looking for a good hand planers book

[Fred Jacome]

I am new at this and I will like to know if there are any good books that can help me with techniques and advance usage of hand planers. At the time I am not as interested in the history of planers just how to best use them and what planer is the best for a particular use.

Thank you all in advance

Fred

[Jerry Palmer]

The Handplane Book by Garrett Hack seems to be the primer for getting started in using and refurbishing handplanes.

[Robert Weber]

The on-line reference The Hand Tool Knoweldge Base, which has an extensive set of links to on-line articles. Specifically, you want:

http://www.jlatech.com/rob/Woodworki...Planes.htm#Use

Hope you find some useful information in there. Check out the other links while you're there.

[Dan Forman]

Robert---Thanks for posting that link, what an amazing compilation of info!

Dan

[Michael Pfau]

Fred, the Lie-Nielson website sells a very good plane book, check it out

[Jim Goldrick]

By Jim Kingshott. Really helped me when I was starting out - to see the actual process instead of trying to put it together from text and pictures. Also, the sound created by a really sharp plane was something that I was not getting. So I realized I needed to work on my sharpening. That's when I switched to waterstones.

HTH

jim

[Brent Smith]

Hi Fred,

A book may not be the best way to learn how to use a handplane. Seeing it done is always better. Any Videos by Kingshott, David Charlesworth or Rob Cosman will get you on the right track. Another good one on tuning up a plane is Mario Rodriguez's by Taunton.

Brent

[Michael Perata]

I have not seen the work by Kingshott, but the videos Charlesworth, Cosman and Rodriquez are worth acquiring.

[Wes Harper]

Anthony Guidice wrote a book called "The Seven Essentials of Woodworking". It is very straight forward and pragmatic. He has a no nonsense approach to the basics of planing.

[Wes Harper]

Also, check out Jeff Gorman's site @ www.amgron.clara.net/index.htm

[Dave Anderson NH]

Woodcraft carries a book called PLANECRAFT. It is a British book and sometimes the use of English English is a bit tortuous and wordy. It covers how to use all of the bench planes including combination planes rabbet planes etc. Written by someone who worked for Record, it uses Records numbering system, but it is easily translated to the Stanley numbers.

[Charles Stanford]

Plane Basics by Sam Allen. Out of print, but has a wealth of information on how to actually use handplanes. This book can be had on the used book market.

Hack's book is okay, but deals a lot with the history of handplanes. That's not a bad thing, but your first priority is learning how to use a basic kit of planes before you totally delve into tool history and other esoterica. A lot of the photography in Hack's book is of tools you'll likely never own or use. It is almost a coffee table book.

[Tom Stovell]

I checked this book out at my local library.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...541872-0959625

It has some basic information about different aspects of using handplanes.

Tom

[Dan Racette]

I have the whole Rob Cosman series from Lie Neilsen and the precision shooting DVD by David Charlesworth.

Unfortunately I find it valuable to have a coach nearby to help you out to keep an eye on your technique.

I have kingshotts book, hard to get, got it from UK. I wish I had more time!!!

[James Owen]

In addition to the books and videos already mentioned, the following books have a wealth of information on hand panes:

John Whelan:

Making Traditional Wooden Panes
The Wooden Plane: Its History, Form & Function

Cecil E. Pierce:

Fifty Years a Planemaker and User

R. A. Salaman:

Dictionary of Woodworking Tools

Aldren A. Watson:

Hand Tools: Their Ways & Workings

Peter Korn:

The Woodworker's Guide to Hand Tools

Andy Rae:

Choosing & Using Hand Tools

Graham Blackburn:

Traditional Woodworking Handtools

New Best of Fine Woodworking:

Working With Handplanes

Michael Dunbar:

Restoring, Tuning, & Using Classic Woodworking Tools