johnsilver Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Funny this should be posted today. I am shopping for another plane. I just went got back from the Woodcraft store and lusted after the selection of planes. BTW, Woodcraft sells Stanley as well as Lie-Nielson planes. On my way home, I stopped at Ace Hardware and considered buying the Stanley plane they had. I admit I am a bottom feeder. I own two Stanley planes that I bought 20 years ago, because they were cheap. I have gotten them to where they perform well now, but then I haven't ever used one of the top quality planes. When I complain about them to my 80 year old father, he says "it's a poor workman who blames his tools". Don't you hate sayings like that. But I can't argue. It will work. I guess I'll continue to use the Stanleys until I pony up the big bucks for the good stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Myka, That helps more than you probably realise! seriously, thank you! I can afford to treat myself to that one too, but maybe I'll wait till AFTER payday just so the girlfriend doesn't execute me where i stand. Expect a question about setting it up perfectly in a month or so! Cheers! Denny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goth_fiend Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 alright then, i have a 14" jack plane i just got from the home despot and after checking it, it is straight and i still have to hone the blade, but im getting told i should take it back and get at least a 18" bench plane for building my neck thru guitar, would you all agree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 I picked up a stanley plane at a yard sale 2 days ago. A little research on the net show me that it was built between 1962 and 1967. The sole on this plane is so far from flat I can't believe it. I had read that the older stanely stuff was good, apparently I didn't find old enough! I'm going to have some serious hours into getting that sucker flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 alright then, i have a 14" jack plane i just got from the home despot and after checking it, it is straight and i still have to hone the blade, but im getting told i should take it back and get at least a 18" bench plane for building my neck thru guitar, would you all agree? ← The longer the piece, the longer the plane, I'd say. I'm going to pickup a Veritas 18" foreplane today, actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 The June 2005 issue of Fine Woodworking magazine has a review of hand planes from $30 to $300. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted June 11, 2005 Report Share Posted June 11, 2005 I am like a lot of others on this thread. I have not bought a hand plane in 30+ years. The best ones I own are crude woodblock planes with a very touchy blade-clamp setup. If I really can't screw up, I use the older Stanley or Nicholson and touch the edge up on the blade before I start. There is an exception to this. A company called General Tool makes a 6" cast iron steel plane made in China that does a remarkable job on small surfaces if you sharpen the crap out of its knife. You can actually get it to scrape in binding if you use it backwards and roll an edge on the knife. Scary stuff. They cost like $12.00. Don't over-tighten the blade holder. The screw is make of soft cheese. (Monty Python quote) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringkilla Posted June 12, 2005 Report Share Posted June 12, 2005 (edited) I must add my 2 cents in here. I can argue for Stanley Bailey planes. I have all the numbers except for a no. 1. There should be a slight crown to the sole. It is there because one must apply pressure to the infeed stroke and at he the end of cut. It is a technique one must learn over time. Don't expect to buy a plane at The Despot and claim you can use it. One must hone the blade first then test it to insure it is parrallel then and only then can you commence to cut. Oh, the first time you plane an edge, do not expect it to be flat. That is a learned practice the comes with time. And one more thing I have thirty seven years experience as a precision wood worker. Five and one half years as an apprentice so I know from which I speak Edited June 12, 2005 by stringkilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jer7440 Posted June 13, 2005 Report Share Posted June 13, 2005 There should be a slight crown to the sole. Thats interesting everything I have read online and in magazines says you should lap the sole perfectly flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M_A_T_T Posted June 13, 2005 Report Share Posted June 13, 2005 There should be a slight crown to the sole. Thats interesting everything I have read online and in magazines says you should lap the sole perfectly flat. ← I've read they can work perfectly flat or with a slight concave in the sole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedoctor Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 There are two similar topics running on this very same issue but I chose this one to put in some more info. Doc, who is often confused with me, has a diamond dressing technique that he uses to get his plane knives to play nice. I use a 50 year old Black and Decker powered oil-stone to do the same kinda thing. A good edge on a quality piece of steel would plane well in any type of holder. My favorites are wood block planes but they can't hold a candle to the slippery cast iron ones for making a smooth, long plane. Wax the base plate and keep the blade ultra-sharp and it don't matter how the thing is made or what it cost. IMHO IMHO IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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