Planes: How big?

Re: Planes: How big?

Tim of Dublin

>I have 3, ~24 inch long planes and 2, ~30 inch long planes.

They get used and used a bit.

Edge jointing. Try plane. One is set up for rougher work. Another set up for finer work. Different bed angles....especially for jointing. Getting tearout when prepping and edge joint is not fun.

If I did not prep wood largely by hand (I still use a power thicknesser), I could see having fewer long planes....but I'd still want 2 or three. One at 45 and one or two more at higher angles for edge jointing more difficult grain.

Tim

Quanity not size!

Ernie Miller *Topeka

>$30 CDN isn't that like 75 cents american? that is like a major gloat! I use mine alot it edge joints every board I use. you will not regret buying that plane.

Edge management

Wiley Horne--Glendora CA

>Matt,

I understand that you're asking whether you would use both a #6 and #7? I think you'd find having both very useful, and for other reasons than whether the 7 will do jobs that the 6 won't. Tim made some great points about having fairly similar planes set up in different ways for different situations, and I won't repeat what he said.

But here's something else you might think about. For me, the selection of tools one uses for wood preparation has to do with edge management as well as what tool will do what job. For preparing finished boards from roughsawn lumber, it works out for me that four planes go together very well: scrub, jack, foreplane (think #6 taking a finer cut than the jack), and jointer (#7, #8, or long woodie). I really love long woodies, but that's not material here The reason I like this group of planes is that it balances the edge dulling: All the planes are about ready to be resharpened at the same time. So it's an efficient way to batch the work. Why it works out this way involves a zillion variables about the way I do things, and other people will use different groups of planes to turn a stack of roughsawn into straight boards ready for joinery.

So you might think about whether it would be more efficient for you to do the flattening or edge-jointing jobs you do, if you started the work with had two sharp edges (#6 and #7) instead of the #6 alone. Think about how you batch the work you do.

By the way, if there's nothing the matter with that #7, and you basically like the plane, and it's thirty-something CDN, it sounds like a no-brainer to me. Get back down there is my advice.

Wiley

Re: Planes: How big?

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>Well the longer planes get used on everything over 12" long. There are alot of twisted and warped older planes around to look out for. As with all planes there is a learning curve and as soon as you master them the straighter your work will turn out. When flattening boards I have been going to my 24" Knight jointer plane seem to go quite quickly and conisderably easier than trying to put my #8.

Re: Planes: How big?

Alan Hamilton

>Matt,

I use mine all the time. I use it second only to a block plane. I use it for jointing edges and flattening stock. I don't use it to do more only because I have other planes to do those other things--like smoothing, for instance.

There are lots of folks who will tell you that the second plane you acquire should be a jointer--again, second only to a block plane.

Alan

Thanks for the info.

matt

>Thanks,

Great responses from everyone... it's to late for the plane I should of bought... but I actually have a couple old wooden jointer planes missing blades that seem in great shape, I'll search the archives for information on restoring them... it seems it will be worth the effort.

Matt

Re: Planes: How big?

Andrew F in Australia

>HI Matt,

I use a No6 for all work - a couple of times a year, I get out a block plane or a smoother.

Cheers,

Andrew