Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Final Smoothing
Chris Hedges
>OK - while this might be heresey here, I have a question. For a guy like me who limits there plane use to final smoothing )Yeah I do like power tools!), which size plane is most adventageous? 4, 4 1/2, 5, 5 1/4, etc. Thanks.
Re: Final Smoothing
John K in Hastings, MN
>You aren't flattening, so length isn't important. You are taking VERY thin shavings, so weight isn't a big deal either. You want a really sharp blade with a really small mouth.
For that, I use a Knight smoother.
Price vs. Performance:
john jesseph
>Lee Valley "Hong Kong-Style High-Angle Smooth Plane"
My Favorites
Jim in Burlington On
>LV LA jack with the high angle blade, LN 5 1/2 and LN 4 1/2 tie then the LV LA smoother (origional) Simplicity of adjustment make the bevel up planes my first choice.
My selection
Derek Cohen (in Perth, Australia)
>Hi Chris
I think that you would need two smoothers, one for small areas and the other for large surfaces. The provisor is that both are FLAT. If they are not, then the shorter plane is the best deal.
My favourite two smoothers: LV Bevel Up Smoother (the smaller) and LV Low Angle Jack (the large).
Both will smooth second to none. They share the same size blades, which increases their versatility. The LAJ has the added benefit of being a wonderful plane on a shooting board (and I cannot believe that you can get a finish with a power tool to rival this!).
If you prefer bevel down planes, then the LN #4-1/2 (with HA frog) and a LN #5-1/2 would be the equivalents. They also share blades.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Second that.
Bob Hackett(Mainely,Bob)
>I have one of Steve`s purpleheart smoothers bedded at 55 degrees.For final smoothing on highly figured wood it`s my go to plane.For those special projects it`s never let me down.
Mainely,Bob
Why a smoother?
Dave Thompson - Champaign IL
>OK - while this might be heresey here, I have a question. For a guy like me who limits there plane use to final smoothing )Yeah I do like power tools!), which size plane is most adventageous? 4, 4 1/2, 5, 5 1/4, etc. Thanks.
Some have already answered, but I'll weigh in...for smoothing, shorter is preferred if your board may not be perfectly flat. 4 and 4 1/2 are good sizes. 4 1/2 size gives added weight and the width has some nominal advantage. I would second Derek's recommendations, though my favorite is a LN 4.5 with HA frog.
However, I do wonder why you are starting with a smoother as a first plunge into hand tools. Far more useful for a hyrbid user, I think are:
Keep in mind if you get smoother or jack or any other bench plane, having a good work bench is almost a requirement.
the patience factor
bill tindall
>If you don't have the patience to abandon a thickness planer then the tedium of adjusting a wood bodied plane may be a consideration. The wood planes are fun to diddle with but I have no patience for them when I want to get on with a project. There is a reason they remain a niche market.
To prepare stock I thickness plane, as apparently you do, then remove planer irregularities with a short metal bodied plane, then finish sand. If the wood is not cooperative then the hand planing step gets skipped and I start with coarser sand paper. I don't have need to make things even as flat as a #4 makes them, so I find a longer plane a big disadvantage when trying to clean up a surface with thin cuts.
Among the many things to consider in how to get from boards to product this has become the compromise that satisfies me(at least for this moment).
I would agree with this sage advice
bill tindall
>
Re: the patience factor
Dan Donaldson
>I also use a thickness planer just because I am lazy, but don't understand about diddling with wooden planes. I have not had any issues setting them up and adjusting them. I have a C & W small smoother and one of their trying planes and they are no more problem to adjust than any of my other planes. In some ways they are easier.
Depends...
Scott Burr in rainy Ben Lomond,CA
>Size matters here. If your making small to medium sized projects a smoother around the size of a 3 or 4 is a good go to size. Lagrer things will take a larger size plane a 4.5 is a good choice here. For things like table tops and case work a 5.5, 6 or 7 can make a good smoother. Bevel up or down is a choice you'll have to make also. Dive on in, Their lot's of fun to play with!
Re: Final Smoothing
ThomD
>I always go for the wide blade myself.
I think the Stanley style planes are basically crap, they offer no performance advantage over other plane designs, and are extremely expensive to make well. They're popular, because they are popular, because they are popular.
I would recomend ECE planes, or even some of the Chinese planes as sold by Japanwoodworker, Woodcraft, LeeValley. The downside is resale, if it ever comes to that. I'd far rather use an ECE plane, I wouldn't probably get much for it on ebay. In the adjustible versions I prefer them to LN, but they are an even worse value.
Lee Valley just sent me their most recent catalogue, and they are finally selling hock blades for Krenov style planes which are a very easy project for which the plans are available on the College of the Redwoods site. I take this as evidence that plane making is now just a basic skill on par with other "projects".