New to hand tools


BrandonD

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So I'm back from Woodcraft after picking up a #5 and a WoodRiver low angle block plane. Or so I thought. Got a call from them, they said they had a mixup and I might have got a standard angle block plane in my LA box. Took it out and sure enough...

 

I wasn't too thrilled when they said I could come in and switch it out with it being 1.5hr one way. He's asking his manager if they can ship out the correct one and I ship back this one.

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While I have not used the Wood River stuff I think u made the right move going with new. I tried to start with used and it is a frustrating experience for a new users.

Once you get comfortable with the mechanics of how a plane works and u know what it should feel like when tuned properly, used becomes a good option.

I never believed it but hand tools are a rabbit hole that gets deeper and deeper!!!

Just my two cents.

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While I have not used the Wood River stuff I think u made the right move going with new. I tried to start with used and it is a frustrating experience for a new users.

Once you get comfortable with the mechanics of how a plane works and u know what it should feel like when tuned properly, used becomes a good option.

I never believed it but hand tools are a rabbit hole that gets deeper and deeper!!!

Just my two cents.

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They ended up offering me two options. I send the plane in, they send out the correct one, they pay for shipping both ways. Or I make the drive and they give me a discount on another purchase. I opted for the latter and got the shoulder plane. I was eying it the day before and figured this was a sign  :lol:

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just as big of a purchase as your new planes is going to be your sharpening setup.  Probably bigger.  My frustration when I started was keeping tools sharp, and actually knowing what sharp was.  I ran the gauntlet of fancy and expensive and came back to a nice, simple setup.  If you are using an old, new, expensive or dirt cheap tool, it HAS GOT to be sharp.  

 

You can ask 20 hand tool users and get 60 opinions, and you will eventually find what works best for you, but if I had to start from scratch again, I'd get the Sigma power set from Tools from Japan.  Great deal and you won't out grow it.  The only thing you might add later is a leather strop and compound and courser (I'd go diamond) for chip repair or flattening backs.  A cheaper option that I still use is the Norton 1000/8000 combo stone.  You'll still need something to flatten it with and a course diamond plate will do that and fix chips or regrind bevels.  

 

Also, a honing guide is worth picking up.  I went through a phase where I thought I was less of a craftsman if I didn't sharpen by hand.  I'm pretty good at it now but it's hard to beat the consistent results of the guide, so unless I'm just freshening up the edge, I use the guide.

 

Like JoshC said, it's a rabbit hole.  But dang it's fun!

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I'm going to counter point that new users should start with a new plane to curb frustration. I inherited my first plane, a craftsman 5C that belonged to my grandfather.

It wasn't pretty, it wasn't clean, and it definitely was not sharp. Through YouTube content, reading archived posts here and come common sense, I was able to fully tear it down, clean it up to a great shine, sharpen it and reassemble. This process taught me a lot about my new tool and how to maintain it. If I had the choice, I'd do it all again.

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I will counter your counter with a caveat. I would like to have "trial-ed" a well set up plane before learning sharpening. It may not be the "new" plane and you may only try it out without purchase, but it may be wise to know where you are trying to get. Sometimes it gets stated as buying new. That may be a step further than we truly intend.

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