Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Top Five Planes
Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL
>I recently asked a woodworking instructor for some guidance for plane purchasing, with utility in mind. He wrote back that his top five planes, in order, are:
4�
60�
8
60�R
Scrub Plane.
What is your opinion of this list?
I have one version or another of the first three, and certainly would like to pick up some sort of scrub in the not-too-distant future.
Re: Top Five Planes
Scott Post
>What's a 60-1/2R? I didn't see it in Stanley Blood & Gore.
I think the list should be more generalized:
jack
jointer
scrub
low angle block plane
smoother
If I had only one jack plane I'd want a low angled jack (#62) with a couple irons. I'd grind one at about 30 degrees for normal work and one at 38 degrees for gnarly wood. For the jointer I'd use (and do use) and old wooden jointer. For a scrub I like the Stanley #40 but a wooden scrub would be fine. I don't like a jack plane as a scrub 'cuz it's too heavy unless it's made of wood. Like the low angled jack, I'd have two irons for the block plane. One ground at 25 degrees for end grain and one at 38 degrees for tough grain. For a smoother I'd use a coffin bodied wooden smoother because they're light and easy to hold. Baileys give me blisters.
Luckily we don't have to narrow it down like this. I like having an old wooden jack with the #62 saved for more specialized work. Also, this list only covers bench planes. If I was expanding it, I'd include a shoulder plane. A shoulder plane can be used for non-tenon work like rabbeting although it's not ideal because the mouth is too tight.
Re: Top Five Planes
Frank Mutchler
>All depends on the type of work you will be doing. If you're like me (and a few others in this community, I suspect) you buy some planes you know you're going to use and some planes you think you might/maybe/quite possibly will use at some undefined future point, and some planes you're probably not going to use but it's too good a deal to pass up, and some planes because you weren't going to be out bid, and some......
Regarding your list, I think there's a big gap between the 4.5 and the 8. I'd probably pass on the eight and suggest a 6 or 7 instead. Why 2 LA block planes? Not many folks I know have the time to use a scrub for more than an occasional piece or two so it's not high on my list of 'users'. I'd replace it with a shoulder plane.
Here's how I'd change your list to suit me:
LA Block
4 or 4.5 or 5
6 or 7
3110 (3 in 1) shoulder
45, 405, or 50
Re: Top Five Planes
Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL
>Hi Scott,
The 60-1/2R is the L-N Rabbet Block Plane, which can do, I believe, a bunch of tenon/rabbet adjustment duties. (I don't have one)
Re: Top Five Planes
Wiley Horne--Glendora CA
>For me, the first four choices would be,
4-1/2 for all smoothing, trimming, block plane
chores
5-1/2 for panel flattening and jointing shorter
pieces.
7 for face jointing
large shoulder, 073-type, which has enough
mass to do a host of chores (end grain
jointing, drawer top trimming, rabbets)
My fifth choice would be a 22-24" woodie trying plane (translation C&W) for edge jointing. This is cause I love to edge joint and therefore miss no opportunity to do it--and part of the reason is that trying plane. Someone else might prefer a high-end 'go to' smoother, or else a combination plane to do all kinds of molding work.
Wiley
Re: Top Five Planes
Darrell in Oakville
>Top five planes? Hmmm... kinda depends on what you're doing, eh?
For stock prep I use a scrub, transitional jack, iron jack, and jointer, along with winding sticks and a straight-enough edge. If you get NICE rough sawn lumber, without a lot of bow or twist, then you won't really need the scrub plane, just a jack with a heavily cambered iron.
For joinery I use a shoulder plane, block plane, smooth plane, plow, and fillister planes. If you cut a lot of grooves, you'll want a side rabbet a lot more often than you'll want a scrub plane.
For finish surfaces I use a jointer and smoother, followed by scraping and even some sanding if required.
So, if I took these lists and glommed them all together I use the Jack, Jointer, and Smoother nearly all the time plus a variety of other planes in the 4th & 5th spots.
There's not much you can do with a block plane that your smoother won't handle. It's difficult to replace the utility of a shoulder plane. Without a plow or combination plane you really limit your joinery options. And that side rabbet is the best thing for getting a good fit for panels in grooves.
I guess, now that I think about it, I'd put a shoulder plane in the 4th spot. I don't rightly know what to suggest for #5, as I don't know what you will be building with your planes.
Darrell
Wood Hoarder, Blade Sharpener, and Occasional Tool User
Re: Top Five Planes
Rolf Schmid
>Impossible Task to answer this question:
There are my traditional japanese planes, I really like to use, because they are light and fast
then there are the LN 164 and 62....
I enjoy working with the LN #7, but last week I tuned an old wooden jointer with a 6mm thick iron and was really surprised with the positiv results.
Then there are my one designed planes (machine from solid steel) heavy but also fun to use, espacially, when the wood is dificult.
Then there is the japanese smoother form Steve K.
small handy and versatile for difficult wood....
The plane I like and dislike at the same time is
the LN large shoulder plane: good shavings but bad handling, I really hate the handle to hold the heavy plane!!!!!
then there is the Record #4 and Stanley #5 I almost sold. Now I have tuned one with a CMP 10V-Blade and the other with the LN #9-Blade
and I don�t want to miss them any more!
So..... I "love" them all and my Top 5 List would be different every day .....
regards from Germany
Rolf
Re: Top Five Planes
John K in Hastings, MN
>Yep, any such question is moot. No one has reached the point where they don't want another, so it's just a matter of which one to get NEXT.
John
Re: Top Five Planes
GolfSteve in Calgary
>That list matches my list exactly. I don't find a problem with the large gap between the #4-1/2 and the #8. With the planes in this list you can perform pretty well all of the common tasks.
The 6th plane I would add is the shoulder plane.
Re: Top Five Planes
Clay Craig in Miami
>I guess I'd put a shoulder plane before the 60 1/2R, especially if you already have a 60 1/2.
Re: Top Five Planes
Earl Drury prague okla
>How about a 60 1/2, sandusky coffin smoother, jack,jointer & 3/4 sandusky skew.And a good german scrub wouldn;t hurt anything either
Re: Top Five Planes
John Weber - GO BUCKS!
>From a power tool guy, mine would be:
Block Plane (pick you flavor)
LN Low Angle Jack Plane
Number 4 Bench Plane
Veritas Scraper Plane
Number 6 Fore Plane
If I could add one more it would likely be a shoulder plane. I also have a weakness for block planes and #3's and tend to collect each.
John
Re: Top Five Planes
Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL
>I think I should have elaborated further.
I have quite a few different planes, although not one in every category. My wife bought me a plane for Christmas, which, although it was very nice, after some reflection was not the best choice for me at this stage of plane accumulation. I have already returned it (an L-N 5�) to exchange for something else.
The advice I got was more for the first five planes to accumulate. I found it interesting because it was not exactly what I have usually read. Especially the lack of a jack plane in the list.
Anyway - just curious what the crowd had to say.
Re: Top Five Planes
Roy: Vista CA
>Buy them all! You should even buy the ones you have no idea what they do!
I'm trying! I'm trying!
Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL
>
Re: Top Five Planes
R.J.Whelan
>Don ...
Low angle block
Jack - I use a #5
Jointer - I've used both a #7 and #8; the #8 is a bit too much for my old shoulders and elbows
Smoother - I use a #3 and a C&W
Rebate - I have several and use all of them (073 is probably the most versatile but it is a bit heavy, at times - most of the time the weight is an advantage; just gets a little tiring after a while)
Mitre plane - a #5, 6 or 7 works fine, but I love the dedicate plane and can't think of the last thing I built where I didn't use this plane.
Good luck ... rj
Re: Top Five Planes
Russell Seaton
>I recently asked a woodworking instructor for some guidance for plane purchasing, with utility in mind. He wrote back that his top five planes, in order, are:
4�
60�
8
60�R
Scrub Plane.
What is your opinion of this list?
This list is mainly bench type planes and not the more specialized joint cutting planes.
#5 jack plane is my most used plane. Everyone should probably have two or three jacks set to take a different shaving thickness.
#7 jointer for edges or larger/longer flat surfaces.
73 shoulder plane. Serves the same purpose as the block plane and rabbet block plane. Yet will do more too, particularly joints. Not as easy to handle or possible to use one handed.
#4 or #4.5 smoother.
5th plane? A block plane is handy. I use my scrub plane occassionally and really love using it. No reason not to have one. But if forced, I might say get a second #5 set to take a different cut than your good #5.
Top four . . . you choose the fifth
Andrew F in Australia
>I have way too many planes.
The only four which I use regularly and in order of use are:
No6 used for general bench work and jointing
Shoulder plane (Old Record 3110)
Block plane (HNT Gordon palm smoother)
Smoothing plane (Woodie from approx 1950, adjustable throat, lignum vitae sole)
Cheers,
Andrew
Re: I make it six!
paul womack
>Stock prep, bench work:
Joinery
The only 2 that aren't essential are the shoulder and block. A block plane has no specific purpose, but they're just so darn handy, I daren't suggest a plane list without one. You could probably get by without a shoulder plane for a long time though; they're nice, but careful use of a good paring chisel on well made saw cuts will get you by.
And, I have to say, if I was starting out, and wanted an easy route, I'd get the whole set from Lee Valley, exceptin' the combination plane, which would be a #50 (or #050) from a trusted s/h too dealer.
BugBear
Re: I make it six!
Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX
>Or if you wanted woodies, ECE or HNT would have the full line, minus the combination plane, ECE does have a full size plow.
Pam
Re: most important
paul womack
>minus the combination plane
I regard the combination plane as very important; it performs grooving and dadoing, rebating (really a variation on grooves), beading and T&G work.
It name "combination" is well earned, since it allows many other planes to be managed without.
Hence it's desirability when trying to minimise tool count.
BugBear (who recently got the best combination plane, a Record #050)
Single purpose planes
Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX
>My tendency is to use single purpose planes; so while I love the 044/043 plows, I use a Veritas beader, quirk router, Preston chamfer shave, matched T&G woodies, couple of Japanese dados, etc. This is partly a result of how I acquired planes gradually as I learned, partly natural predilictions that specify simpler, lower setup time, tools.
Pam
Re: I make it six!
Don Thompson, Cutler Ridge, South of Miami FL
>No scrub? By my count, only three folks explicitly or implicitly count a scrub plane in the First Five.
Re: not the question
paul womack
>I also have a large number of single purpose tools (*); but the OP wanted a top 5.
BugBear
(*) and, come to think of it, quite a lot of combination tools. Let's just say I ave quite a lot of tools ;-)
My answer was my response to the question.
Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX
>