# scrub plane useful?



## GISer3546 (Jan 30, 2013)

I have built up my hand plane collection significantly recently to include a 3 and a 7 stanley bailey, a 5 wood river, a no 4 shelton (not my favorite), a veritas scraper plane, and a wood river low angle block plane. So far Ive done a good bit of jointing some larger panels (24" and wider). I do not have a power planer bc of space limits, the cost, the size of my panels, the though of sharpening the blades, and the fact that I like using hand tools. Should I just get over my picky hang ups and get a planer or could I get a scrub plane and use it to hog off the larger amounts of wood that I sometimes have to deal with in jointing? Whats the general opinion of the scrub plane out there?


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

GISer3546 said:


> Should I just get over my picky hang ups and get a planer or could I get a scrub plane and use it to hog off the larger amounts of wood that I sometimes have to deal with in jointing? Whats the general opinion of the scrub plane out there?


Oh boy, two hot button topics in one post, power vs hand planing and scrub plane.

A recent thread on scrub planes may help you decide whether to get a scrub plane, or just another blade.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f11/choosing-scrub-plane-german-planes-expert-needed-52942/

Power planing vs hand planing is a personal preference.

I have a number of hand planes. I love using my hand planes, but I like being able to flatten wide boards with my power planer.


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## renaissanceww (Jul 19, 2013)

I do mill a lot of stock by hand but I'll be the first one to say that I won't get rid of my power planer (in fact I'm buying a new, bigger one). The planer is the only power tool I have left in fact. Being able to mill a board by hand is a fundamental skill that can save your bacon many times but it is hard work and not very exciting. In other words it can get old real fast when you are hankering to get into the joinery phase. That being said, I am the owner of a Veritas scrub plane and it is a a beautiful tool. I did not buy it however as it was a Christmas gift from my MIL about 6 or 7 years ago. I would not have bought it on my own and that is because a scrub plane is such a rough tool that the sole doesn't have to be anywhere near flat and the mouth MUST be wide open to accommodate the thick shavings. So the tolerances of the new scrub planes are just major overkill when you can spend $20 on a boat anchor vintage 4 or 5 and camber the iron and go to work. 

Now to the other hidden point in this question. Scrub or Fore plane? The scrub is a continental tool in origin while the Fore is all English. The Fore is longer and heavier and great for milling boards quickly. The scrub will work too, but with a shorter sole it won't flatten as well as it rides the hills and valleys. With a heavy cut this can ameliorated but the smaller footprint means less mass and therefore you have to work harder to take the heavier cut. So really if you actually plane to mill lumber by hand the Fore is probably the better choice. The scrub has other uses though like quickly reducing the width of a board when you are wide by an inch or so.

A strong case can be made for either plane. I have both and use them pretty equally. If I can get any point across though it is that you don't need to drop the cash on a new version of either since the tolerances are really not important. Buy vintage and revive a little history!


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## GISer3546 (Jan 30, 2013)

Thanks guys greatly appreciate the in put. I ended up picking up a user Stanley 40 scrub plane but its in pretty rough shape so a good but of work will be needed on it. The iron will need some work and the curved blade is not at all like what Im used to dealing with. Till then my Wood River #5 and my Stanley #7 seem to be my goto.


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