Which Planes
Alan Hamilton
>One of the evergreens on this site, and all the other wood working sites I've seen, is "what should be my first/next _______?"(fill in the blank with some tool). And around here the blank is usually filled with 'plane.'
I just finished drooling on my new Lie-Nielsen catalog and began to read some of the text. They say that the first two planes one ought to get are a jointer and a smoother, and later, only when the coffers are refilled, a jack.
I've seen that same recommendation elsewhere. It seems to me to make some sense--even overlooking that it takes no account of the specific work the plane buyer might want to do with those new planes.
But many around these here parts say a jack ought to be one's first plane because of its versatility. Others (like me) say that using only one plane to do the job best done by other planes means doing a job with less than the optimal tool; "jack of all trades, master of none."
So what's your reaction? Should a jack be the distant third plane to get?
Enquiring minds want to know.
Alan