[kwolfe]

So I would like to get a couple of hand planes. I can't use my tow at night because my shop is I'm the basement and the noise would wake up the kids. I would like to get a couple of used hand planes. One for joining edges for glue ups. I have seen planes like Stanley number 7 or & for this. Is that right?

Not sure about the second one. What would all recommend? I would also like to buy some rough cut lumber and shape it by hand. Seems like an art that would be relaxing.

Any thoughts. Not sure if I should gamble with ebay. Would be willing to buy for here for sure.

 

[Dave Paine]

A number of threads on this topic. You are not the first, or last person to ask this question.

No simple answer since the choices depend on your projects and personal preference.

I happen to like a No. 6 for jointing. Lighter than a No. 7 since it is several inches shorter. Most folks like a No. 7. Pays your money and makes your choice.

Jointing the edge of a board is not difficult and easy to get the edge straight. Getting the edge right angles to the face is an entirely different matter.

Smoothing the face of a rough cut board is not so easy. Several planes would be recommended.

Most people find a No. 5 to be a frequently used hand plane. Some folks own several with different blade configurations.

An example thread on hand plane recommendation.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/hand-plane-advice-47335/

I started out with a Record No. 5. I have a lot more hand planes these days some vintage Stanley, one vintage Sargent and some new from Veritas.

 

[Gilgaron]

One of our users Bzawat is selling some planes in the Classifieds section here. Otherwise, I would read up on the planes you are interested here before looking on eBay, as Patrick will detail what to look for as far as common damage or missing parts.

For edge jointing you'll only need one plane, a 6, 7, or 8 would all be good choices. To edge join such that you don't need perfect technique in getting a square edge, you clamp the boards to be joined such that you can plane the to-be-joined edges (imagine folding a book) at the same time, so any tilt you inadvertently apply will cancel out when they are brought together. I've been able to join much better with this then either using a glue line blade in my table saw or trying to smooth the edges individually with planes.

For processing rough lumber you'll likely need several planes. When I do it, I start with a 5 set coarsely and use it until most of the fuzz is gone, then switch to a medium set 6. Once it is looking pretty good I go over it with a finely set 8 and finally a finely set 4. The other day I was taking the cup out of a piece of curly ash, and after sweating a great deal I went on eBay and bought a 40 scrub plane. This tool will leave a scalloped surface but just playing around with it last night after trying to learn how to sharpen the cambered blade well I was able to take off 1/8" of a piece of pine with one pass. So I envision using it on lumber that is out of flat primarily, and also for thicknessing. The historical use seems to have been primarily in lieu of ripping lumber when the amount being removed was too small to saw easily.

If you've got money to spend and want to skip rehabbing planes, Veritas from Lee Valley is a favorite around here for new planes that are excellent yet not as expensive as Lie Nielsen (which are themselves very highly regarded). If you have a Woodcraft nearby they also sell new hand planes under their Woodriver brand.

 

[tc65]

As Dave and Gilgaron have both mentioned, there are many ways to skin a cat and everyone's method differs just a little.

The best recommendation is to do a lot of reading. There are probably dozens of threads asking the same question(s) as you.

For a long time, the only bench plane I owned was a #5. If you need (want) to, you can use it for everything from jointing to smoothing. It is not necessarily the best for all those jobs, but it can perform each of them.

As for jointing, I prefer a #7 (although I've not yet had my hands on a #8). I like the extra weight, but at the end of a day using it a lot, my body lets me know it.

For working a rough cut board, I'll start with a #5 with a cambered blade for rapid stock removal and work to a rough thickness. I follow that with the #7 for flattening and finish with either a #4 smooth plane or my Veritas bevel up smoother. That is my typical method, but it doesn't mean it is right (or wrong), it's just the way I work with what I have.

That doesn't mean you have to buy 3-4 planes to be able to work with rough wood. When the #5 was all I had, that's what I used and still got the job done.

If you really want to learn to use hand planes I'd recommend starting with a #5 (Stanley Bailey) or an equivalent size from another manufacturer (Miller Falls, Sargent or Union). Clean it up, set it up and use it to do everything. Very soon you will develop a skill set and learn what that plane excels at and where it is lacking. From those lessons learned, you will know what plane you need next to improve your work.