I usually go by the 1.5-2x length rule as well. Longer stuff I'll use my #8, shorter things I'll use my #6. Really short things I'll use my LV bevel up smoother or a block plane.
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I usually go by the 1.5-2x length rule as well. Longer stuff I'll use my #8, shorter things I'll use my #6. Really short things I'll use my LV bevel up smoother or a block plane.
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The critical figure of merit here is the ratio of the workpiece length to the plane length. Claiming that a 5-1/2 (15" long) can't adequately joint a 24" board is equivalent to claiming that a #7 can't adequately joint a 35" workpiece, and I think we all know that's bunk.Originally Posted by Robert Engel
Mike, for a 36" piece you'd ideally want a slightly longer plane but it will work if your technique is good. It's equivalent to using a #7 on a 53" workpiece, which isn't uncommon. At 24" the 5-1/2 is perfect.
Last edited by Patrick Chase; 04-26-2016 at 12:51 PM.
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If you're using your forearms to drive your #7 then you're making life needlessly hard for yourself :-)
Contributor
After a few hours of using them bigger planes,,,sore forearms are the least of the problem.....shoulders.....the area of the back between the shoulders......neck gets stiff.....things like that. Good thing the biggest of the jointers is a bit lighter in weight..
IMAG0112.jpg
Stanley No. 31....24" long. weighs about half of a Stanley #8c did. Yeah, yeah, it only has a 2-3/8" wide iron.....didn't really need the extra 2/8" in width, anyway.
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Burn baby, burn (see also the para and picture just before the #21 section).
Contributor
Well, I have the #26, the # 28, #29, and the #31......there is also an 035 in the till. No complaints with them, at all.
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That plane is practically as long as the board you are jointing. That in itself makes for too much work. You are expending too much effort to hold that thing level for the amount of work you are getting accomplished. In fact, I wonder if you can actually get the edge straight with a plane that long. Thank your stars and neck / back that its a transistional
Last edited by Pat Barry; 04-26-2016 at 6:39 PM.
Contributor
That board was 36" long, the plane is 24". I wrap the front hand around the body of the plane, using the knuckles as a fence. Board was part of a five board glue up
IMAG0104.jpg
Seemed to work out fairly well.....
Contributor
It did turn out nice! The picture was very deceptive
Member
For many years all I had was a LV bevel-up jointer and a Stanley no.4. I've added bevel down planes of all sizes to those. The more I use the bevel down - comparing with bevel-up - the more I like them. I'm hardly using my LV BU plane at this stage.
Because I like to sharpen free hand, the use of a BU plane isn't great because, for all those high angles, I have to go back to a guide. It also seems to me that the surface finish of a BD is nicer than a BU with a high angle.
As for the length, if my plane is 1/3 of board length, I'm fine with it.
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A cooper's jointer is usually far longer than that thing.
Member
My 607 Bedrock works just fine on a shooting board. I don't feel the need for another plane. It also does great with the board in a vise.
Member
The Schwartz is with you.
Seriously, those are amazingly polarizing planes. I haven't used one to any great extent, so I have no actual opinion of them either way. Leach's writeup cracks me up though.
[OP]
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My challenge at the moment is making tapered/staked chair/table legs usually from oak. I do not have a lathe and do not plan to buy one any time soon as I may be moving. This work can be very time consuming.
The challenge is more like making a bench top from glued up hard wood boards than making a single edge flat & 90 degrees to the surface of a board. It requires many strokes to make four or more octagonal chair or table legs from rough wood or splits. I started out using a #5 with a cambered blade to do the heavy stock removal. I have been experimenting with # 5 1/4, #5, #5 1/2, #6 & BU Jointer. I am thinking either the 5 1/4 or 5 to make a taper square, the heavy stock removal. Once I get the heavy work done I am thinking about a 5 1/2 or 6 to work the square into a reasonably equal sided octagon. A full size metal jointer gets heavy fairly quickly. I may work on my Purple Heart jointer so I will have something lighter. I am not going to get too concerned with the legs being exactly the same and even so I may or may not finish with a smooth plane.
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I strongly believe that for most furniture work a #4 and a #7 are fine for all jointing tasks. The #5 would be nice too, but in my case it is setup as a jack plane with strongly cambered blade.
The #4 for all small stuff, up to twice the length of the plane. The rest with the #7. Only for really large stuff like entry doors, large dining tables etc, the long woodies come in nicely. They are usually dirt cheap and are easilly trued up, so no reason really not to find one. Those long transitionals look usefull for this task too.
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