Good Morning,
I have managed to corral some hand plane mad money and wondered what plane I should add to my new collection. I currently have:
1. LN Block Plane
2. LN Skewed Block Plane
3. LN 4 1/2 Bench Plane
4. LN 7 1/2 Low Angle Jointer
What would you guys and forestgirl add next?
I forgot to state that my “mad money” fund is about $250.
Edited 10/17/2007 8:59 am ET by woodman2263
Replies
Shoulder plane?
Regards from Perth
Derek
Now that you have all those planes,
I recommend that you buy some wood.
Enjoy.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
Good idea, but I have my own Sawmill and Kilns, so I don't buy wood. : )
Jeff
Jeff,
You own your own saw mill and kiln!
I am jealous. I dont know about the practical aspects of that, but it would sure be fun to have your pick of the wood. We all have a little mad money. I just ordered a Pfeil "Swiss Made" bowl adz. I went to the Waterford, VA arts and crafts show a week ago and saw three or four people who made bowls using nothing other than an adz. At least that is what they said. It looks like good exercise, and the end product looks great. Of course, it would be handy to own a sawmill to get good pieces of wood. I see you live in Indiana. That is a bit far from Virginia, but if I win a lottery and get my own private jet, I will come out and buy some wood from you. You asked about another tool to buy with your mad money. Obviously it depends on the types of things you are interested in doing. You have a nice set of LNs, and you got some great recommendations for marking tools, etc. There are so many great and fun tools, that it is hard to know where to start. I do a bunch of carving, so I am always drooling over a few more gouges. Go to Tools for Working Wood, and browse around. Great stuff. Try a few Auriou rasps!!! How about a nice saw from Mike Wenzloff. Go to his website. He has some beauties. Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
It's hard to say without more info on what else you have, what you like to build, and how you like to build it. Some ideas:
Tite mark gauge
dovetail and tenon saws (LN, Adria, Wentz, etc.)
bench chisels
Ashley Isle mortise chisels
LV plow plane for grooves
Blue Spruce marking knives
A jack plane is conspicuously missing from that list.
Adam
A jack plane is conspicuously missing from that list.
Hard to know. What if he just uses the 4 1/2 and 7/12 to remove TS, jointer, planer marks from edges and faces? What'll he do with a jack? ;-)
Well, I think that logic applies better to his smoother. What additional capability does a smoother provide over a random orbital sander or a card scraper for example? Certainly the smoother is nicer to use and probably does a better job (I think that's debatable).
The jack plane might allow him to quickly work away the high spots of a panel he glued up that's too wide for his planer. The jack plane might allow him to avoid wrestling some wide stock or glued up panel to the table saw to rip off an 1/8". He could just plane it off.
In the former example, the jack plane offers a capability he may not now have. The latter is more like the smoothing plane, but compelling for the same reasons, IMHO.
Otherwise, I like your suggestions.
Adam
Adam, I was just kidding around to reemphasize that it's hard to make recommendations in a vaccuum, but 'lo and behold the OP says he don't want no part of jack work!
I love my jack. It was my first plane. A Stanley SW I rehabbed from a neglected pup. I use it all the time.
That said, a 7 will true panel faces just fine. I like to work perpendicular to grain with the 7 to start - some times on a diagonal from both long edges to prevent the face/edge corners from blowing out.
A jack would be better for the removal of 1/8th from a and edge, but the 7 or 4 1/2 could be set to get the job done in a reasonable time.
Not to quibble, just to share my direct expereinces.
As far as ROS's. I used to use mine all the time years ago. I can't stand the dust or the pigtail swirls any more though. If I'm getting out a sander for some quick work, I get out my belt sander with the shoe - does a fine job and no swirls.
What'll he do with a jack?
Depends on the quality of the jack I guess... cheap n nasty can always be used to prop the shop door open; a good one can blow the limitations set by the woodmunchers... Set course, it'll work its way through rough stock fairly steadily. Set fine, it'll act like an uber smoother; the additional mass helping with any cantankerous grain. Set really fine, has to be experienced to be believed...Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Uh, Mike, I know what a jack can do. I was joking with Adam that someone who only uses planes to remove power tool marks (e.g., from a table saw or electric planer blade) might not have much use for a jack plane when he already has a 4 1/2 and a 7 to remove those power tool marks. ;-)
sorryyyyyyyy.... you know how it is when it's late n wayyyy past bed time...
;)Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Adam,
You are right, I don't have a jack plane. (I don't want one either) I am not a purist, but want my shop to be 50% power and 50% hand tools. I think there is a reason why jack planes are cheap! I would rather run them throught the planer/jointer and call her good!
Jeff
One or two old but good condition wooden bodied spokeshaves and a quality drawknife. The scope of these tools never fails to astonish me.
Perhaps some planes more applicable to joinery and shaping of wood? Rabbet plane, plow plane, dado plane, side rabbet planes, molding planes? Good luck, Ed
Wood,
I echo Mufti and his suggestion concerning spokeshaves. They are very useful for all kinds of small shaving jobs and can be got in where a plane cannot, oftimes. I have even used mine with the handles off, when it becomes something like one of those musical instrument maker planes.
The spokeshaves are great for rounding and chamfering - easing edges in a simple way that leaves a hand-finished look that I've come to prefer to the router-bit look, at least for some pieces.
Lee Valley do three very good spokeshaves, based on the traditional metal shaves but improved to work so very well, in the way that LV does. I believe the set of three would be in your price bracket. Of course, there are other quality shaves from the likes of LN and Woodjoy, amongst others.
As Mufti notes, a drawknife is also useful; for example it can be employed for hogging off rough plank bits. It's good for quickly getting the semblance of a straight edge on a waney plank before refining it on the jointer or TS.
Lataxe
What about LN's sweet miter plane? A shooting board is a great addition to any shop . . .
My suggestion would be to make something that would both interest you and tweak your ability or skill level. You may find you may need a new plane (or other tool) to finish the job, you've now answered your own question.
how about.... some decent layout and marking tools?? Incra ruler, T-square and protractor, marking knives orrrrrrrr..
bench chisels..
Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
Seconding the opinion above, what's on my short list that isn't on yours is the LV or LN medium shoulder plane.
Danny
Edited 10/18/2007 12:17 pm by GettinTher
I think the most useful tool missing is a good shoulder plane. Fine tuning tenons, cleaning up inside angles, shoulders (duh!), etc. etc.
Once you have one, you'll wonder what you did without one.
Now the choice is LV or LN?
Clifton make some fine ones too... my 3110's been earning its keep pretty well lately...Mike Wallace
Stay safe....Have fun
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