Hand plane basics

[oldman_pottering]

I work with small pieces of timber ( kids toys, trinket boxes ) and flattening the work piece can be a bit of a hassle trying to set up holding jigs to go through the thicknesser which started me thinking about using a plane.

I have only just finished reading about the sizing system and am guessing that perhaps a 5 or so could be a good allrounder. I know this will be another learning curve but what the hell, in for a penny in for a pound 

Thoughts, suggestions ?

[RichardA]

Hand planes take time to learn and "understand". They can drive a person to drink, I know I've been a drunk many times when planing pieces that require just a simple touch up.  A 5 is a good size, if your wood is kinda large in one direction or another.  You say you make mostly small gifts, so you wood wouldn't be to large. I'd think a 4 or a 4 1/2 would be a better problem solver for your smaller lumber.  Personally I use to prefer a 4 1/2 for about 75% of any planing I needed to do, but I'd built a bunch of years understanding what it wants to do and what it will do. As with any hand tool, your whole body is involved, so you need to learn some of that, and you will as you practice more and more. I wish you luck with your new experience, and don't take anyone's advise to seriously. Try their help, but make it your own.  I'm a retired woodworker do to shaking hands and eye problems and age 81 so take this post for what it's worth.

[oldman_pottering]

On 1/17/2024 at 9:09 AM, RichardA said:

Hand planes take time to learn and "understand". They can drive a person to drink, I know I've been a drunk many times when planing pieces that require just a simple touch up.  A 5 is a good size, if your wood is kinda large in one direction or another.  You say you make mostly small gifts, so you wood wouldn't be to large. I'd think a 4 or a 4 1/2 would be a better problem solver for your smaller lumber.  Personally I use to prefer a 4 1/2 for about 75% of any planing I needed to do, but I'd built a bunch of years understanding what it wants to do and what it will do. As with any hand tool, your whole body is involved, so you need to learn some of that, and you will as you practice more and more. I wish you luck with your new experience, and don't take anyone's advise to seriously. Try their help, but make it your own.  I'm a retired woodworker do to shaking hands and eye problems and age 81 so take this post for what it's worth.

Thanks Richard, all good points

I'll look around for a 4 1/2 and go from there, I enjoy beers with my shed time and if worse comes to worse I can make curly shavings to pack around any small piece I might make 

[RichardA]

I have an older Stanley 4 1/2 that I've probably put a couple hundred miles on. It's all original. I don't know what you can find down under as used. But they new 4 1/2's that are expensive are well worth looking into.  Is there a place that sells new woodworking tools available to you? Would they allow you a test run on a couple of sizes and that way you can have a better feel for what your looking for?  Having little to no experience with a certain tool, and buying one that you've never held in your hand, makes it instantly "used" and harder to sell if you don't like the way it fits or feels. So if there is such a place available to you, take advantage of it. Or you can buy one blind and if it doesn't work for you, then you have just become a collector.  Good luck.   My beer in the shop became warm most of the time so I waited til I was done playing with sharp objects.

[roughsawn]

Far from an expert here...maybe even a rookie. But, I think it was Rob Cosman that suggested that if it came down to 2 hand planes, he'd say a #5, and a block plane. Right or wrong, I went that route. I've used those 2 for all my hand planing. Made it work. I could have used others...sure...but I've been able to make do with those two for the last 4 years.

[oldman_pottering]

On 1/17/2024 at 10:44 AM, roughsawn said:

Far from an expert here...maybe even a rookie. But, I think it was Rob Cosman that suggested that if it came down to 2 hand planes, he'd say a #5, and a block plane. Right or wrong, I went that route. I've used those 2 for all my hand planing. Made it work. I could have used others...sure...but I've been able to make do with those two for the last 4 years.

Sounds fair, I do have a block plane

thanks 

[wtnhighlander]

Rob Cosman has some good advice, but so does Paul Sellers, and he appears to use a 4 1/2 more than anything else.

Personally, I own a #7, a #5, a #4, and a couple block planes. If I had to give them up, the #4 would be the last to go. Part of that is due to its better quality, but its slightly shorter bed makes it suitable for more of the smoothing tasks I need. You can do the same tasks with a 4 1/2 or 5, but they may feel a bit awkward. Conversely, those longer planes are better for flattening longer stock.

WoodRiver and Bench Dog are decent quality planes for the budget conscious. Don't know if they are available where you are. Stanley is perhaps a touch better, and a bit more costly. Veritas and Leigh-Neilson are two well-regarded brands in North America, but in the higher price range.

[RichardA]

There were up to half a dozen block planes in my shop, I couldn't work without them, but my go-to was my 4 1/2. That could be do to my size 6'2" 220#.  Each of us is different and work differently. It takes time and practice to find what works for you when working in hand tools.  And I agree Paul Sellers is a highly qualified teacher for hand tool work!

[Chestnut]

If you have power tools in your shop the handplane you use changes a lot. I have a #3, 2 #4s, #5, #7 and #8. The #3 and #4s live on my bench along side my block plane. If something is large enough where the number 5 is needed i head to a power tool. If i need to finesse something that is large the #7 or #8 comes out. As much as the #5 is a jack of all planes it really excels at nothing in my opinion. When i have power tools i don't need a jack of all, i need something that excels to handle what the power tools cannot.

My planes in order from most to least used: #3&#4 tied most used,block plane,router plane, #7, #8, Shooting plane, Wierd skewed side rabbet block plane(no140), chisel, screw driver (hey it can handle some scraping tasks), then #5. I last sharpened mine before i moved into the house I live in and haven't touched it since.

[h3nry]

For bench planes, the #5 is my most used ... but in combination with another. If I'm jointing an edge I'll do the bulk with the 5, then finish it off with the 7. If I'm thicknessing or flattening a face, I'll do the bulk with the 5 and then finish with the 3 or 4 ... the #6 hardly ever gets used.

[pkinneb]

Like many others I started with Ron Cosman a Woodriver #5 and a block plane several years ago and never looked back. Now I have nearly everything up to the #5 but my favorites by far are still my WR #5 and my LN #4 and my block planes of course. I think a lot of it comes down to how they feel in the hand etc. One thing I have never gotten used to is low angle planes just don't like how they fit in my hand, adjust, etc which totally goes against the grain of many woodworkers.

My advice: Find a woodworker who knows how to sharpen and has several planes you can try and go with what feels right to you. 

[Von]

Newbie myself. I have a couple block planes and a #5. I don't think you can go wrong with either or anything in between. You say you are working on "small" pieces - depending on how small, you might consider starting with a block plane just because it will be cheaper and see how it goes. It's not like you outgrow planes - it will always be useful.

One bit of advice I was glad I followed was to buy a decent quality (not big box store) new plane instead of a used. At least for me when I'm still learning to use something complicated like a plane, this takes questions out of my head about if it's me or the tool that is screwed up.