I'm an ultra newb when it comes to planes, but I'd like to get into using them more. I have a small Stanley block plane i purchased from Lowes that I've been using for small corrections, but i'd like to upgrade to a goo dbasic plane for jointing and surfacing. Key point to remember: I'm poor, please dont suggest a LN. After reading posts here, it seems i need to look for an old stanely (4 or 7?) and recondition it. A couple questions:
1) Why are the new Stanelys and other models so bad? Why shouldnt i just get a new one from the borgs?
2) Stanley #4 or #7? Which is the best if i can only get one? how about #5 or all the others?
3) If i get an old one, how far gone is too far gone? At what point is it worthless to try and recondition? I recently went to a flea market and saw several very old Stanleys (pre 33 i'm guessing), but they were covered with a patina of rust. Is this normal? or do i shoot for something in better shape?
Basically i dont know what i'm looking for. There needs to be a sticky with useful info on what to look for and how to fix it up. All my search terms are either too short or too vague. Any help?