Question: Which Plane Socks for these Planes?

[Tony Filippone]

Hi folks,

I'm migrating to plane socks (from the original boxes) as a storage tool. Works well with #4s and #5s. However, there are some others that are less standard in form factor. Could anyone provide suggestions for the right size for these planes (or alternative storage options):

LV Veritas Small Plow
LV Veritas Skew Rabbit Plane
LN Large Router Plane
LN Small Router Plane
LN Large Scraping Plane

Thanks!

[John Powers]

Real men don't use plane socks. You use the plane, swipe a little oil on the bottom, o excuse me, the sole and that's it. I'd no sooner put a plane in a sock than i'd slip into my wifes yoga tights. Call me old fashioned but all of my tools are going to outlive me no matter what I do.

[Joe Bailey]

What he said.
I'm going to be blunt here for a minute -- and this isn't so much directed at the original poster as it is triggered by his question.
When I think of the men - real men - who used these tools before us, I cringe at some of these topics: socks for planes, machining plane soles and sides to NASA-like tolerances, 8000 grit sharpening stones that cost more than the tools they're intended to sharpen, etc., etc.
I guess part of this is from growing up in a rust-belt town, but hey - you tell em, NJ!

[Zach England]

There are no plane socks for those planes. You will need a "plane cozy".

(This from a self-proclaimed yuppy, sissy-boy woodworker who loves his 8000-grit stone and likes to listen to opera and drink green tea in the shop.)

[Jamie Buxton]

I use socks on planes when they go out of the shop. I'd rather have some padding around them while they're rattling around in a toolbox in the back of the truck.

[Bill Houghton]

Why not ask Lee Valley?

And, not to push this thing too far, but what's unmanly (or unwomanly) about thinking about protecting the tools? Tony didn't mention, in his original post, whether he uses these planes a lot in the field or struggles with rust issues in a poorly-insulated-and-protected shop in a high-humidity climate, or one near the ocean; either of these could be reason to think about protecting the tools in some manner.

For me, "in the field" is taking the plane from the shop into the house or one of the other projects around our half-acre; but if I worked on other people's houses for a living, I'd think about more protection than I give them now (careful carrying). Not sure it'd be plane socks; a toolbox is more likely. My tools are not shelf-sitting bling; they work, and they get some scars, and I think the scars are honorable scars. But they're NOT self-healing; so I would think about how to protect them if I were seeing more damage.

My son uses a saw scabbard for his several Japanese-style saws, which he finds very useful in his remodeling trade (more so than Western saws, but mainly for trimming in awkward spots; boards get crosscut or ripped with electrons). Makes perfect sense to me.

[Tony Filippone]

Real men don't use plane socks.I'll ignore what I hope is an attempt at humor.Frankly, I've read too much about shop "furniture" with dovetailed panties and fancy inlayed chests. Real men take axes and chip down their own timber. But I digress :)My solution to my storage "problem", being that I own almost every LN plane (and and many LVtools) I have a poorly insulated shop near the ocean is to use camellia oil, wax, silicone impregnated socks, and a corrossion resistant emitter in a harbor freight tool chest. Real men use mechanics chests, not wimpy wood storage options :). In this way, I get drawers, wheels, and almost my entire hand tool collection in one $360 chest, which is a lot cheaper than a few sheets of plywood, drawer guides, and heavy DIY castors. Excluding time to build it instead of other fun things. Tools in use go on the bench....the rest put on fluffy socks and return to a drawer. I'll eventually build a little wall mount tray for planes in use.I left my oil-coated #5 out for a couple of weeks and it picked up some light rust (easily removed). So, I appreciate others' better fortune than my bad luck.

[Steve Friedman]

My solution to my storage "problem", being that I own almost every LN plane (and and many LVtools) I have a poorly insulated shop near the ocean is to use camellia oil, wax, silicone impregnated socks, and a corrossion resistant emitter in a harbor freight tool chest. Real men use mechanics chests, not wimpy wood storage options :). In this way, I get drawers, wheels, and almost my entire hand tool collection in one $360 chest, which is a lot cheaper than a few sheets of plywood, drawer guides, and heavy DIY castors. Excluding time to build it instead of other fun things. Tools in use go on the bench....the rest put on fluffy socks and return to a drawer. I'll eventually build a little wall mount tray for planes in use.I left my oil-coated #5 out for a couple of weeks and it picked up some light rust (easily removed). So, I appreciate others' better fortune than my bad luck.

Can't beat the plane socks (or just regular socks) for travelling with the tools. I always take tools with me when I go on vacation. However, the NJ rust in my unheated garage just laughed at the Camelia Oil and Lie-Nielsen plane socks this year. It was so bad that I finally decided to use Goldenrod dehumidifiers. It was much easier and cheaper that I thought it would be. I also use a metal chest - a converted 10-drawer parts cabinet and it took me around 10 minutes to install two of the Goldenrods. All it took was drilling a couple of small holes (big enough got electrical wire to fit through) near the bottom rear corners of the cabinet and it has worked perfectly so far.

For extra rust-prevention, I was clued into something called Slip-It and use it for everything that is not protected by the Goldenrod. I use wax (because it's not greasy) for the stuff that's Goldenrod protected stuff. Have relegated the plane socks to travel use only.

Steve

[Halgeir Wold]

Hello guys......from an occational poster up north....
Initially, in my mind I cathegorized the OP as another go at the tool snobbery that sometimes takes off here.... no ill intent, though...just a friendly comment.
OTOH I can most certainly relate to the OPs problem....I myself live appx. 150 yds from the high arctic seafront. In really bad weather, the whole neighbourhood is dunked in seaspray, creating a very high salt content in the air, - high even under good and moderate weather conditions.
Any tools left in my garage even for shorter periods, particularly during winter, develops corrosion. Plated tools of course take a little more time, but left there, they are guaranteed to have rust spots! Plane socks and the likes are unheard of in my corner, - the traditional way was oil cloth and light oil...or lightly oiled canvas...one of my grandfathers was a carpenter, and between each job, he would meticulously wrap all his tools in oil cloth....

[James Taglienti]

Have some made by a family member or local business. Its a pretty simple design. Some scissor snips, a pieceof rope, and a few passes on a sewing machine. They wont say lee valley on them but if youre as manly as you say, it shouldnt matter! A friend's wife recently made me some chisel and rasp rolls. One is bright teal, one has rainbows printed on it, and the other has horses. The fabric is a canvas, like duck. So i use them but they dont leave the shop!

[Bill Moser]

Plane socks are great for avoiding toolbox dings while transporting, but don't make the mistake I did. I left my planes in planesocks in my bag for a week. Indoors, in air-conditioning, so a low humidity environment. And guess what? They rusted :mad: Not a lot, but enough so that I don't leave them like that for more than a day. At home, I keep them on open wood shelves, with one end propped up on a piece of wood or thin styrofoam, and have never had problems with rusting, even on high-humidity days with no AC. This is all above-ground BTW, storage in a basement is probably another matter.

[John Powers]

Just kidding. I'm 64. Just dropped off food for my daughter in laws baby shower. Asked if I were staying I gave the real men don't do baby showers answer but I noticed there were a few guys there. I'm an old fart who'll fight for your right to protect your tools as you see fit. But, I will stand by the notion that slapping a metal straight edge on a new plane before you run it over a piece of wood is questionable and standing in line for an hour gauking at you phone waiting for BRUNCH is crazy. Now, where'd I leave my glasses so I can find my walker?