What should my first plane be??

[MikeW]

I've bought a second blade for my 60-1/2 and I've honed the bevel on this extra blade to 40 degrees, thereby producing a cutting angle of 52 degrees. With the 40 degree blade installed the 60-1/2 functions quite well as a small smoother.

Yes, and the LV low angle block plane can be purchased with either a rear knob or small handle and it is suppose to be a nice upgrade for using as a small smoother.

Take care, Mike

 

[Alf]

And, of course, a decent block plane. A new one is good, but a vintage one isn't much and a thicker iron can always be added. And they are cheap.

Ah, you've forgotten, Mike. Cheap block planes are one of the things we sacrifice in exchanged for all the infills, brass-backed saws etc we trip over.

Jacob, one of the differences may perhaps be scale? You're used to joinery, which tends to be large. Personally I find I'm futzing about with small stuff a lot, and a jack plane would be unhelpfully large and unwieldy for the task. I use my block planes a surprising amount. Not enough to justify them all, it's true, but still a lot.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Scrit]

If I were making a staircase :wink: , say, or hanging a door I'd start with a #5-1/2 jack as Jacob recommends, or a #5 if you prefer something a bit lighter - in my case I prefer the extra "heft" of the #5-1/2 over the #5. Actually that's exactly what I started with, but it was quickly followed by a #3 smoother (nowadays I'd plump for a #4-1/2 or a #4 as I've got big hands) and then after that a #10 rebate plane (ideal for cleaning-out joinery section rebates) before I bought a #60-1/2 block plane.

I agree with Jacob that a jack can be used to plane rough sawn down to smooth, joint door edges at a pinch and do a thousand and one other jobs that a jointer is too big for and a smoother or block is too small for. But what you buy first really depends on what your percieved use is - for building/joinery a jack simply can't be beaten

Scrit

 

[Anonymous]

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[Barry Burgess]

I am more confused than when I started. What I have understood is the slippery slope.
Philly started with 1 now 80?
Paul started with 1 now 20+
Nigel started with 1 now 14
DaveL started with one now I would guess 30 ?
Alf started with one now I would guess 40+ ?
I am sure the rest of you are nearly as bad - selling planes must be a good business???
How about confirming your figures.
I am trying to workout what this slippery slope costs?
Barry

 

[Alf]

Alf started with one now I would guess 40+ ?

Erm... It was over 100 at one time - but I've sold some since then. Mind you I've bought some too... 8-[ But hey, a lot of those are woodies and such that just happened to come with something else. And hardly anyone else feels the need for 8 or so combination planes. I'm a bit of an extreme example - more frivolous accumulation than just serious what-do-I-need buying*. Take no notice of me.

Cheers, Alf

*But I'll deny that if you ever repeat it to TPTBs :-$

 

[Barry Burgess]

Alf you are bad - the slope got to you worse than I expected - I gave you the benefit of dought. Who got to 100 first - you or Philly???

 

[Paul Chapman]

I am more confused than when I started.

Well, you started it :lol:

When I started woodworking seriously in the 1970s, the quality of hand tools was going rapidly downhill. I bought Record planes because they were the best available at the time but have since upgraded to Clifton because they are so much better. In some ways you are lucky if you start buying planes now because the quality of the best being made today is really good and you should only have to buy once.

Those I now use regularly are:

Clifton #4.5, 6 and 7
Veritas low angle block (I keep my Record 09.5 and Stanley 60.5 for trimming stuff like contiplas edging strip and other rough work)
Record 778
Record 077
Record 405 Multiplane
Stanley 45 Multiplane (I have both because they were going really cheap second-hand - £25 and £45 respectively. The Clifton Multiplane new today is about £500 :shock: )
Veritas cabinet scraper
Two Record spokeshaves

I hope to add a Veritas scrub plane but don't envisage buying any other planes (unless I can find a Record 020 circular plane second-hand and cheap :wink: )

I still have my Record #04, #05, #05.5 and #07 which I keep for rough work. However, I wouldn't have bought them had the Cliftons been available at the time.

Hope this is of some help, although I doubt that it will be :wink:

Paul

 

[Philly]

Alf you are bad - the slope got to you worse than I expected - I gave you the benefit of dought. Who got to 100 first - you or Philly???

I'd like to think she's WAY ahead of me :lol:
Philly

 

[Anonymous]

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[Scrit]

Jacob

Never heard of a Bismarck plane? Horn at the front, single thick iron ground with a cambered edge? That's what Marples used to call them

Scrit

 

[Anonymous]

Barry

As a first plane go for a #5. A second hand Stanley with wooden handles will be good.
If going for a new plane, the Cliftons are superb and much cheaper than the (better) veritas and these are cheaper than the (better quality) Lie Nielsen

For info, I find the Clifton, LV and LN all work as good as each other - the Clifton are not well finished, the LV are better finished and ythe LN are finished to an extremely high level. Choice is how much you value the additional work put into finishing each of them.

Second plane? A block plane - LV or LN.

Cheers
PlaneUsingTony

 

[NickZ]

I love my 4 1/2 but isn't it the law that everybody starts with a #5?? While you could argue better planes exist for every job the #5 will do almost everything.

Either that or an unloved #6. Once you add a 4 or 4 1/2 you might find the jump to the #6 better then the one to the #5. Plus used #6 can be cheaper. Of course maybe that's because I'm the only one who likes them :roll:

I agree with pre 1945. The WWII era planes are fine users IMHO. Sure the sweethearts are prettier but covered in sweat they all look alike.

 

[whybob71]

I'm convinced that buying hand plane is a kind of irreversible disease: once you buy the first you will just think all the time about buying the next one. No doubts.

BTW, I belive that the first plane should be....two planes!

A #5 and a block plane.

PS: if you find a cure, please let me know! :wink:

 

[DaveL]

I'm convinced that buying hand plane is a kind of irreversible disease: once you buy the first you will just think all the time about buying the next one. No doubts.

I think you have just described The Slope TM

 

[DaveL]

Dave what did you start out with???

Well that would be the record #0220 block plane bought from a second hand shop while on holiday on the Isle of Wight, I was 11 or 12 at the time. 8) Dad was quite pleased, it meant his didn't disappear as much.

Its still in use, the #5 was the next one, given to me by a good friend a few years later. They have been joined by others over the years.

My total count is quite low compared to some other members, only have 14 metals planes, most of which are users. I then have a very nice woodie shoulder plane that Paul (Eng#1) sent me, that has relived the old #78 of same of its duties. Then there are 5 woodies which still need cleaning and sharpening. :roll:

This is the latest addition, bought from Mike Hancock at Yardles.


Oh I forgot to count the spoke shaves and scraper, er I have more than I thought.

 

[Evergreen]

Now here's a shocking confession - for years, I didn't have a block plane to my name. How did I survive? Well, I found that a sharp 32 mm chisel and a sanding block will do much of what a block plane is usually justified for. There are also plenty of situations where you'd use a block plane if you had one but actually, you can get away with careful use of a bigger plane.

I reckon that block planes are the "puppies" of the plane world - small and cute. That's the real reason that people love them.

IMHO, a #5 or #5.5 or the much underrated #6 (NickZ - I share your views!) would make an easy-to-use, versatile first plane. And if it turns out that hand tools are not your thing (fat chance!), then it would still come in handy for all sorts of basic DIY.

Regards.

 

[Colin C]

I am some that likes my #6 too and it is a low knob

 

[Scrit]

One of the problems with a #6 is that it is a tad too big to fit into my bass, however the #5-1/2 does so quite well. If you are dragging a kit around to site jobs, like installing stairs, doors, etc the jointers are just too big and heavy, whereas the longer 2-3/8in (or in my case 2-1/4in, pre-WWII Record) jacks are just about long enough

Scrit

 

[Colin C]

One of the problems with a #6 is that it is a tad too big to fit into my bass, however the #5-1/2 does so quite well. If you are dragging a kit around to site jobs, like installing stairs, doors, etc the jointers are just too big and heavy, whereas the longer 2-3/8in (or in my case 2-1/4in, pre-WWII Record) jacks are just about long enough

Scrit

Scrit
I agree with you on that one but my #6 never goes out on site :shock: as I have a #5 for that.
I have never liked the #5 so it does not get used much :roll: