Good Quality Hand Planes Which Do Not Require A Lottery Win?

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

Hello All,

I'm slowly but surely getting together some tools with a view to beginning my first ever guitar build (a flat-top acoustic). Could anyone reccommend some makes/models of hand plane which are of sufficient quality for this type of work but which are not extremely expensive? I am willing to spend a reasonable amount of money, but I simply cannot afford to buy the very best tools on offer.

[Clay Schaeffer]

Around here you can still pick up a decent #4 or#5 Stanley, Sargent, or Millers Falls handplane for under $10 at the flea markets. "Bailey" pattern handplanes are fairly common and if well tuned even the modern production planes with the standard blades work O.K. The older planes were better made so are a bit more desirable, but usually don't go for much more than the newer ones at the flea markets.
Ebay Uk. might also be a source for reasonably priced handplanes in your neck of the woods. If the plane looks a bit beat up and dirty and is a common style it might be perfectly serviceable, but not appeal to collectors and go for cheap.
I don't own any Lie Nielsen or Clifton planes. I have used them on occasion, and they are nice, but for my purposes the older planes work fine.

[Bob Gramann]

I bought a WoodRiver #4 from Woodcraft when they were introduced. It took very little tuning to make it an excellent plane. I have a Stanley #4 and a Stanley-Bailey #4 (I love planes and can't resist when I see a good one) that I have tuned as well as they can be. They are good planes, but the WoodRiver outperforms them by a longshot. The WoodRiver plane is heavier and has has a thicker blade that holds an edge. I have not spent any time with a Lie Nielsen so I can't compare to that, but I would declare the WoodRiver plane to be worth the money. I use it for all of my plate jointing. I bought one of the Groz planes as an experiment figuring "how bad can it be?" It wasn't worth the few dollars it cost--the y-lever fork is stamped and bent metal and won't hold an adjustment.

[Bob Hammond]

If I could only have one -- a vintage Stanley 60-1/2 (got a nice one at the estate sale of a GM auto stylist/patternmaker for $20). But I saved up my jingles and bought a Lie-Nielsen 102 Iron body. It wasn't cheap', but it's worth the money.

Beyond that, a #3-4 Stanley, and something longer, a jack, or a #6 or #7.

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

So, say If I am going to buy a new block plane and a new smoothing plane. What would be the minimum I'd have to spend on each to get a tool of sufficient quality?

[Bob Orr]

Duplicate post

[Bob Orr]

Try the Quangsheng planes from Woodwork Heaven (UK based). I have a low angle block plane and it is very good with a nice heavy blade.

here is a link

http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Qua ... lanes.html

Bob

[Bob Gramann]

The $40 Stanley block plane with the adjustable mouth from Lowe's (http://www.lowes.com/pd_97169-355-97169 ... facetInfo=) can be tuned to work quite well. I use mine a lot and I am very happy with it. The WoodRiver #4 that I mentioned above is about $140. If I didn't know about it, I would have been satisfied with an antique store Stanley #4 (the last one I bought was less than $50). I have other planes, but the Stanley block plane and the #4's are the ones I use the most.

[Clay Schaeffer]

A quick perusal of ebay completed auctions shows Stanley #4 planes in usable condition selling for as little as $3.99 (about 2 1/2 GBP) and some very nice nice examples for under $25. Stanley Bailey planes were the standard for many years and are a fine tool when properly sharpened and adjusted. Handplaning wood is a skill that must be learned, like any other, to get the best performance out of the tool.

[David King]

What ever pennies or pounds you save on a used plane you might plow into a new blade. Some of the newer tool steels make a big improvement in terms of durability. It's nice to have on plane on the bench that you don't have to sharpen every time you pick it up.

[Pat Foster]

I love old Stanleys. They're not as precisely made as a new Lie-Nielsen, or probably a Woodriver, but they're inexpensive and, as many have said, they can be tuned to become great tools. One thing that influences my purchases of old Stanleys is that for over a hundred years they were the go-to plane for countless wood workers who earned their living with them and they each have a story. I wish they could talk! Also, I like fiddling with them- sort of reminds me of keeping an old British sports car in a good state of tune. It's a learned process, and not a bother at all, once you get comfortable and quick with it. There are many sites on the web that explain the different Stanley models, the foibles and strong points, values, etc., but I this is my favorite.

http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

Note to mods: the owner of that site does sell used/antique tools, but I don't believe there are any links to any of his commercial pages on his site. If need be, feel free to delete, with my apologies.
Pat

[Waddy Thomson]

Yes, that's right. One has to sign up for his monthly newsletter to see what's for sale. I have bought a number of planes and other interesting tools from him. Nice stuff. My best were an old, but new in box 60 1/2 adjustable mouth box plane and a Bailey 4 1/2 Smoother, that was a perfectly tuned pre-war plane. Not cheap, but good stuff. Some need lots of clean-up, some don't.

[Adam Savage]

Hi Ciaran,
I would add another shout out for Workshop Heaven and their Quangsheng planes. I have a No7 from them, and whilst a little less well finished than the equivalent Lie Nielsen, performs just as well as a LN 5 1/2 I have. And considerably cheaper.
As to which particular model, that is more personal choice, but for me a 5 1/2 provides the size and heft I like. As for a block plane - they are handy, but there is little you can do with a block plane that you cant with a normal bench plane. I would consider them more of a luxury than an essential, if you are trying to spend as little as possible.
Workshop Heaven have a Quangsheng version of the old Stanley No62 low angle jack, but they sell it with 3 irons, ground to different angles to (with minimal effort swapping them over) convert the plane into 3 different uses - normal jack, end grain and scraping.
Failing that, eBay is your friend - but perhaps only if you can assess the plane from a listing prior to purchase, or are happy spending the time tuning it up.

Cheers,
Adam

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

Thanks to everyone for the info!

[Patrick Hanna]

Hello, Ciaran,
I am not familiar with the resources you have in Ireland with regard to antique shops, flea markets, and the like. I just want to add my name to the list of those who have picked up great old tools in places like that, without spending a lot of money. Of course, you need to have a good idea of what condition you are looking for when you appraise an old plane. If it's an old Stanley (or the like) and if all the parts are there and if the parts (particularly the iron--the cutting blade) are not deeply pitted with rust, you can often pick these tools up for very reasonable prices. I once bought a late 1890s-vintage Stanley jointer with only light surface rust, no pits, for $16 American at an estate sale, which was held in the yard beside the house where the previous owner had recently died. ...And that house was across the street from MY house! Walk in, make the winning bid, pay the price, walk home, 30 minutes removing surface rust and an hour tuning, and my wonderful tool was restored and back in service!

You will certainly want to acquire your most needed plane or planes as soon as possible, from the resources available to you. After that, please consider haunting your antique shops, flea markets, estate auctions, etc., in search of tools that you might need in the future. Of course, they all require a little time investment on your part to tune them up, but that is pleasant time for me. If the old tool you see in a shop is not quite right, just pass it by. Another will come along soon enough. Be on the look out for tools which haven't occurred to you yet. Two years ago, I happened upon a wonderful rosewood handled sliding bevel for a few dollars American at an antique shop in another city. Further, I have acquired quite a number of wonderful old socket chisels in this way. Many of them were missing their handles, but I enjoy turning new handles. They could as easily be carved by hand. I am sure you catch my meaning here.

Keep your eyes on the lookout, but be selective when you appraise an old tool on the shelf. If you believe you can set it right with a little honest work, go for it. Very best of luck to you!

Patrick

[Clay Schaeffer]

Hi Ciaran,
Another possibility, in your part of the world, might be to stumble on an old infill plane in some odd corner. If you do, grab it - they are supposed to be superior to the bailey type planes, and on this side of the pond are uncommon and sell for big bucks.

[Adam Savage]

On this side of the pond they sell for a wadge of cash too (infills). And if they are cheap, you have either been incredibly lucky, or have a heck of a lot of work to do bringing it back to usable condition. My 40th is coming up in a couple of years, and ive left subtle hints with regard to Konrad Sauers wares... But I digress.
Old tools are definitely the cheapest option, but I do reckon a little experience first in tool use and prep would be extremely helpful in both selection and any necessary remedial work.

Cheers,
Adam

[Paul E Buerk]

Old Stanley's off craigslist and ebay, then buy Hock irons. You can usually find "users" cheap, sometimes with repaired handles that make them worthless to collectors but just fine for your bench use. If you don't have a thickness sander, then it's not a bad idea to pick up a couple #4's, get a Hock iron for one and tooth whatever's in the other. For joining, I have a #6 that I like more than the #7 I had.

[Bob Hammond]

Ciaran, over here in the USA, we don't have an accurate idea about what tools, new or used, that are availabe to you in Ireland at a 'reasonable' price.

That said, today I needed to smooth an irregular block to mount on a lathe (ok, a bit distant from lutherie). It was an offcut of figured black cherry about 6"x8"x2" that would be dangerous to smooth on a powered machine without the use of a jig. Well, I had a hefty chunk of ash - a well-seasoned quartered piece of firewood about 20" long and 4" & 4" on two sides, with a round live edge. I ran it across my powered jointer on the two 4" edges, and then stuck some PSA abrasives paper on the sides. Presto! a massive 'sanding block/plane. It took down the rough surface easily, and was easy to work without excessive pressure, on such an irregular block. I'm sure an expensive steel edged handplane would have been more difficult to use for the roughing and smoothing, although it might be ok for fine surfacing (which isn't necessary for lathework.)

But I think the same sanding 'plane' could be used to surface sides and plates, for a person who's starting out. It would be necessary that the bench's surface to be flat as possible, and it would be necessary to figure out a way to hold the thin stock. But the good part is that this tools would cut quickly enough over a large area without digging in to the thin stock. I think I'll give it try on some scrap.

[mike wingate]

I can also recommend Workshop Heaven and the Quangsheng planes. I started to fettle my old Stanley and Record planes. Replacing the old blades with a selection of better blades. from Rob Cosman, Samurai and Quangsheng. I upgraded the chipbreakers and yolks also . However if I was starting from scratch, I would just get the Quangsheng models. I have bought their no.62 which is amazing, and have the st.steel spokeshave pair, the low angle block plane and large chisel plane. Amazing tools at a great price. One of my friends has bought the QS no.5. It is great.