first woody?

[Zach England]

Pardon the ignorance here.

I've gotten pretty comfortable with my growing plane collection and I feel like I have a good useful assortment of general purpose block and smoothing planes. I have a couple jack planes that I don't find a need for too often. I also have rabbet, chisel and scraper planes. I haven't ventured into dimensioning rough lumber--I will use my power tools for that for the time being. In other words, I don't really have a use for jointer planes and their ilk.

So I think it is time to add a woody or two. The appeal is not to achieve any kind of new functionality, but to expand my skill set and increase my exposure to different aspects of woodworking. Also, the general aesthetic of wood planes appeals to me.

So, for someone who has never used a wood plane, what would you suggest as a first? I am thinking the Primus adjustable smoothing plane (the one below) but am also intrigues by a few block and jack planes I have seen. Input?

Thanks.

http://www.thebestthings.com/newtools/graphics/ece_711.jpg

[Pam Niedermayer]

That Primus smoother not only works very well, it's fun to use, the resulting surface is just a touch off from my Japanese planes. Only real problem is that some have difficulty remounting the blade after sharpening.

Pam

[Chuck Nickerson]

Given your reason for considering a wooden plane, expanding your skill set, I'm not sure a Primus is the way to go. I say that because the Primus blade-adjustment mechanism works like metal planes - nothing new there for you. I think the major skill-shift with wooden planes is adjusting the blade depth with hammer taps.

[Zach England]

Thanks for the input. How about this offering from Lee Valley?

I am thinking it might not make sense for me to invest in high-end wood planes since I'd like to make some myself after having some experience with off-the-shelf models. At just over $50 compared to almost $200 for the primus candidate I like this idea. That other $150 could go towards a Lie Nielsen something-or-other. :)

This is the "gent's plane"

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=46935&cat=1,41182

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/planes/24p2201s1.jpg

[Jim Koepke]

I have one transitional, excuse me it is a joiner, that works pretty well, but mostly sits on a shelf. Then, I have a few wooden moulding and rabbet planes that are not duplicated by my metal planes and get used more often.

So, my reply is to buy wooden planes made to do something you need done that your metal planes don't do.

jim

[Graham Hughes (CA)]

That will certainly work. You can get woodies on eBay for almost nothing, but they frequently need to have the mouths replaced. It's not a difficult job but you may not want to bother, and the one ECE plane I have (dovetail plane) works quite well.

[Zach England]

Ok, thanks. I think I'll pick that up in my next LV order. I should probably wait, though, since I have already ordered from LV twice this week.

[Chuck Nickerson]

Ok, thanks. I think I'll pick that up in my next LV order. I should probably wait, though, since I have already ordered from LV twice this week.

But we have to keep them in business (says the man who's placed three LV orders this month). The gent's plane will certainly do for a start, and the price is right. Keep in mind that higher-end wooden planes (e.g. Clark & Williams) have a tapered iron. That involves a slightly different skill set with much more satisfying results. So if the gent's plane is less than ideal, don't give up on wooden planes, just make sure your next one has a tapered iron.

[Zach England]

But we have to keep them in business (says the man who's placed three LV orders this month). The gent's plane will certainly do for a start, and the price is right. Keep in mind that higher-end wooden planes (e.g. Clark & Williams) have a tapered iron. That involves a slightly different skill set with much more satisfying results. So if the gent's plane is less than ideal, don't give up on wooden planes, just make sure your next one has a tapered iron.


Ok, thanks. Do you know if that plane was made exclusively for LV? I cannot find it anywhere else on the web.

I got my set of three dovetail saws last night. Those are a great bargain for $150. I haven't had a chance to make anything with them yet, and won't until after Christmas, but I did some test cuts and they sure are nice.

[Mike Henderson]

If you want to expand your skill set, make your own wooden plane. They're not hard to make, nor expensive. The most expensive thing is the blade and if you screw up, you can save that and use it in your next wooden plane. Hock sells a "kit" with the blade and chip breaker. You can even buy plans for the body if you need it.

You'll get a better learning experience for less money than buying a commercial wooden plane.

Mike

[Jon Toebbe]

I'd say Mike has a great idea. I've been drooling over the Hock kits for some time now. If you're not interested in making one, I can vouch that the Mujingfang planes are a phenomenal bargain. I bought a set of three from a vendor on eBay. Shipping took forever (bulk rate from China), but they work exceptionally well.

[Zach England]

I DO intend to make a wooden plane, but since I have never held one in my hand I want a decent prototype first. I have never heard of Mujingfan. I'll check into that. Thanks.

[Mike Henderson]

If you want to see and hold a few wooden planes first, buy a few off eBay. You can usually get them pretty cheap.

Our ancestors had worked out the design over many years. Not to say that improvements can't be made, but if you use old planes as a guide you'll get a very serviceable plane.

Mike

[Doug Mason]

I used the Ron Hock kit for my first wooden plane. It took most of the guesswork out of the process. That's what I would get were I in your shoes!

[James Carmichael]

If you want to expand your skill set, make your own wooden plane.
Mike

+1
My first homemade woodie cuts better than any of my vintage Stanley rehabs. It cost something like $50 for the Hock/Krenov iron. The rest was purpleheart scraps I already had on hand.

[Leigh Betsch]

In 2007 the only plane I owned was a Stanly BORG block plane. Then I started to make my own..... up to nine or ten now including a couple of Stanleys. I get a lot of satisfaction out of making woodies, they are easy to make, fast to make, and cheap. If they don't work right you can just make another, I seem to learn from each one I make. I've bought a couple of woodies just to get different ideas. Then I do a few mods on them just to make them mine. I built 34 irons a few years ago so I have an inventory of blades just waiting for the wood!. I also own one of those ECE Primus smoothers, pretty good plane but I bought used, don't think I'd pay full price for one.

[David Keller NC]

Zach - If you want a totally traditional-style wooden plane but don't want to restore an antique (which is sometimes fairly easy, and often times not), there are more modern makers than at any time in the last 80 years. Their offerings aren't cheap, but they are in enough demand that you can sell it and get most of your investment back if you don't want to keep it.

These are the ones that come to mind immediately, other creekers may have a more comprehensive list:

The premier maker of traditional, 18th century style British planes - http://www.planemaker.com/products.html Note that there is a very long waiting list for the molding planes, but the bench planes get delivered pretty quickly.

Some up-and-comers that have gotten good reviews:

Philly Planes - http://www.phillyplanes.co.uk/

D.L. Barrett and Sons:

http://dlbarrettandsons.com/Planes.html

[Dan O'Sullivan]

Zach
If you want to get into the wooden plane world, you would do well to get David Finck's book on wooden planes. It's not a history of wooden planes but a book packed with ideas on how to build nice working planes in the Krenov mode(laminated construction). I made a couple of York pitch smoothers with wood I had sitting around and I put Ron Hock high carbon blades in both of them. They worked so well, I sold them at a demonstration I participated in demonstrating how to plane curly maple.
I wouldn't discourage you from getting the LV plane you posted but making the plane allows you to modify it to your hands. I like to make mine with a longer front end than the Primus plane. That's just what works for me.