I’m a true beginner. Retired military and just took up woodworking in last few months. I’m really leaning towards using mostly hand tools. This feels very therapeutic to me and I enjoy it.
Only things I’m really missing at this point are some hand planers. I have done research and have some
general ideas of what they do and what I need, but I also have limited funds. I hear looking for used pre WW2 planes are usually good deals but I’ve been to yard sales and flea markets galore here and haven’t found any hand planes at all! New ones are so expensive.
Do any of you have any suggestions for me as far as resources or ideas to get me off on the right foot? I would really appreciate it.
Thank you.
Replies
Before you get into hand planes, get really good at sharpening. Buy a couple of good quality chisels, and practise sharpening until it becomes second nature.
You can chisel, fairly well, with a fairly sharpened blade. A mediocre sharpening job on a handplane will make you want to take up golf. Plane blades need to be truly sharp.
Finding a good deal on a vintage plane requires a lot of knowledge, time, and often some money to get them working well. Sometimes it's just not worth it. The days of finding great deals on classic tools died along with the old timers that owned them. If I was starting out now, I would save my pennies for a Lie Nielsen or Veritas plane.
If you really want to find vintage planes, try going to a Mid West Tool Collector's meet. It's a great group. They are people who love tools and woodworking, and often end up with extras of many things, and sell them at meetings. They are not looking for the last dollar, as eBay sellers do, and won't sell you crap, either. They usually just want to make a few bucks and get new people involved in the craft they love.
I’m in the same boat. Best bet is to check eBay, Craigslist, etc., for planes you can afford. It’ll take some time and a little elbow grease to sharpen and tune any used plane. I’m in the process of restoring a few Stanley planes, specifically, #4, 5, 6, & 29, that I purchased on eBay.
I also recommend Paul Sellers’ YouTube page as a reference to get started. He’s all about vintage tools, restoring, tuning, and sharpening. Could be why the tool prices have spiked from what they used to be, but he’s a solid gold resource.
To save some money, Lee Valley has a cyber Monday sale each year which starts at midnight Sunday - in 10 minutes many items are already sold. They sell their “seconds” for 20% off - these are slight imperfections, they are perfectly functional. I have bought several this way, all are sweet. Lie-Nielsen gives 10% discount if you buy at their factory store in Warren, ME and you can try their tools out there as well as see how they are made. Also, recommend you go to a woodworking show or demo events and try out some models. When I started in I bought bevel down models believing bevel up planes required much more experience - not so, as I eventually got a LN bevel up jack and use it as much as any I own except for the low angle block. You can get different blades for it. And, it works great as a shooting plane. I also tinkered with an old stanley bedrock. I really would suggest you invest in a low angle jack from LV or LN and start building projects- I really do not think you will ever look back and regret the investment or forgoing other things to make room in budget. Honestly, I think the concept of the low angle jack as “the one plane that does it all” has merit and is worth some consideration for a hobbiest woodworker on a budget. With that and a low angle block plane, you will be able to take on many a project. Then I would add a large shoulder plane, a nice smoother and a joiner if/as you find you need them for later projects and/or as your budget allows. That’s what I would do if I got a do over. I would also add John_c2 is spot-on about sharpening and that’s great advice to have both the technique down and needed sharpening gear before your first plane.
My two go-to hand planes are a Lie Nielsen rabbet block plane and a Stanley 4 1/2. I agree with the commenter above that said sharpening is key. Read up on stones - I use diamond stones because they stay flat and require less maintenance. Check out Paul Sellers on YouTube - he has great basic advice on sharpening and lots of other topics
I like to go out to Hyperkitten.com
Josh sells hand tools and he is very honest about their condition. If you don't like what he has sent you, you can send it back to him. What I liked about this site when I started, was that his prices are reasonable and he is very honest. If you don't know what to look for in a tool, it is a safe place to go and get a tool that will be good for use at a reasonable price.
I love my Anant No4 smoothing plane. Cheap as chips from my local big box store. Similar to https://www.amazon.com/HOMEPRODUCTS4U-Anant-Adjustable-Plane-Cutter/dp/B01N9NU5PR/ref=sr_1_1 ( I could not find the No4 on Amazon)
Well, I love it now.
For years it was a source of frustration and I was convinced that hand planes were an anachronism so did everything with the random orbit sander.
However, having learned to sharpen it properly, it now does the job so well that I don't lust after anything more. I have picked up a few others as they have come available, but with the No4 and a block plane, I can do most jobs.
Sharpening is the key, as John_C2 said - if not truly sharp, any plane will be the stuff of nightmares and misery. Buy the Veritas honing guide before you buy a stone (you can use it with wet and dry paper on glass for just as good a result) and probably before you buy a plane. The plane will not work without it.
You can get ok results with other honing guides, but as you will keep using the guide for years, it is actually better value to buy the one you really want now. What will you do with the less good one when you buy the veritas next year??
Good advice above, especially about sharpening. If you don't have sharpening stones, there is no reason to buy a plane. I also use diamond stones, for the same reason listed above. Get a honing guide. It will simplify your sharpening process a lot. My advice for a person on a budget is to get a Stanley 4-1/2 and a block plane. My block plane is a Lie Nielsen low angle rabbet plane and I love it. I found my 4-1/2 at an antique store for $38. I know, antique stores are seldom a good place to buy good tools, but I got lucky. I have other planes, but these are two I use a lot.
I started out much like you, enamored with the idea of hand tool wood working. After a few weekends of trying to flatten and joint a few boards, I found that the thrill was gone! Electricity is a seductive mistress. However, I kept my love for pre-depression era hand planes. It takes diligence, but once you learn to identify the plane from the quality era (usually late 20’s through lat 30’s, in my opinion) you can find them on ebay. I have several Millers Falls, and a couple of Stanley Sweethearts, and they are a joy to use. They aren’t the same as a LN or Veritas, but what is? Once you hear the siren song of electricity, check craigslist a couple of times a day. I have found great deals, but they are elusive, and surrounded by volumes of junk.
I agree that antique stores are generally not the place to look for good tools. That said, in following y wife around, I occasionally run across something good. Unfortunately, the antique dealers usually know nothing about tools. In their world, a Stanley plane must be a collector's dream and they price it so; negotiating is difficult when the other guy thinks he has a treasure.
I have picked up a few really good items, but it takes infinite patience. I also collect antique bamboo fly rods. In one store I walked past a case that had a rod in a canvas case for a couple of years, because it was locked and at the rear of the store. When an attendant was near one day i asked to see it. When I grasped the canvas case, I knew I had a treasure before even opening it. Was successful in negotiation a bit off. For $115 I walked out with a rod which I restored and later sold for over $1000 (after taking it to Montana and using it - the guide choked when I pulled out a 100 year old rod to fish with).
Sooo, yes, antique shops can yield some good deals - if you're patient.
The older Stanley planes are great if you can find a good one on ebay. They are harder to find on Craigslist unless you live in an area where they are more prevalent. It can be hard to tell if the plane is all original or is a Frankenstein with parts from different model planes. I would take a look at Wood River and Bench Dog brands for a lower cost new plane. These planes are considered close to the quality of premium brand planes at lower cost.
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a high dollar hand plane to get started. A vintage Stanley or Miller Falls in very good condition, can be purchased for well under $100, often much less and easily tuned to perform as good as a shiny $300 new plane. I buy very nice ones for $20-30 online and much less at swap meets. Stanley parts are easier to find.
No question, new Lie Nelsons are out of the box performers, but not a required purchase. As said Wood River is an excellent alternative at a much lower price point new.
There are many good to great videos, blogs and articles on hand plane restoration, and tuning. If you really want to understand hand planes, restoring one is very educational. Restoration is simply removing rust, (a $2 gallon of white vinegar, and scotch brite) a bit of sanding and touching up Japaning with a sharpie paint pen and honing the blade, with a $10 jig and a $30 diamond plate, sandpaper or stones.
It is not difficult, a bit dirty, yes but doable. eBay is the best, easiest source for hand planes. Don’t get caught up with the bidding bug. Tomorrow there will be 10 more for sale.
Start with a good block, a No. 41/2 No. 5 or 51/2, (my favorites). Read a lot of the descriptions, enlarge and study the photos. Buy the ones with the least amount of rust, no cracks and complete, with all the hardware, totes, knobs, original screws and a serviceable (long) blade, very important. A replacement blade can cost as much as the whole plane.
It does not need to be “all original” but nice if it is. There are collectors and there are users. Collecting comes later…
I love the old Stanley rosewood totes and knobs. But the aluminum and hard black plastic totes and knobs are tough to beat for durability.
Trust me, if you restore one, you will take much better care of it. BTW Froglube applied correctly, read the instructions, will keep your tools rust free.
Down the road you can upgrade the blade, but really, not necessary. A sharp, properly tuned hand plane is a joy to use.
Learn to sharpen, a 300 grit diamond plate, a 1k and 8k stone and Chromium Oxide pasted leather strop are all you need. Chromium Oxide is 30k grit.
https://www.finewoodworking.com/2016/10/04/ep-1-fundamentals-handplanes-intro
This is an outstanding intro to hand planes and really gives the lowdown on how to start and how to get sharp.
You can also look up Stumpy Nubs on Youtube for some pretty good options. Free to view, but not MP...
Chief 2112,
Check out Rob Cosman's Purple Heart Project. https://robcosman.com/pages/php-what-is-php
Every year he brings 36 combat disabled vets (PTSD counts) to his shop in Grand Bay New Brunswick CA all expenses paid for a week long hand tool woodworking 'boot camp'. The vets also get $3K in new hand tools to take home. It's open to active, retired, or honorably discharged vets. No Purple Heart medal is required, just an application the vets complete and 'tell their story'. Rob and Col Luther Shealy, US Army (Retired) make the selections. He has six classes yearly, 1 monthly from May through October with 6 vets and 6 paying students in each class. If you're a combat disabled vet check out the site and email or call Rob. He's great and would love to hear from you.
I'm going in June as a paying student. Would be great to meet you there.
Thanks for your service!
Jack, Chief Master Sergeant, USAF (Retired)
You can buy a Record No 4 at Menards for $19.99. Buy it and play around with it while you learn about hand planes. It'll be a good first step.
https://www.menards.com/main/tools/hand-tools/hand-planers-blades/irwin-reg-2-bench-plane/tsp4/p-1552030301579-c-1550852385006.htm
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Many good suggestions here. As someone who has come to handwork late, over the last 10 years, I've found there's a lot of personal preference. For example, I don't really like a lot of the low angle planes -- I find they work well on some woods and tear a lot on others. If you work a lot in cherry w/o a lot of figure, that's one thing. If you're doing birdseye maple, that's another.
As well, are you planing to size or to finish the wood? Planing a rough board to size is hard, IMO. I try to use my thickness planer as much as possible for that and then finish up with hand planes. Basically, a 5 will take off a good amount of material. A 9 is long and will help flatten wavy boards or joint a edge. A 4 or a 3 is vital for taking out the marks from the others, and you'll likely want to read up on putting a very small round to the corner to avoid plane lines.
As many have said, used planes are available. Get some in decent shape and find the ones you like using. Then, if you want, upgrade to the L-N or Veritas or other higher end models. They have excellent steel for their blades.
And agree that preparing the plane before a project is important. Don't get into totally redoing them all the time. Tune them up when you get them, retouch as you use them as much as possible. Work the wood, not the sharpening stone. I use water stones, other methods are certainly viable.
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