Is a Jack Plane Enough?

[John Marchesan]

There are numerous references here and on other forums stating that a jack plane can be used to joint (both face and edge) smaller boards. My question is how small? I am intending to build smaller cabinets, bookshelves, boxes and frames initially and am wondering if a low angle jack would be sufficient to prep rough boards that are 3-4" thick and less than 4' long.

[Brian Kent]

Certainly. The only problem you might have is on boxes much smaller than the plane itself.

The real answer is "Yes, go get the jack plane and learn to sharpen it, and it will multiply in your tool cabinet. A year from now you will have a whole nest full of planes":D.

[Robert Rozaieski]

In short yes you can face rough lumber with just one plane but it's not ideal.

If you find yourself doing it often you'll eventually want a try plane and smoother. In fact, if you were going to start with only one plane I'd recommend the try/jointer plane over the jack. It will be more useful in the long run. You can always add a jack later. An inexpensive wooden jack would be fine for the rough work. You don't need a tight mouth and the sole need'nt be super flat for a jack when it's set up for roughing. My jack was $10. My try plane was $1 :D.

[Luke Townsley]

I've been working with an old "frankenplane" Jack plane that I hate and an el cheapo block plane for a year. I was able to flatten my 28" x 6' workbench with some care.

I just got another jack plane (It is an old Dunlap and I really don't like it much either) and life is much better.

It can work just fine. I would tend to agree with Robert for the kind of work I do. For what you are doing, the Jack might be a better choice.

That said, I just ordered a LV low angle jointer and am REALLY looking forward to putting it to work.

[Jim Koepke]

Along with the jack plane, you might also want a block plane for trimming edges and working end grain.

Being a cheapo kind of guy, it hurts me to say stay away from the cheap planes. They are cheap because anyone that knows any thing stays away from them. On the other hand, buying a quality plane on the cheap can be a very different story. One of my most used Stanley #5 Jack planes only cost $10 at an estate sale.

So buying cheap is great if one is buying what was good quality to start with.

jim

[Richard Niemiec]

There are numerous references here and on other forums stating that a jack plane can be used to joint (both face and edge) smaller boards. My question is how small? I am intending to build smaller cabinets, bookshelves, boxes and frames initially and am wondering if a low angle jack would be sufficient to prep rough boards that are 3-4" thick and less than 4' long.

Edge, yes. Face, well, perhaps, but not optimal, as with even four foot boards the length of the #5 would not be sufficient for a true surface. For such rough work as face jointing, I would recommend both a #5 and either a #6 or #7, and since you are talking about buying a low angle jack, which go in the $200+ range, for substantially less than $200 you would be able to find yourself all three, in Stanley pre-war or war time types, which would serve you well. Bench planes were made in different sizes for good reasons. An alternative would be to find a wooden joiner, which can be used with great effect, and those go for a lot less than the metal #7s; I pass on $5 and $10 woodies all the time at flea markets; an advantage to woodies is that you generally get nice thick irons and with some practice you can do excellent work. Good luck. RN

[David Keller NC]

John - It's not clear from your post whether you'll be using planes as the only means of preping rough boards, or if you're using the planes as the second step after a jointer/planer.

If you're using the planes as the means to true rough lumber, a jack plane is really not long enough to edge-joint 4 foot long boards for a panel glue-up. For someone with a good deal of skill, it can be done by constantly checking with a straightedge and only planing the high spots, but this is quite a challenge, because you must both plane it straight and plane the edge 90 degrees to one face. A far better choice, in my opinion, would be a standard (not bevel-up) jointer in the 24" size (a Stanely #8) and a smoother.

Generally speaking, the plane needs to be about 1/2 the length of the board to edge-joint without having to constantly check with a straightedge and only plane the high spots. Since the vast majority of furniture components are 4 feet or less in length, a #8 is 24" long. Longer jointing planes have been made throughout history for other purposes - a 36" long wooden jointer is not a rare plane.

For rough board preparation, you ideally want a fore plane (usually a Stanley #6), a jointer (a #8), and a smoother. A jack is a useful auxillary to the fore plane for smaller stuff, and some prefer to use a jack as a roughing plane, follow with a jointer, and finish the show surfaces with a smoother.

[Richard Niemiec]

David's suggestion of a #8 is valid indeed, but a note of warning, its a beast and you better have solid forearms....

Myself, I never found much of a difference between an 8 and a 7, and sold my 8 to finance a bevel up smoother purchase. 8's are slightly harder to find and a tad more expensive to buy used.

RN

PS: I just checked Blood and Gore, and a #6 is 18 inches long, #7 is 22 inches long, the #8 24 inches long (but a quarter inch wider than the 6 and 7). This may account for my finding no particular difference; again, I would generally be working on 5 to 6 foot length stock.

[John Keeton]

Is a Jack Plane Enough?
John, you should know better than to ask this question of a bunch of tool addicted neanders!! There is no such thing as "Enough" when used in reference to handtools:D I think you already have proof of that from the posts to date!

[Luke Townsley]

Along with the jack plane, you might also want a block plane for trimming edges and working end grain.

Being a cheapo kind of guy, it hurts me to say stay away from the cheap planes. They are cheap because anyone that knows any thing stays away from them. On the other hand, buying a quality plane on the cheap can be a very different story. One of my most used Stanley #5 Jack planes only cost $10 at an estate sale.

So buying cheap is great if one is buying what was good quality to start with.

jim

I will second this post. I don't mean to imply in any way that my Big Box Store block plane is worth what little I paid for it. It isn't. It is, however, slightly better than none.

[Justin Green]

For the uninitiated into planes - I'm just starting out as well - what are the key differences between say, a Stanley block plane from Big Box and one of the Stanley 60-ish block planes? I don't have two to compare and I've not worked with either of them...

[Richard Niemiec]

For the uninitiated into planes - I'm just starting out as well - what are the key differences between say, a Stanley block plane from Big Box and one of the Stanley 60-ish block planes? I don't have two to compare and I've not worked with either of them...

In short, fit and finish, and not in the cosmetic sense, in the sense that the milled mating surfaces actually mate properly; e.g., there was more care taken in the manufacturing process. Older stanley planes made prior to, say, 1955 or so, were made when Stanley still cared about quality. For example, the Stanley "knuckle joint" #18 is perhaps one of the finest standard angle block planes ever made. So you are better off with used planes that you can get in the classifieds here or over on WoodNet if you are value conscious and can sharpen and lap, or you get some "retail" block planes made by LN or LV, which are wonderful but expensive for someone just sticking their feet in the water of hand tools.

I could go on for pages, but google "blood and gore" and read up on Patrick's descriptions of block planes, then go out to a flea and look for some. regards. RN

[Jim Koepke]

John, you should know better than to ask this question of a bunch of tool addicted neanders!! There is no such thing as "Enough" when used in reference to handtools:D I think you already have proof of that from the posts to date!

Oh, come on, I thought I restrained myself very well this time. Usually my advice is to get at least two of just about every plane made.:cool:

jim

[lowell holmes]

Yea,
I have a pair of Skew Rebate planes I haven't used yet just because. . . . . .

They will be used soon, now about that small plow plane . . . .

I'm sure I will need all of them on the slipper foot tea table. The table that resides in my lumber rack. Yea, the tiger maple there. It's underneath the prototype cabriole leg there.

Well, back to the Stickley Plant Stand . . . .

[David Keller NC]

Justin - I'd echo Richard's comments. It reamins to be seen whether Stanley's new "premium" line of planes, one of which is a block plane, will be up to snuff, but the elcheapos in the big box stores are not worth having. They may actually be worth less than not having any, because you may conclude that planes don't work right and aren't worth the trouble.

If you can afford it, though, I'm going to suggest getting the Lee Valley (for less $$) or Lie Nielsen (more $$, but instant resale at 80% of its purchase price if you decide you don't like it) block planes - the low-angle version would be the best choice for a first one. The reason is that even Stanley block planes from the golden age (pre WWII) are far surpassed by the Lee Valley and Lie-Nielsen models, and those differences aren't just cosmetic. One of the bigger differences is the thickness of the iron, which greatly reduces chattering across end grain. And if at some point you decide you don't like it, you can sell it for almost what you paid for it.

[Justin Green]

Thanks David. I actually watched Patrick Leach's video last night. Mom's an antique dealer and had a friend in Roundtop who let me borrow it. Finally got around to watching it last night. Fell asleep right about the Stanley # 193 description. Great video, and the segment on block planes was helpful. I think I will start watching for a #18. Part of the fun in this is finding a plane covered in rust and then watching it make nice shavings a few days later (or at least as nice as I can make at this point)... At some point I'll probably order a few LN planes, though. Once I monkey around with the Stanley's enough to know I won't ruin a nice LN or LV plane.

[Zahid Naqvi]

If you don't have much experience with hand planes a jack would be a good choice to start with. The more you use it the more skilled you will get and as you find out its limitations you will be able to answer these questions yourself.

If the boards you are talking about are rough as in lumber mill rough, you can flatten the surface with a jack but it will be a lot of work. Edge jointing should not be a problem for the sizes you mentioned. The typical planning schedule with only hand planes starts with a scrub plane culminating in a smoother.

[Brian Kent]

I think I will start watching for a #18.

I didn't know what a #18 was so I looked up Stanley #18 and found a Stanley 18 sliding bevel, a Stanley #18 Knuckle Joint block plane, and a Stanley 18" wrecking bar. Of the three, I bet you're going for the block plane, huh!:rolleyes:

[Justin Green]

Yeah, although the wrecking bar could come in handy when I tear out our kitchen cabinets!

[Luke Townsley]

For the uninitiated into planes - I'm just starting out as well - what are the key differences between say, a Stanley block plane from Big Box and one of the Stanley 60-ish block planes? I don't have two to compare and I've not worked with either of them...

Just as surely a Chevy Chevette is different from a Porsche, be assured they are different animals.

My cheap block plane can be fettled to work better as I have done. However, it isn't practical to close the gaping wide mouth it has. The blade will never seat properly or stay still though more than a cut or two. It doesn't fit my hand. The adjuster is, well to be kind, awful.

And that doesn't even take into account things like durability, paint, finish, and so forth.

Of course, it doesn't help that the iron is some useless steel that won't hold an edge.

Is it a worthless tool? No, but then again, rocks and sticks are useful too.

[Justin Green]

Now that you mention that, I've noticed that my "new" block plane (bought a year or two ago before I started researching this stuff) doesn't seat the blade correctly, and that even though the mouth is gaping, I have a hard time getting chip clearance as most of the gap is behind the blade.

[Richard Niemiec]

Justin: if you look for an older #9 1/2, its essentially a #18 but without the really cool knuckle lever cap, and will do you well. They are pretty common. I passed on a #18 at the flea market last weekend for $25, so they are out there.

[Justin Green]

I need to apologize to the original poster for hijacking.... sorry.