# Hand Planes



## Davisjr70 (Mar 31, 2012)

20 years in the carpentry and home building business. I never purchased or really been able to use a hand plane.

My wife and I just purchased our first home. A room off the garage I will be making this into my home workshop.

I would really like to learn to use a hand plane. What are some good hand planes to start out with? As with the numbers that are associated with the planes what do they mean>

Thanks,

William

Happy Holidays!


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Davisjr70 said:


> 20 years in the carpentry and home building business. I never purchased or really been able to use a hand plane.
> 
> My wife and I just purchased our first home. A room off the garage I will be making this into my home workshop.
> 
> ...


Hand planes can be a pleasure to use. As you mentioned you will find multiple hand planes are desired based on their design characteristics.

Many earlier threads on this topic.

This one about how to flatten a board.
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f11/hand-plane-45290/

This one on which plane to buy.
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f11/first-hand-plane-44959/

This one on learning to use hand planes.
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f11/learning-hand-planes-39645/

The above link includes a link to Patrick Leach's excellent site "Patricks Blood & Gore" which is a comprehensive summary of the Stanley Bailey hand planes. It has the descriptions of the plane by number.
http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

Note the Stanley Bedrock planes use a different numbering scheme.

Some other manufacturers e.g., Sargent used their own scheme.

There are many older planes still in circulation. Garage sales, eBay, etc. are places to look for older planes.

This is one of several sites for dating Stanley planes. As you read the threads you will see references to "Type xx" which is a another sub-number reference, e.g., No 5, Type 12. The No 5 is a model of Stanley Bailey plane, also called a "Jack". The Type 12 would state the features expected to be found on the plane and the date range when it was manufactured.
http://www.hyperkitten.com/tools/stanley_bench_plane/start_flowchart.php

Happy reading and enjoy your first plane purchase, whether new or old. Just be warned, it can be addictive. :icon_smile:


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## gideon (May 26, 2010)

I maintain a little fleet of handplanes. By far, the most useful to me have been the stanley #5's and the 101 type miniplanes. 

You can get #5's in need of rehab all over the place really cheap. I tend to pay $5 to $10 for them and it takes a few hours to get them in useable condition. You can also find plenty of reconditioned planes ready for use on ebay in the $25 to $50 price range. These are a bargain compared to what the new decent handplanes cost.


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## Snaglpuss (Nov 28, 2012)

I agree with gideon.

Get yourself a vintage Stanley No. 5 Jack or N0. 6 Foreplane and a block plane No. 220, 9 1/2, or 60.

Buy an as is one from the flea market or garage sale and clean them up yourself. See the reconditioning threads.
You could also buy one from ebay or a dealer. If you do that you want to buy a "working" plane not a collector plane.
Something a collector is not interested in because of lack of japaning or some pitting are still great for working with.

Also get yourself a basic grinder and a combination oilstone to keep your plane irons and chisels in shape. Again you don't have do go crazy and spend a load of money on the fancy stuff. Lots of info on the web to learn to sharpen. Or find a local cabinet maker that can spend an hour to show you basic grinding and sharpening. You would learn more in an hour with a guy than days on the web.

When you set your shop up make yourself a sturdy workbench with a decent vise. You don't have to spen a fortune on the vise either. Either find one at the flea market or if you have to buy new you could get away with something like this http://www.grizzly.com/products/Quick-Release-Vise-7-Jaw/G9850
Without a vise anything but a block plane is limited in utility.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I was given a Stanley #5 Jack as a gift many years ago. Not needed much in my wood carving BUT when I want to make bigger wood in a glue-up, it is a genuine pleasure to use, every time.


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## timetestedtools (Aug 23, 2012)

try this http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/what-planes-do-i-need/

and lots of links to other references I list here http://lumberjocks.com/donwilwol/blog/24092


Edit: And have fun with it. That's what its all about.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Robson Valley said:


> I was given a Stanley #5 Jack as a gift many years ago. Not needed much in my wood carving BUT when I want to make bigger wood in a glue-up, it is a genuine pleasure to use, every time.


I have checked on craigslist and up your way there are many planes and antique tools to be had and for a good price.


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## Davisjr70 (Mar 31, 2012)

Thank you all. 


Have been browsing EBay for deals on hand planes. 

As was mentioned when I get my shop set. I still need to build some kind of workbench. Previous homeowner left behind a Craftsman 4' workbench. It will serve as sharpening station.


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