Hand planes for Beginners

[Matthew Jaynes]

I am Looking for hand planes new or used, looking at new i dont know what to look for. i want a good set maybe a #3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. I dont want some $20 set but i dont want to start off with WoodRiver or Lie Nielsons can someone point me in some kinda direction. Thank you

 

[Mike1950]

Get a 3 4 or a 5 from ebay or? learn to sharpen it. I probably have a 3 that I would let go off- maybe something else also. PS. I would not put woodriver in same class as LN or Veritas. They are in class by themselves. None work well though if you do not know how to sharpen. I am a machine guy- my go to is a LN block- shoulder planes and a stanley 3. Nothing wrong with older stanleys

 

[MarksCaribbeanWoodworks]

I am Looking for hand planes new or used, looking at new i dont know what to look for. i want a good set maybe a #3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. I dont want some $20 set but i dont want to start off with WoodRiver or Lie Nielsons can someone point me in some kinda direction. Thank you

I agree with everything said thus far and I would add this

Start by taking your time and start by getting the planes you need the most which depends on the kind of work you are doing. Also think of planes as coarse, medium and fine and for now forget about the numbers because they can be very confusing at first. Here is an outstanding resource http://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/CoarseMediumFine.pdf

Here is another great resource http://woodandshop.com/which-hand-tools-do-you-need-for-traditional-woodworking/

To begin you will want to get what you can afford and most definetly as stated you MUST learn to tune and sharpen the plane. It does not matter if you buy a Bucks from Walmart or a Norris Infill for $6000 neither will do squat if you can't bring up to speed.

With regard to LN grade planes keep in mind that a plane is really just a chisel in a body of iron or wood but with that said there are REAL differences at times. I have an 1892 no 7 Stanley all original and a LN no 62 low angle and I use them both and they both are just as sweet. But I will take my LN no 4 over my Stanley no 5 because of the weight of the LN.

With that said I started off with one plane. A post WW II Stanley no 5 that was a rusted disaster with no tote. I spent like 8 hours getting it cleaned up and tuned and I threw a tote in it from a Walmart bucks plane and the thing worked great. I worked it for over a year man before I bought a different Stanley.

So I guess my advice would be to read the attached stuff, look on Craigslist (I get 90% of my hand tools there) for No 5, no 7 and a block plane and search nationwide on Searchtempest. I find folks more than happy to throw the plane in a box and I send money via PayPal. Hell I just scored a $400 Miller Falls Buck Rogers plane on eBay last week for $60 bucks.

Also READ UP on old Stanley's. Learn to differences between a Type 2, Type 9 and so on so that you can spot the subtleties with one or two pics. That way when you see something on Craigslist for $20 you will know if it is worth having or passing. To learn this go to http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html
And
http://hyperkitten.com/tools/stanley_bench_plane/

Most of all - have fun it like treasuring hunting

 

[ChrisStef]

Buck rogers in the house! ^

I agree with most everything that has been said but ill toss in my spare change. IMO a good idea is to buy a plane that has been dialed in by someone else and then buy one that needs the works. You should be able to get both for $100. The tuned one will show you how its supposed to feel and act and the untuned one will give you the opportunity to take one apart, learn every nook and cranny, and how to make it act like it should.

 

[Matthew Jaynes]

Thank you all for the advice and comments, I have been searching craigslist and searchtempest and also looking at Ebay a lot here lately, the last few weeks. and I have watched a ton of videos on how to sharpen and even restore old planes. Paul Sellers has a few really in-depth instructional videos. a lot of the old Stanley planes I have seen locally in the Houston area although few in numbers have had pretty high price tags on them 250+. ill keep my ears on the ground and eyes sharp for good deals. I plan on turning wood for a while first as I only have a lathe atm. but I eventually will get into furniture making in the like. by my calculations I should have a nice sized shop and tool in 30 years LOL

 

[Kevin]

a lot of the old Stanley planes I have seen locally in the Houston area although few in numbers have had pretty high price tags on them 250+

That's been my experience too. I seem to have real good luck running across excellent power tool deals but I never find any of the great deals on hand tools like those guys up north find.

 

[MarksCaribbeanWoodworks]

Thank you all for the advice and comments, I have been searching craigslist and searchtempest and also looking at Ebay a lot here lately, the last few weeks. and I have watched a ton of videos on how to sharpen and even restore old planes. Paul Sellers has a few really in-depth instructional videos. a lot of the old Stanley planes I have seen locally in the Houston area although few in numbers have had pretty high price tags on them 250+. ill keep my ears on the ground and eyes sharp for good deals. I plan on turning wood for a while first as I only have a lathe atm. but I eventually will get into furniture making in the like. by my calculations I should have a nice sized shop and tool in 30 years LOL

Mathew. I am always looking through Craigslist and if I see something I will send you a link

 

[Matthew Jaynes]

Thank you @MarksCaribbeanWoodworks.

@Kevin I guess Houston people are proud of there tools. I see a lot of power tools for sell for a lot, or at least I think is a lot, I might be just a penny pincher LOL

 

[MarksCaribbeanWoodworks]

I am Looking for hand planes new or used, looking at new i dont know what to look for. i want a good set maybe a #3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. I dont want some $20 set but i dont want to start off with WoodRiver or Lie Nielsons can someone point me in some kinda direction. Thank you

Here is a nice No. 5 = see if you can pick it up for less than $50

http://albuquerque.craigslist.org/tls/5503541578.html

 

[Schroedc]

I'll be sorting and figuring out what I want to keep out of these I just picked up.... Probably be about a week.

 

[MarksCaribbeanWoodworks]

Here is a Craiglist out that looks like could have something to it

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/atq/5523822153.html

 

[MarksCaribbeanWoodworks]

Here's a sweet deal in a Stanley no 7

http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/tls/5525510754.html

 

[MarksCaribbeanWoodworks]

Another sweet deal for 1930 no 7. Hell for $10 you can go wrong

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/tls/5524231057.html

 

[Schroedc]

Here is a Craiglist out that looks like could have something to it

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/atq/5523822153.html

Holy crap, I wish I was in the Dallas area... Would love a 55...

 

[MarksCaribbeanWoodworks]

Holy crap, I wish I was in the Dallas area... Would love a 55...

Give person a call I usually get them to send by priority with PayPal payment

 

[Kevin]

Don't call Colin I am calling for you lol . . . .

 

[Kevin]

He hasn't answered or returned my call yet.

 

[Kevin]

Colin just for the record I am calling for me - I think you know that just making sure though - call him if you're interested in any of them.

 

[Schroedc]

Colin just for the record I am calling for me - I think you know that just making sure though - call him if you're interested in any of them.

I can't afford to spend a ton on stuff right now with taxes coming due but if he was cheap on that 55 with all the cutters or you could work it as part of a package for yourself I'd be willing to send you the money. If I called him I'd probably be tempted to make an offer on everything and the missus would hurt me

 

[Kevin]

Naturally that's the one I'm looking at as well.