Replies

1. 
   cahudson42 | Apr 27, 2011 08:49pm | #1

   #5 Jack

   Chris,

   I have both a Stanley Bailey #5 - corrugated and about 1950 - and a Woodriver #5 V2.

   I got the Stanley first - maybe 5 years ago  - and put a Hock blade in it. I use it for initial flattening - and edge jointing. Happy with it..

   However - the Woodriver is superior in all counts. Given the choice - I'd go for the Woodriver.

   Yet - if you can spring for it - consider the Lee Valley Bevel Up line. I have the LV 4 1/2 smoother - and it is magnificent. As I remember, they have several BU models that all take the same width blade - take a look.

   Be prepared for the BU's to be a bit different - particularly when you try to camber the blade. But once setup - they are hard to beat - IMHO. And the adjustable mouth is far superior to screwing around with moving a frog.

   Another Chris

   Regards,

   Chris

1. 
   woodhouse94 | Apr 27, 2011 09:01pm | #2

   lee valley is to expensive to bring to school

   I think lee valley is to expensive also, i think i am going to tough it out and bring in my stanley no5 sw and just deal with the lack of wait. I might consider either a pinnacle or hock blade for it. I think i will try to save for the plane i truly want, a lie nelson no5 and truly enjoy it. It is 75$ more then the woodriver no5 and its uniter states made. Now the decision is low angle or regular no 5.

2. 
   woodhouse94 | Apr 28, 2011 10:56pm | #3

   Update

   So glad i brought in my stanley sw no.5 from home today, i was planing for most of my day and was sure happy i didn't have to use the total piece of just i had. Funny thing was, my teacher said i needed to sharpen it.

3. 
   fxston | Apr 29, 2011 12:47am | #4

   Jack Plane

   Later on please look at the Lie-Nielsen No. 5 1/2 for an all around  plane that can do smoothing and jointing.  I have one with a 50 degree frog.  The blade is 2 3/8 inch wide.  It is a joy to use!  I plan on buying several blades and have one with a back-bevel. The quality of workmanship by Lie-Nielsen is superb.

   The David Charlesworth DVDs are worth the investment.  Bet if you purchased a Hock blade you could improve your No. 5. 

1. 
   woodhouse94 | Apr 29, 2011 06:21am | #5

   I don't know about the no.5 1/2.

   I think if i didn't have a no.8 and a no.7 i would get that but since i do, i would like to get a true jack plane. Yes, about the dvd's, i have watched all the videos posted on youtube, they are superb. Today i just need to remember to snap a few pictures of the canon carriage.

4. 
   alanplanesaw | May 01, 2011 10:12pm | #6

   If you can afford it, get either a Veritas or a Lie Nielsen.  Both good.  Which one is strictly personal preference.

   However, an old Stanley, fettled properly and sharpened and honed correctly, and you should do fine.

   Alan

1. 
   woodhouse94 | May 01, 2011 11:01pm | #7

   My old sw...

   I brought my old sw to school and i was sure happy to have a scary sharp plane with me. I ended up needing it for most of the day and the difference in adjustments from my old sw to a new no5 is mind blowing. The only turn off of the sw is its weight. This summer i hope to purchase a lie nelson no5 for my home workshop. I would not trust bringing it to school, but i need to be able to just go out there and work and not need to remember to bring anything home. 

5. 
   DanCC | May 02, 2011 09:18pm | #8

   Sure you need a jack?

   I know I am starting all kinds of trouble here, but I find a jack (#5) to be a little on the light side.  I have a Mllers-Falls #6 size (fore) plane that I love for doing serious work.  The wider iron and extra weight really comes in handy.  By the way, across the pond, the fore plance is the more general purpose plan, not a #5 jack. 

1. 
   woodhouse94 | May 03, 2011 07:34pm | #9

   I have quite a few planes...

   So, i will list my planes so you know why i want a nice jack plane.

   Stanley sw no8 1800's

   WoodRiver no6

   Stanley sw no5 i believe early 1900's

   Stanley no 5 New and junk!

   WoodRiver no4

   Lie Nielsen low angle block plane

   Stanley low angle adjustable mouth block plane 1 new(junk) 1 old(very nice)

   stanley standard block plane new(junk)

   Craftsman standard angle block plane, its old and works well

   Stanley router plane 1800"s

   Stanley scraper plane 1800's

   All the old 1800's stanley planes came from my great great grandfather, except the stanley no5 sw. When i reach for a block plane i always go for my low angle LN, the quality is there and its just a pleasure to use. So that is why i am going to try my best to get a LN No.5 this summer. Another plane i would like to get soon would be a LN no. 4 1/2, and a nice rabbet plane. As you might be able to tell i love my hand tools. They may make things go a little slower but the are just dreamy to use. The sound they make is like a song and the feel of slicing through nice curly maple with ease is a beautiful thing. I have most of the power tools, router, table saw, sliding miter saw, jointer, drills. I still would rather hand plane, hand saw, and use my router plane. I was making a dead bolt for my shop door and i made one with all hand tools because i had the time but it cracked so i scrapped it and banged one out using all power tools. Well turned out that the all hand tool one was more accurate, smoother working, and looked nicer. Sorry for the rant but i do think i will get the LN no5 soon.

1. 
   DanCC | May 03, 2011 08:21pm | #10

   Keep on using....

   I agree with you on the satisfaction of using hand tools.  All too often the set up on power tools is so long, that for the a small job, or  a one off project, the hand tools are in fact faster.   You might also look at a plow plane of some kind as well.  I have an old stanley 45 that I use for that purpose and it is a blast once you get the irons sharp.  When you start to look for a plow, just make sure it is all there.  I just finished a shadow box out of oak for my son that I made completely with hand tools.  I ended up making a shooting board to get the miters really tight.  In the end, they were far tighter than  I have ever been able to do with machines. 

   My favorite  block plane is an old Sargent that belonged to my great grandfather -- he was a finish carpenter.  he passed away in 1939.   Never met him, but you feel the connection across the generations and time with old tools. 

2. 
   DonStephan | May 03, 2011 08:24pm | #11

   Have you considered the LN low angle jack, I think #62?  I hate its light weight, but love the 3 blades I bought with it and the quick interchangability.  The toothed blade is wonderful for evening surfaces of that nasty 1/32" to 1/64" offset after edge gluing; followed by a smooth blade sharpened to almost 50 deg - every board seems to have some tearout at lower angle; and second smooth blade sharpened at 30 degrees when I want a longer plane on end grain.  There have been one or two articles in FWW in last year or so on low angle planes.

1. 
   woodhouse94 | May 03, 2011 08:55pm | #12

   Actually i did..

   The low angle jack plane is a very nice tool, its just something i don't think i need right now. I want to pick up a scrub plane which the toothing blade would work but i like the fact i can have each plane set up on mu rack just waiting to be used, rather then changing the set up. Also i did want a plough plane/ moving filister/ combination plane/ multi plane but i don't have the money nor the knowledge to know what to look for. I would also like to get a tongue and groove plane and a rabbet plane. Its just money is tight between insurance, paying for my car, and paying off my shop. After the summer i should be pretty good to start truly stretching my tool collection. I need to get some hand saws and hone my skills at sharpening hand saws.

1. 
   DanCC | May 03, 2011 08:59pm | #13

   I understand the money issue.  On the tongue and grove, you might want to hold off until you have a multi-plane/ plow.  I find I don't use mine much at all after getting a set of matched tongue and grove itrons for the #45. 

2. 
   woodhouse94 | May 03, 2011 09:28pm | #14

   Ahh ...

   Yea, i have a few more tools in mind before the tongue and grove plane, but my issue with money is i am still in school and since i just got my license i didn't get a job yet. This summer i plan on working for a cabinet shop in new haven, ct. As long as i make roughly 15$ an hour i should be set. I am a student at a tech school so next year i can go out for work study and make money when other people are at school so i don't know if i will pick up another job.

3. 
   lwilliams | May 16, 2011 08:16pm | #18

   Chris,

   If you plan to prepare stock by hand, I think a # 5 or a wooden equivalent is good. The #5 is a little shorter than ideal but the blade width is closer to what you need for initial work. You'll be taking a heavy cut with this and too wide a plane makes for a lot of extra work.

   In an ideal situation, all you need for stock preparation is a fore plane or a jack plane and a trying plane. Use the fore or jack to get close and the trying plane to true everything up. The smooth plane may be necessary to clean up small surface imperfections but use it sparingly. The most true flat surface comes from the trying plane and a smooth plane introduces small irregularities. I don't understand the desire for wide road-grader style smooth planes. I prefer a somewhat narrow smooth plane that allows more complete control over how much of the irregularity is introduced.

1. 
   woodhouse94 | May 19, 2011 11:43pm | #19

   Defiantly a number 5

   So i am going to be looking for a number 5 this summer for my home shop and keep my stanley sw at school, another plane i would like to pick up is a scrub plane.

6. 
   woodhouse94 | May 04, 2011 06:16am | #15

   During the summer i don't mind my bills because i can pay them off, luckily i have bin working on 2 gun racks for a local gun club, i think i should be able to get $450 out of it. This is my first project that i am making that i will be making money on. All of my past items were for family.

7. 
   Troy | May 16, 2011 12:14am | #16

   You might want to look for a "KeenKutter" #5 or 5 1/2 on e-bay these where made by Stanley and have the bedrock style frogs, they usually sell for a lot less than the Stanley Bedrocks and are just as nice.  You can often find a #5 for less than 50 bucks and a 5 1/2 for less than 75 dollars.  Make sure it is a K5 and not a KK5 the double K planes are the regular #5s and not as nice. 

   Good luck

8. 
   Troy | May 16, 2011 12:14am | #17

   You might want to look for a "KeenKutter" #5 or 5 1/2 on e-bay these where made by Stanley and have the bedrock style frogs, they usually sell for a lot less than the Stanley Bedrocks and are just as nice.  You can often find a #5 for less than 50 bucks and a 5 1/2 for less than 75 dollars.  Make sure it is a K5 and not a KK5 the double K planes are the regular #5s and not as nice. 

   Good luck

1. 
   woodhouse94 | May 19, 2011 11:45pm | #20

   I got my no 5 sw

   So i am not really looking for something similar to a stanley no.5 sw but more toward the bedrock design, I also found a mint condition sw no.5 for the same price. I am not looking for another cheepy, for lack of better words, but something i will enjoy using. Like a LN no.5.

9. 
   sandman605 | May 21, 2011 08:04pm | #21

   Grab an ol woodie and make it work my friend. I find todays planes to be inferior to the planes of yesteryear. Woodies will work perfectly for any apllication and are dirt cheap to find at your local flea market or sawp meet.

   Sandman

1. 
   woodhouse94 | May 26, 2011 03:58pm | #22

   I actually have one.

   My grandfather gave me a i think its a jack plane, but i just can not wrap my mind around how to use it properly, i have tried a few times but i was unsuccessful. 

1. 
   roc | May 26, 2011 10:11pm | #23

   Grandfather . . . jack plane

   >mind wrap

   It would be great if you would post a photo of the plane your grand father gave you !  Is it like the photo I posted here called "Smooth" only longer ?  That photo is one of Larry William's planes.  If it is like that maybe he will chime in and give you some instruction.

   Here are three books that can help you tune and use your plane if it is a plane with a wooden body and a wedge to hold the blade in.

   You use a little hammer to advance and retract the blade.  The plane adjusting hammer makes a nice little project you can do yourself.  The last two photos are of the plane adjusting hammer I made.

   http://www.amazon.com/Making-Mastering-Planes-David-Finck/dp/061527353X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1306459262&sr=8-2

   The two books bellow have excellent info in a couple of chapters on using wood body planes and in addition are to be considered ABSOLUTE must reads if you are wanting to enter into the spirit of FINE cabinet making.  The book above will get you by and is written by one of James Krenov's students but these are too important to leave out :

   http://www.amazon.com/Cabinetmakers-Notebook-Woodworkers-Library/dp/0941936597/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306459485&sr=1-1

   http://www.amazon.com/Fine-Art-Cabinetmaking-James-Krenov/dp/1933502096/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1306459797&sr=1-3

   
1. 
   woodhouse94 | May 27, 2011 05:39pm | #24

   i think i need to...

   Well i think i will take a picture of all my planes, i will also do some searching for some help to figure out the wooden plane. I would rather find a post then pay.

1. 
   roc | May 27, 2011 09:56pm | #25

   Pay

   I have one word for you old bean . . .

   Library

2. 
   woodhouse94 | May 28, 2011 12:58am | #26

   i got it.

   I searched around a little on here and i figured it out. Would you guys like to see my plane collection?

10. 
    roc | May 28, 2011 06:31am | #27

    Allow me to be the official spokes person

    for our readers all around this little blue-green planet and the rest of the readership throughout the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of this galaxy . . . we do humbly implore your majesty to kindly bestow upon us, your humble and unworthy readers, what ever small photographic gifts you may find it in your benevolent and awesome power to bestow.

    In short . . .

    JUST POST A PHOTO ALREADY ! ! !

    For Zarks's sake !

11. 
    Metod | May 28, 2011 09:28am | #28

    Four Weeks Later

    Chris,

    ...and you could have several own-built woodies. Fewer metal infills, though, but doable. There is much free info on the Net about how to do it, wood or metal.  Gives you a chance to learn more about the planes - and to put your already existing skills to work. For the same performance, the planes you build might give you more joy and satisfaction, than the bought ones.

    Go for your own ergonomics, if you think that something might fit your hands better than what you have laying around.  If you are concerned more about the function rather than 'tradition', laminated body will give you better stability, and smartly lamimnated yet a better one.

    Best wishes,

    Metod

12. 
    woodhouse94 | May 28, 2011 07:36pm | #29

    PLANES

    This is my collection, the planes on the rack are the planes i use most. I am sorry some uploaded side ways.

    
1. 
   roc | May 28, 2011 09:47pm | #30

   I am sorry
   I think I missed something here.

   Good luck with what ever it was you were trying to figure out . . .

1. 
   woodhouse94 | May 28, 2011 10:06pm | #31

   What?

   I don't think you missed anything, what caused you to think you missed something?