What hand planes do I need?

[kingcod]

I'd like to build up my tool set from those I inherited from my father.

For hand planes I have a nice Woden No5, a Stanley Bailey No 4 and a rebate/ combination (?) Record 043 - lacking a blade!

What makes should I look out for on ebay to add to this set? I'm guessing a shoulder plane, block plane and bull nose plane? And I'd like the nice vintage quality of the ones I have without spending a fortune.

Oh .. and any idea where I get a blade for the record rebate plane?

 

[joiner_sim]

I'd try a search on eBay (maybe listed as spares) or google. Or even go direct to the Record site and find your nearest dealer, if possible.

Hand Plane makes to look out for..... Clifton, Lie-Nielson, Veritas.

Record & Stanley, Stanley are apprantly bringing out a "premium range" this year.

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Ray Iles at the Old Tool Store makes replacement blades for an 043
Phone 01507 525697
Ray also makes good replacement blades for bench planes and Stanley block planes, and offers refurbed vintage planes.

Re additions, certainly a block plane, though I'm not up to speed with vintage models to look for or avoid, as I use a new style LN. I have however fixed up a new Stanley 60 1/2 with a replacement blade, and it works well (the original blade was cheese.)

I'd put a router plane (new fangled Veritas or LN, or vintage Stanley 71 1/2 ) before a shoulder plane, as it's great for refining grooves, tenon cheeks, shallow hardware mortises etc. A chisel's the tool for tenon shoulders - a shoulder plane's good for rebates though.
I wouldn't bother with a bullnose until a job came along that needed it.

If you're working with hand tools only, unless working on very small stuff you may eventually want a jointer (vintage Stanley #7) to round out your bench plane selection.

Look at Record as well as Stanley - comparable quality or perhaps a little better in later tools. The plane numbers are usually the same but with a zero in front (Stanley 7 = Record 07)

 

[chill]

depends on the size of your wallet , I hear Waka is the man to ask :lol: [/b]

 

[lurker]

Or Mike Garnham

 

[martin99]

I'd stick with the 4 and 5. When you are sure you have them both working well you will know what you need next.

 

[joiner_sim]

I have a Stanley Bailey No.4 (smoothing plane), a 1950's Record No.6 (foreplane), a Rolson duplex rebate plane (no.078 i think) for bullnose and rebate work), Clarke 2" Flat Spokeshave. Thats is it for now. I mainly work with windows and doors, I make the occasional bit of furniture and do the odd bit of fitting. I have been working professionally for 5 years now and see to get by with these hand planes. But looking to the future, from my current Headboard project, I think I'm going to invest in a cabinet scraper plane.

 

[SBJ]

I'd like to build up my tool set from those I inherited from my father.

For hand planes I have a nice Woden No5, a Stanley Bailey No 4 and a rebate/ combination (?) Record 043 - lacking a blade!

What makes should I look out for on ebay to add to this set? I'm guessing a shoulder plane, block plane and bull nose plane? And I'd like the nice vintage quality of the ones I have without spending a fortune.

Oh .. and any idea where I get a blade for the record rebate plane?

Whoooaa there - lets not get carried away here.

First things first, what sort of woodworking are you into? That will have a bearing in what planes you get. What experience have you got? Again this will have a bearing on what you need. It's suprising what you can do with a very simple set of tools.

 

[neilyweely]

Whoooaa there - lets not get carried away here.

You're on the wrong forum, mate! :lol: :wink: :lol:

Neil

 

[kingcod]

Whoooaa there - lets not get carried away here.

First things first, what sort of woodworking are you into? That will have a bearing in what planes you get. What experience have you got? Again this will have a bearing on what you need. It's suprising what you can do with a very simple set of tools.

Well I guess I'd like to move beyond planing floorboards and skirting boards (my latest project) and into being able to manipulate wood for cabinet making - wardrobe and shelving systems in a loft. I have a router but whilst it is very flexible it can be a bit brutal, as can my power planer.

Smaller work - some hobbyist boxes etc, suggest to me that a small block plane would be helpful.

 

[Handworkfan]

Well I guess I'd like to move beyond planing floorboards and skirting boards (my latest project) and into being able to manipulate wood for cabinet making - wardrobe and shelving systems in a loft. I have a router but whilst it is very flexible it can be a bit brutal, as can my power planer.

Smaller work - some hobbyist boxes etc, suggest to me that a small block plane would be helpful.

If you're aiming for cabinet making or nice boxes, you need to be discerning in what you buy. Quality is much more important than quantity. I'd say, ensure the ones you have are working as well as they can be - there are endless amounts of books and DVDs around to help with that - try David Charlesworth's website for one - and get usign them on some simple projects. You'll soon start to learn what you need most.
You can actually do a heck of a lot with just a jack and a block plane. Other fancy stuff may look nice, but if you haven't yet felt the need for it why buy it? Shoulder and other planes are for particular purposes and you'll know when the time has come to buy one.
I always remember G-Plan furniture advert showing a woman on a sumptuous settee in an empty room saying somehting like, 'i'd rather have just one G-Plan piece than a roomful of anything else'.
One thing I wouldn't sacrifice now is the ability easily to adjust the mouth opening of a plane without disturbing anything else; if it's easy, I'll do it - if it means dismantling half the tool, I'll probably soldier on with the wrong setting and get a poor finish. So look for easy mouth adjustment on anything you buy. Cheaper stuff may look tempting, but you'll end up buying twice