Entry-level hand plane?

[JakeS]

(If the thread police weren't patrolling, I'd ask for clarification on metal jack plane shavings vs. wooden jack ones, but I fear their on-topic truncheons and will have to remain in ignorance. I fear we may have to agree to differ. Hey, we've done it before. :lol: )

For what it's worth, speaking as the OP; I got my advice pages ago, so far as I'm concerned you can take the topic where you like.

I managed to get a pile of attractive-enough-to-a-layman shavings out of the cheap plane I started with, in the end:

(Excuse the tape; it's where I do my gluing.)

My original motivation to fettle the damn thing into working order was to get some nice curly oak shavings to pack a gift box with, and now I'm reading articles on making my own wooden planes...! For what it's worth, I'm looking out for a decent-looking second-hand plane on eBay - like that I don't have to worry about getting my money's worth from the tool, and it's probably better practice setting it up. Thanks for all the advice!

 

[Jacob]

(If the thread police weren't patrolling, I'd ask for clarification on metal jack plane shavings vs. wooden jack ones, but I fear their on-topic truncheons and will have to remain in ignorance. I fear we may have to agree to differ. Hey, we've done it before. :lol: )

For what it's worth, speaking as the OP; I got my advice pages ago, so far as I'm concerned you can take the topic where you like.

I managed to get a pile of attractive-enough-to-a-layman shavings out of the cheap plane I started with, in the end:
(Excuse the tape; it's where I do my gluing.)

My original motivation to fettle the damn thing into working order was to get some nice curly oak shavings to pack a gift box with, and now I'm reading articles on making my own wooden planes...! For what it's worth, I'm looking out for a decent-looking second-hand plane on eBay - like that I don't have to worry about getting my money's worth from the tool, and it's probably better practice setting it up. Thanks for all the advice!

Ah-ha! So you don't want a planed piece of wood you just want shavings. :lol: Why didn't you say?
Actually you are not alone as there are quite a few on here who regard the quality of the shavings as the whole point of the operation. :roll:

The answer is - any old plane will do it, but get your shavings from the edge of a thin board not from the face. As you get better at it you can try it on a thicker board.
NB the board needs to be solidly supported in a vice. A workmate is not good enough but there are various fixes. How are you holding your wood?

.... I do like threads to stay on-thread. ...

Why? How boring. I do like them to wander off in all directions, you never know where you might end up.

 

[dddd]

Hi Jake,

I think you're spot on there, I went through exactly the same process as you a few years ago; I bought a horrible cheap B&Q plane, read lots, played with it, filed it, flattened it, threw it at the wall and generally tinkered with it, after some serious playing it sort of worked but never quite how I wanted it.

Then I moved on to the ebay Records and Stanleys, took what I'd learnt from the first plane on to them, bought new blades/chip breaker etc and got them working real nice then finally I ending up with some rather tasty LN's, not sure what it is planes just sort of get in your blood

The main thing is to keep learning, plane as much much wood as you can and eventually it will come and the rewards are fantastic.

Neill

 

[RogerP]

Ah-ha! So you don't want a planed piece of wood you just want shavings. :lol: Why didn't you say?
Actually you are not alone as there are quite a few on here who regard the quality of the shavings as the whole point of the operation. :roll:

For really nice shavings you need a Spill Plane .... the very last paragraph says it all!

 

[bugbear]

The woody which really is worth having is the skew rebate, of which there are 100s on ebay. £3 ish plus or minus. They are all "skew" as far as I can see. I don't think I've seen a straight one. Do they exist? If so, why?

Yes, straight across wooden rebates were made. They sold for less, being easier to make, and some people were poor.

Craftsman presumably bought the skew version because they though it was worth the extra. Skew blades work well across grain, and also give the tool a pleasing tendancy to pull itself into the cut.

BugBear

 

[JakeS]

Ah-ha! So you don't want a planed piece of wood you just want shavings. :lol: Why didn't you say?

Not quite!

A while ago, I wanted to be able to plane things inside the house, or without making a lot of noise, or with a bit more control than the electric planer gives me. I bought a cheap hand-plane to see if I could fiddle it into functionality. I had a bit of a fiddle, gave up on it and went back to sanding and other methods.

Then recently, I needed some nice-looking shavings for packing in a gift box, and it motivated me to have another go at fettling this crappy plane; I got my shavings, but it also reinforced the idea I'd been getting that planes aren't necessarily so horrible as all the planes I've had the misfortune to use have been, and that it might be worth getting a better one so that I can plane things inside the house, or without making a lot of noise, or with a bit more control than the electric planer gives me.

I've got my shavings, but I'm still interested in getting a better plane. ;-)



(And as it goes, I did take them from the thin edge of the short board in the picture.)

 

[Mike Wingate]

I have just recieved 2 QS blades, 3 QS chipbreakers and 2 yokes from Matthew at Workshop Heaven. Great service and quality products. I have just lapped the back of one blade and sharpened it. Attached the chipbreaker and tried it in a nice No.5. Fit first time, no messing about, even the original yoke works. Shavings on maple are sublime. A happy woodworker. Outstanding perfection at minimal cost.

 

[Benchwayze]

A good number 5 is a nice plane. Record or Stanley. (Not to mention the high-end No 5s.)
But for some reason I find a No. 5 a bit light and also, while it doesn't really wobble, when I use mine I always feel that it's going to tip over. So for the longer planes I prefer the 1/2 sizes.

For a smoother, I don't mind which!

It must be me. :mrgreen: