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Thread: Do I need more planes?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
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    Do I need more planes?

    After my 'sharpness epiphany' I am getting a little bit more enthusiastic about going down to the basement and getting some work done. I've been rather haphazardly adding tools to my kit as I've been going along; now I'm trying to decide if I need to look into adding some more planes to my arsenal, or if I can settle with what I have for the time being and make some stuff instead of spending my cash on tools.

    Right now I have:

    • LV #6 - pretty much all-purpose plane right now
    • Krenov-ish style smoother
    • random 3/4" dado plane (I have a knack for bookcases?)
    • Stanley #78 rabbet plane
    • Veritas large router plane


    I've been wondering whether I should look into a dedicated waste-hogger such as a scrub, or whether I can get away with using the #6 to work as both a workhorse and a jointer by swapping out blades? Money isn't so much an object as space, I don't really have much more room for tools at the moment. They all just sit on my bench with the exception of my saws, which I finally made a basic till for.

    Any opinions would be much appreciated.

  2. #2
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    The next plane I would recommend that you get is a block plane.They're handy for all sorts of planing tasks.
    I'm assuming that your question: "Do I need more planes?" is a rhetorical question.Around here, the answer is certainly "YES!"
    Rick

  3. #3
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    I'd say make some stuff but I know I don't follow that advice as it can be good fun trying different things. But being serious, making things, simple stuff if you're starting out, will be very good guide.

  4. #4
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    If you want a "hogging" plane I would suggest something in the #5 size. I have a #6 and love it as a short jointer, but I think it is a little heavy, and a bit too wide a blade to be a convenient jack plane (I know some people use the #6 that way). And if you want to switch the plane between the roles of jointer and jack, you might find yourself wanting to adjust the frog as well as changing the blade for different functions, and it would begin to seem less convenient.

    Personally I prefer using a #5 with a significant camber over a #40-type scrub plane, for most typical board-flattening operations. I find the scrub plane is more aggressive than I usually need, and takes more cleaning up after. Also, the narrower blade of the scrub means that I don't necessarily save time or sweat over using the jack plane, even though the scrub is lighter and cuts more deeply. Lately I've been mostly using a transitional jack, which I'm learning to like even more than my old Stanley #5 (lighter and less friction), but not everyone wants to go there.

    I do find that I use my #6 for the majority of my long-plane needs, unless I'm straightening something longer than 5' or so (and even sometimes then), so on the whole I think you don't need to buy a longer plane until you start to notice the need in your work. More power to you for working with a small kit.

  5. #5
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    Jul 2014
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    Hey Adam,

    I am looking to fill in a few planes too. I need different ones than you do, because you have some I don't and vise versa. If I were you I would consider the block plane Rick mentioned above, and a jointer plane like a Stanley #7 or #8, but I would get the #7 first.

    I use a block plane and one of my Stanley #5s or 605s jack planes more than any others.

    Stew
    Last edited by Stew Denton; 04-25-2015 at 6:50 PM.

  6. #6
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    "Do I need more planes?"

    Trick question, right?
    When I started woodworking, I didn't know squat. I have progressed in 30 years - now I do know squat.

  7. #7
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    Given your list I'd get a vintage 5 or two. Set one as a true foreplane (heavy camber) and the other with a slight camber. Scrub planes are cool, I own one and love it, but could live without. Don't really grab for a block plane much, but probably a good idea to get one eventually.
    I got cash in my pocket. I got desire in my heart....

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adam Stevens2 View Post
    After my 'sharpness epiphany' I am getting a little bit more enthusiastic about going down to the basement and getting some work done. I've been rather haphazardly adding tools to my kit as I've been going along; now I'm trying to decide if I need to look into adding some more planes to my arsenal, or if I can settle with what I have for the time being and make some stuff instead of spending my cash on tools.

    Right now I have:

    • LV #6 - pretty much all-purpose plane right now
    • Krenov-ish style smoother
    • random 3/4" dado plane (I have a knack for bookcases?)
    • Stanley #78 rabbet plane
    • Veritas large router plane


    I've been wondering whether I should look into a dedicated waste-hogger such as a scrub, or whether I can get away with using the #6 to work as both a workhorse and a jointer by swapping out blades? Money isn't so much an object as space, I don't really have much more room for tools at the moment. They all just sit on my bench with the exception of my saws, which I finally made a basic till for.

    Any opinions would be much appreciated.
    As already mentioned a low angle block plane is very useful and would compliment what you already have on hand.

    How good is you smoother? If it leaves you looking for sandpaper to finish up the job, then it may need replacing.

    For a scrub plane the LV #6 might be a bit big and heavy.

    The question is do you use much rough wood where a scrub plane would be needed?

    My scrub plane is made from a #5-1/4 that had the snot knocked out of it, most likely, in a high school shop class. Serving as a scrub is its only use.

    How big is the wood you normally work?

    If you work with pieces over 3 or 4 feet, then a #7 or 8 might be useful to you. If your book cases are full height that might be a consideration. You mentioned a limit on shop space. That adds a dynamic that may limit how many planes you should add. My #6s have both served well as short jointers.

    You may also find a plow plane of use.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  9. #9
    Adam,

    Jim is asking good questions and I will just add maybe one or two more. What planes you need depends on, as Jim asked , what size wood you use and projects you do but also on do you 4-square rough lumber or do you use S4S or even S2S wood for your projects. If you use ready dimensioned wood or have a jointer and/or planer then I would add a #5 and either a #4 or #3 to my working planes. If you 4-square rough lumber by hand then a scrub and a #7 or #8 (depending on how large your projects are) should be added to the mix along with the#5 and the smoother.

    I'm one of the strange ones that rarely use a block plane, I find a small shop made wood stock plane does most of the things a block planes does and is lighter and easier to use, of course YMMV.

    ken

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rick Whitehead View Post
    The next plane I would recommend that you get is a block plane.They're handy for all sorts of planing tasks.
    I'm assuming that your question: "Do I need more planes?" is a rhetorical question.Around here, the answer is certainly "YES!"
    Rick
    Of course I forgot to mention that I do indeed have a block plane - a Stanley #65 that fellow member Bill Houghton sent me. So my needs are covered there (though to be frank I have not gotten very good at using it).

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    As already mentioned a low angle block plane is very useful and would compliment what you already have on hand.

    How good is you smoother? If it leaves you looking for sandpaper to finish up the job, then it may need replacing.

    For a scrub plane the LV #6 might be a bit big and heavy.

    The question is do you use much rough wood where a scrub plane would be needed?

    My scrub plane is made from a #5-1/4 that had the snot knocked out of it, most likely, in a high school shop class. Serving as a scrub is its only use.

    How big is the wood you normally work?

    If you work with pieces over 3 or 4 feet, then a #7 or 8 might be useful to you. If your book cases are full height that might be a consideration. You mentioned a limit on shop space. That adds a dynamic that may limit how many planes you should add. My #6s have both served well as short jointers.

    You may also find a plow plane of use.
    Jim,

    I'll find out how well the smoother performs in short order. I really only got it fettled and in working order today. The results have been encouraging after using it on some scrap red oak (sharpened it with a slight camber today, actually) but more testing is required.

    I have been using dimensioned wood from the borg. I keep intending to go to one of the lumber yards here in Atlanta but the borg is on the drive home and they are not. But I am going to be in the market for some cherry or walnut for a dresser in the near future so, depending on what they have, I may start using rough lumber. That would definitely be a challenge for me but may be worth while cost-wise (??).

    Most of my pieces thus far have been smaller, not much longer than 5', most even smaller. I do have a bigger bookcase that is in the planning stages which might be 6-7' tall. The space limitations are hopefully temporary - I just need to figure out a suitable storage method for the planes that I do have, whether it be something shop-made or something from Crate & Barrel. I just never get around to thinking about it.

    I have been giving a lot of thought to a plow. There are a ton of woodies on ebay that are appealing but I have a hard time judging their condition, and I keep losing on the record 044s that I've bid on. I know that a lot of people here talk up the Veritas small plow and I have definitely considered it as well.

    I keep forgetting that I have a Stanley #5 that's been driving me nuts - it's a pretty old one, from right around 1900. The blade that came with it was kaput, so I got a replacement from Veritas that doesn't seem to catch on the depth adjuster properly. That and the depth adjuster itself doesn't seem to work properly. I spend an hour or so looking at it occasionally trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong, can't, and give up... I've yet to get a single shaving out of it.
    Last edited by Adam Stevens2; 04-25-2015 at 9:51 PM.

  12. #12
    Upgrading your #78 to a LV skew rabbet might be a significant improvement. Adding a low-angle bevel up might be a significant improvement. A Fillister plane would be helpful, as would be a better quality shoulder plane (med or large; LN or LV).

    For me, the #6 is a tremendous all around user. Buy yourself a few more blades (PMV11 preferably) so that you can work longer. A scrub is a great hogging plane but perhaps, too, much so. There's so many options, however, that most suggestions reflect preference and experience, not necessarily the best way to approach each task.

    In the end, what works for you is all you need.

  13. #13
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    Adam,

    I really like the old Stanley planes from a bit after the turn of the century, most of them are pretty good planes, better than almost all of the modern ones, except for the fairly high dollar jobs.

    That said, my experience has been that unless you are after a part for a fairly rare Stanley bench plane (there are a few, but not many), then you should be able to find the needed parts right away on Ebay. If it is a Stanley Bailey #5, parts are especially available, because #5 Stanley Bailey planes are the most common plane you find, and I believe that there were more Stanley Bailey #5s made than any other plane ever built.

    There are also plenty of the vintage Stanley plane irons, if that is the problem, so you should have no difficulty finding one, normally there are probably at least 10 listed at any given time.

    I did have a problem somewhat similar to what you are describing with an old Ohio #04 plane, same size as a Stanley #4, that belonged to my grandfather. It would not adjust so as to be usable. I finally figured out that the chip breaker was an old Stanley, and it was the wrong length for the Ohio. It was a major pain, but I finally did find parts for it, and once the chip breaker was replaced, the plane worked fine. The metal Ohio bench planes are not very common, and parts can be tough to find.

    That said, the problem you are having may be with the Veritas iron. Some of the modern irons are thicker, some significantly so, than the original Stanley irons. Due to that thickness, the "Y" adjuster on the old Stanleys may be to short to reach through the iron and engage the slot in the cap iron well enough to adjust the depth of cut. If that is the case, you will likely have to go back to the thinner vintage Stanley iron. That said, any replacement Stanley iron may work, as I have NOS Stanley irons that I think were made in the 60s, and they work fine in my vintage Stanley planes.

    Stew
    Last edited by Stew Denton; 04-25-2015 at 11:16 PM.

  14. #14
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    Dec 2010
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    Nice 5 1/2 on the Bay, right now.

  15. #15
    I've learned my lessons about Ebay. I only buy planes new now. If I can't afford it, I save up for it. Period.

    You've got the basics covered with a block, a smoother, and a #6.
    I don't see why you should look at a 5 or 5 1/2 there's not gonna be that much difference.

    If your shop is "unplugged" then yes, you need a scrub and a jointer.

    I've abandoned the "off the machine" mentality when it comes to joinery so I'm a big believer in "sneaking up on it" with hand tools.
    I've seen a huge improvement in my joinery plus there is a satisfaction that comes with true hand work.

    I'm a big believer in using a shooting board and the BU jack is definitely better for this than the #6.

    By "dado" plane are you talking a true dado plane or a shoulder plane?
    If the latter, I have a medium and wish I had a large.

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