Replies

1. 
   hackmeister | Dec 05, 2013 05:36pm | #1

   Cheap is OK

   There is nothing wrong with inexpensive old hand planes, as long as they are of sufficent quality.  Fortunately the most useful ones are also the most common (not a coincidence).  Stock blades, chipbreakers, and angles will all do just fine if the are in good condition.

   The best way to become familar with planes is to find someone experienced with them and have them demonsrate usage, sharpening, refurbishing, etc.  You can do web searches on info as well.  One of the best on plane types is "Patrick's Blood and Gore"  which has a great history of the jillion planes Stanley made.  There are also books and videos and mag articles galore.

   This is probably the best place to warn you that there are some people who take planes far more seriously than their actual value as a woodworking tool, which is admittedly considerable.  I think there are some out their who spend more time sharpening and refurbishinhg and collecting their planes than using them, which is fine for them, but not everyone does that.  Personally I only care about how my planes  work on my projects, but that is me.

   If you are staring out, I would maybe shy away from eBay until you know what you are looking for and what to look for in the photos for condition and quality.  Flea markets, garage sales, friend's barns, and even antique stores can be good sources.  For antique stores though beware of planes that are overpriced.  Some people think that all old tools are vintage collecters items, even old 110's missing a blade and with a crack that belong in the scrap bin.

   For 21st century woodworkers (as in people who are not scared of jointers, planers, or buying preplaned wood), block planes, smoothing planes (#4s) and jack planes (#5s) tend to be the most useful.  Other special planes are handy, but not nearly as often.

   For planes to start out with, look for some inexpensive block planes.  Pre WWII are best.  Basically look for a black Stanley that looks about 50 or more years old.  When you are first starting, the type isnt that important.  There are tons out there so they should be cheap and easy to find.  They are also no great loss if you totally hose one up working on it.  Find one you can take completely apart, and reassemble and that has no cracks or big chips in the casting.  After that read some articles, try to clean it up and sharpen it, practice using it, and soon you will be hooked like the rest of us.

1. 
   justinmeyers | Dec 06, 2013 03:45pm | #2

   Thanks!

   Man, thanks for the advice! Unfortunately, I don't know anyone that uses hand planes. Most of my buddies are rough carpenters and welders. I read a bit of that Patricks Blood and Gore site… Super informative. Thanks for that!

   Question… What's the best way to sharpen a plane? Can I use cross-files? 

   Next, I'll need quite a bit of advice on chisels... I just have some cheapies for the time being. 

   You were very informative… Thanks a bunch!

1. 
   hackmeister | Dec 08, 2013 02:15pm | #3

   Sharp

   The best way to sharpen a plane is really sharp:)  Seriously, though how you get there isn't important.  There are lots of methods, and each has pluses and minuses.  If you have a grinder, you can use that to grind a primary bevel (be careful not to overheat the steel) and then use sandpaper, water/oil/diamond stones to hone.  No shortage of articles, books and videos here.  The cheapest way is probably sandpaper on a flat surface (a table saw works).  Water stones tend to be faster, and eaiser, combo stones are a good value, but a little more outlay.  Rockeler has a 800/4000 stone that is about $30-35.  Slowspeed grinders make life much easier and faster for grinding primary bevels.  Files usually aren't used on plane blades, though.

   Chisels are another of those addictions that spawn much emotion (and affection) among woodworkers.  I have several sets: a set of old Stanley 750 types, a set of Two Cherries, a couple sets of Buck Bros and Millers Falls as beaters, a set of Marples Blue chips, and a few more sets I haven't gotten around to cleaning up, plus one ofs of various paring, motices, and other specialty ones.

   Chisels used to be easy; you bought a set of Marples Blue Chips and used them.  Now that Irwin bought Record, it is a little more complicated.  The Blue Chips are out there, but there is some debate as to the quality of the steel.  Used chisels are available, but the value difference isn't quite as big with used planes.  They can be a good deal, but they do take some experiece to select and refurbish.

   A chisel with a slightly softer steel would be good to start out with, because it is easier to sharpen (plus it dulls a little quicker giving you more opportunity to sharpen:), and if you can't get the chisel sharp, it doesn't matter how long the edge lasts.  The stuff that claims to be "Sheffield Steel" is usally more friendly to sharpen than the A2 of most German chisels.  Carpenter chisels tend to be a little more gummy than is desired in a woodworking chisel.  

   The Stanley Sweetharts have gotten good reviews.  The Irwin Blue Chips are probably worth trying, and cost much less.  For the Irwin Blue Chips, look for ones with Marple's style handle, not the new carpenter style one.  It is worth watching eBay, to see if you can pick up a set of Record made Marples Blue chips for a reasonable prlce.

   I'd say buy a single one of a stye/brand in a useful size that looks promising, and try it.  Chisels tend to be very personal, a handle or style that works for one person may not work well for the next.  When you find one you like, you can fill out the rest of the sizes as you need.  It is better to have a few extra chisels that you aren't fond of than to have an entire set of them.  Plus you may find that some of the ones that didn't pass the test at first, may be just the thing for a future project.

2. 
   gdblake | Dec 10, 2013 08:11pm | #4

   Get the book Handplane Essentials

   Justin:

   Get Chris Schwarz's book Handplane Essentials.  It is the best handplane primer I know of.  Old Stanleys, Records, Sargents, and Miller Falls can be made to work pretty well without spending a lot of money.  Stay away from old planes with stamped metal parts.  Also see if there is a Mid-West Tool Collectors group near you.  Those folks will help you any way they can.

   gdblake

3. 
   ricky | Dec 23, 2013 03:32am | #5

   Make your own

   You could make your own wooden plane. A couple of resources would be David Finck's book Making & Mastering Wood Planes and Ron Hock's website for buying the blade and chipbreaker assembly. 

   http://www.davidfinck.com/book.htm 

   http://www.hocktools.com/PI.htm

4. 
   rsandow | Jan 11, 2014 08:44am | #6

   Hand planes

   Dear Justin,

   I recommend that you view the videos on Finewoodworking.com.   They have produced some excellent how-to videos on tuning and sharpening.  For the budget minded, I recommend the sand paper sharpening system, using grits from 300 up to 2000.  I also recommend a really good sharpening jig.  I bought the Veritas jig; it was pricey at $80, but the results I have achieved in sharpness of both chisels and plane blades have made it one of my best purchases.  Good luck, Richard