having a furniture and appliance store. Most of my knowledge consisted of how to unpack and assemble factory furniture. There was a little knowledge of different types of
Taking things apart and putting back together was one of my favorite ways to pass the time for as long as I can remember. Trying to figure out how things work has always been one of my passions.

My suggestion is if a person wants to know 'the feel' what a properly set up plane can do they should attend a tool event, see if a local woodworking store has items to test drive or try and find someone close to home who will let them test drive a working tool. Otherwise one can seek help on one of the forums like we have here at SMC.

Some seem born to fuss and fettle.

jtk

I see that. Seeingly there are people more interested in tuning the tools rather than making things. There is nothing wrong with that. However, these days I don't even look for old planes to rehabilitate. I have enough where I can make what I want to make. I've tuned and rehabilitated enough planes and want to focus on making my projects. I know this seems like sacrilige to say, "you don't need more tools."

On the other hand I have two planes that I have been given that should not see the light of day. There is a MF jack with plastic tote that is no more than a plane shaped object. No amount of effort will help this plane. The other is a '70's Craftsman also with a plastic tote. After tuning, and getting a Hock blade for it, it makes a barely (adequate may not be the right term but it will cut wood) adequate jack - in no way equivelent to a Bailey. I won't even give these away because no amount of work will make them right. I won't subject others to the aggrevation. Moses' gift seems incredibly generous. A nice plane that can be made to work.

Like you, my brother and I grew up taking things apart and putting them back together. We were constantly working to keep the family car running, the washer working, etc. We worked along side my grandfather and father. I have absolutely no interest in car repair anymore. My brother still does. He is also restoring a lot of old 'arn metal working and woodworking equipment (Clausing, Walker Turner, etc...). He uses them afterwards. I repair, improve my house, and build furniture. I don't pick up things just to restore them. To each, their own.

[Jim Koepke]

Seeingly there are people more interested in tuning the tools rather than making things. There is nothing wrong with that. However, these days I don't even look for old planes to rehabilitate.

These days I don't spend much time looking for old tools either. Though if one comes into view it is hard not to at least pick it up and look. Just a couple of days ago we visited the Restore's new location locally. There was an old Stanley 8" swing brace that had to come home for $6.50.

I have absolutely no interest in car repair anymore.

I was hoping to get away from this myself. The experience of having other people work on my vehicles was a disappointment. So now I am back to doing my own oil changes and other minor repairs I would rather not do, but no one has shown a lot of competence to get me to pay them to do for the job for me.

jtk

[Daniel Rode]

My woodworking hand tools are mostly vintage and all have required some rehab but I've tried to buy tools that did not require too much work. New tools are either expensive or poor quality and I'm both cheap and exacting. I rehab tools because I want a good quality tools but I do not want to pay the price of new premium tools. It's not a hobby for me. I enjoy the result but I'm ambivalent toward the process of rehabbing tools. Whereas with woodworking, I enjoy the process and the result is secondary. Unsurprisingly, the more tools I rehab, the more I enjoy the process.

I've often bough vintage tools that only required minimal effort to get them in working shape. My woodworking time is limited so it's worth it to me to trade a little more cash for a little more time woodworking.

I think this forum is a great equalizer. When I bought my first hand plane, I'd never heard of SMC or the Neanderthal forum. I'm sure I would have had much more success if I could have explained what I was trying to do and asked some questions. That's essentially all I've done this time and I'm making strides every week.

[Joe Tilson]

I have really enjoyed refurbishing planes and saws, but as of yet to make anything with them because I just can't get it right. I would really be nice if someone could help with this, and I mean someone with good skills in this area of wood working. While having the desire to learn, I just can't come up to speed and am getting tired of trying. I have read books on fettling and sharpening which gets one started, but to do a really nice job, it takes a teacher. I'm afraid I have already taken to many bad habits.

[Jim Koepke]

I have really enjoyed refurbishing planes and saws, but as of yet to make anything with them because I just can't get it right. I would really be nice if someone could help with this, and I mean someone with good skills in this area of wood working. While having the desire to learn, I just can't come up to speed and am getting tired of trying. I have read books on fettling and sharpening which gets one started, but to do a really nice job, it takes a teacher. I'm afraid I have already taken to many bad habits.

Joe,

It might help if you started a new thread or two. You could take some pictures of the tool in question and explain the steps you have taken and the problem(s) you are having.

Someone here may be able to help. There may also be someone near to you who would be willing to mentor you in getting started.

jtk

[Judson Green]

born to fuss and fettle.


jtk

Love it!!!!!

[Shawn Pixley]

These days I don't spend much time looking for old tools either. Though if one comes into view it is hard not to at least pick it up and look. Just a couple of days ago we visited the Restore's new location locally. There was an old Stanley 8" swing brace that had to come home for $6.50.



I was hoping to get away from this myself. The experience of having other people work on my vehicles was a disappointment. So now I am back to doing my own oil changes and other minor repairs I would rather not do, but no one has shown a lot of competence to get me to pay them to do for the job for me.

jtk

I don't even pick them up anymore. Unless it is a tool I need, I don't even look.

For the cars, anymore the only thing I have had to have done is the oil change, tires, and windshield wipers in the last 17 years. I am not equipped for tires and the dealer was cheaper than Tire Rack (go figure). Typically, we keep cars until they get 120K to 150K miles on them. Most of the maintenance is included anymore when you buy the car.

Now when I had my boat, I did everything on it myself. Of course it was finest of 1970's technology (350 Chevy small block [carburetor, distributor, coil and points] and Penta outdrive) and boat mechanics are really expensive yet unreliable.

[Daniel Rode]

I work on my motorcycle but not my autos. I have auto mechanics that I trust and are reasonable. MC mechanics here are expensive and arrogant but not very good.

I don't even pick them up anymore. Unless it is a tool I need, I don't even look.

For the cars, anymore the only thing I have had to have done is the oil change, tires, and windshield wipers in the last 17 years. I am not equipped for tires and the dealer was cheaper than Tire Rack (go figure). Typically, we keep cars until they get 120K to 150K miles on them. Most of the maintenance is included anymore when you buy the car.

Now when I had my boat, I did everything on it myself. Of course it was finest of 1970's technology (350 Chevy small block [carburetor, distributor, coil and points] and Penta outdrive) and boat mechanics are really expensive yet unreliable.