Big Hands, Small Plane

[John Schreiber]

I'm in the same boat, and I suppose I could use my hands to paddle it. I do ok if I don't hold on too tight and don't wrap most of my fingers around the handle. I've been thinking about making some bigger totes myself.

[Marcus Ward]

You know what they say about a guy with small hands....











he wears small gloves.

[Thomas Knighton]

You know what they say about a guy with small hands....











he wears small gloves.

And don't you forget it

Tom

[Dan Racette]

I have a terrible time finding gloves!

I have to cut the sides of women's gloves and all the finger burst out.

or

I have to have floppy fingered men's gloves.

[John Erhardt]

Wow. I get home from work and have quite a bit to think about. Thanks for all your responses, everyone. And thank you also for the physical measurements for the #4 and the #4 1/2. That actually helps a great deal.

It sounds like my Bevel Up Plan has a few supporters, as does the Go With a #4 1/2 Plan, and something called the Just Hold Your Plane Differently Plan has a few votes as well. I've never held the #4 as I would a coffin smoother, but I'll give that a try later on when I work on my pile of shavings.

Thanks,

J

[Marcus Ward]

I have a Veritas BU jack, the handle is huge compared to the stanleys. It's also frickin awesome, and works in situations where I would have said, "That can't possibly work". I used it to smooth the top of a tabouret I made for my wife out of flame cherry. Like flame maple, but cherry. I had a plank of it 15" wide, 8' long and 1" thick and used the choicest pieces for the top but nothing would touch it without tearing out except that plane.

I paid $12 for that board, too.

[Bill Houghton]

I've got a Stanley 10-1/2, which has a very short body. My hands are moderately large, though the fingers aren't too chunky since I lost some weight, and this plane is NOT designed for adult hands. I hold my tote hand (left, in my case, since I'm lefthanded) as if someone's about to put a shovel handle in it, but I put the back of the plane in it instead, so the thumb runs along one side of the plane and the fingers along the other. Sounds awkward, but it works fine.

[Monte Milanuk]

Bob,

I've thought about making some oversize grips... but holy cow. You gave me a whole new standard to strive towards.

Thanks,

Monte

[John-Paul Murphy]

This probably goes against the training of all Neanders but I have large hands as well and I have found it more comfortable to pull the plane rather than push it. I can wrap my hand around the whole back side....

[Marcus Ward]

Japanese style!!!!!

This probably goes against the training of all Neanders but I have large hands as well and I have found it more comfortable to pull the plane rather than push it. I can wrap my hand around the whole back side....

[josh bjork]

A coffin plane or a horn plane, no problem.

[Maurice Metzger]

If you do go the 4 1/2 route, note that early ones have a completely differently shaped tote that didn't fit my size 11 hands very well. I wound up switching to a type 17 (WWII) version.

Maurice