I have all the planes I need and indeed could justify (4 1/2, 5 1/2, LA Jack and No Eight - the computer keeps putting up a smiley instead of the last plane) but I had a bit of Christmas money left over and decided to treat myself (that in my opinion being the point of Christmas money) and so I bought an old Record No 6 on a sort of "why not?" basis.
How glad I am that I decided to indulge myself! The plane is a joy to use and it feels like the most natural size for me. My most used plane is the LAJ but I can see the No 6 perhaps taking over. This obviously poses the question "why should this be?" and I suspect that it comes down to stature. I'm fairly broad in the shoulders and I wonder if the No 6 is the size that optimally fits my frame. If I'm right in that suspicion then logically someone of a slighter build should be perfectly served by a No 5 and so on. Do you think there's anything in this? If so, then it would imply that anybody buying what will be their dogsbody plane really should try out the options before handing over dosh.
Secondly and in more general terms, when people are asked to recommend the essential plane set, the most common answer I've seen is No 5, No7, a No 3 or 4 for smoothing and of course a block plane. The No 6 hardly ever gets a specific recommendation falling as it does between the Nos 5 and 7. I'm now inclined to think that broad shouldered woodworkers could consider it as an alternative to the No 5
How glad I am that I decided to indulge myself! The plane is a joy to use and it feels like the most natural size for me. My most used plane is the LAJ but I can see the No 6 perhaps taking over. This obviously poses the question "why should this be?" and I suspect that it comes down to stature. I'm fairly broad in the shoulders and I wonder if the No 6 is the size that optimally fits my frame. If I'm right in that suspicion then logically someone of a slighter build should be perfectly served by a No 5 and so on. Do you think there's anything in this? If so, then it would imply that anybody buying what will be their dogsbody plane really should try out the options before handing over dosh.
Secondly and in more general terms, when people are asked to recommend the essential plane set, the most common answer I've seen is No 5, No7, a No 3 or 4 for smoothing and of course a block plane. The No 6 hardly ever gets a specific recommendation falling as it does between the Nos 5 and 7. I'm now inclined to think that broad shouldered woodworkers could consider it as an alternative to the No 5
, but I do like the wooden versions that are the same length. I got a couple of very cheap No 3s', which I now prefer to a block plane. I occasionally use my 5, but the 4 just sits and waits.
