For handtool woodworkers: which bench planes do you work with?

[AJBaker]

I've amassed an all right collection of bench planes over the years. I have everything from No 4 to 7 by Record or Woden, a wooden jack plane (found in the UK, but made in the US), and a few continental planes including scrub, smoother, and several in between.

All these planes work well at their job, and I've used them all at various times, but when making furniture and doors these days, I find myself reaching for the same planes most of the time:

A continental scrub plane
A wooden jack plane
Woden No. 7
Record No. 4 (or sometimes 4½)

The first two are good for rough stock removal, and the No. 7 planes edges and surfaces true. It's a big plane, but surprisingly easy to wield by resting the heel of the plane against my forearm.
The No. 4 is then for cleaning up and rough spots if necessary.

My other continental planes are fine, but less convenient than the metal planes. With the exception of one plane I keep around for carpentry work (lightweight, cambered iron, big mouth), they rarely get used.

My No. 6 and 5½ work well, but they're barely any easier to use than the No. 7 and aren't as good at that job.

My No. 5 should in theory be a great all around plane, but I now find it to be a bit of a master of none. My wooden planes are better for rough work, my No. 7 is better for jointing and flattening, and my No. 4 is better for cleaning up at the end. I'm a bit surprised, as I otherwise think it's a great size, but I just don't really need it.

I still sometimes use my 4½, it's nice for smoothing big surfaces, but I could get by with just the No. 4.


What do you use in the workshop?

 

[thetyreman]

I've narrowed it down to a no7, no 5 1/2 and no 4/12 but sometimes use a no4, mainly when I want the lightest weight possible, I also use wooden ones, an old jack wooden one for hogging off a lot of wood fast and a high angle smoother for difficult woods like flamed maple or curly cherry.

 

[Cabinetman]

Furniture maker, no4, it’s just about the only plane I use, and all my furniture is finished straight from the plane, end grain, arris removal, jointing planks, it’s all done with the 4.
Ian

 

[Just4Fun]

For years I only had a #5 and that was fine. Now I have 4s, 5s, a 6 and a few woodies. Most of the time my choice is simple: if a plane is close by and sharp I will use it. Sometimes I want a specific plane but often any plane will do.

 

[AJBaker]

Furniture maker, no4, it’s just about the only plane I use, and all my furniture is finished straight from the plane, end grain, arris removal, jointing planks, it’s all done with the 4.
Ian

Do you also prepare your stock with the no 4, or can you run your boards through a machine first?

 

[kinverkid]

No4, 4 2/5, 5 1/2, and No6. I have another, damaged No6 that I use as a scrub plane along with a large wooden (No6ish) plane when I want a bit more heft. If there are several large pieces I may use a thicknesser and very occasionally a jointer and will finish them off by hand. For the small projects I usually make I tend to prepare the timbers by hand. If repurposing timbers like pallet wood I would give all sides and edges a once over with a scrub plane before using my good planes or planer/thicknesser blades on them.

 

[Eshmiel]

LIke the OP I accumulated various sizes & types of plane once the plane-bug had infested my wetware. They all got used .... but sometimes just to use them 'cos I had one, rather than out of necessity.

After some years I took up jig-making, something I'd looked at sceptically heretofore. Then I made some wood-bodied planes.

The planes I made are four: a No 7, a No 4, a large-bodied block plane and a low angle shooting plane. They all employ a Krenov-style body but with a Veritas blade mounted on a fine-thread Veritas Norris adjuster let into the wooden body rather than just a friction-fit. They live on the bench-back as they get used for planing 80% of the time.

The No 7 and the No 4 have bevel down configuration with the blade bedded on a 50 degree slope. This helps just enough with avoiding tear out in the mildly awkward grains, especially as they also have a narrow mouth gap and tend to get used to take fairly thin shavings.

The other two have 37 & 40 degree cutting angles and are used for small planing tasks needing only very light cuts; and on the shooting board.

***********
The plane cupboard still has several other planes in it, most of which get a very occasional use. A large Veritas shoulder plane gets most of that other-use, followed by a Veritas skew-block plane that's very useful in making smaller items that need rebates (it has a fence).

Many of the other planes have been supplanted by my self-made wood-bodied planes. I was surprised that these turned out so well and not difficult to make. The bodies are made of scrap hardwood parts but the Veritas blade and adjuster typically costs a total of around £60 - £70. Sometimes a metal-bodied plane comes out instead, when I have something with really awkward grain, as does the scraper plane.

I'm to lazy to use a scrub plane.