Do I need more planes?

[Adam Stevens2]

After my 'sharpness epiphany' I am getting a little bit more enthusiastic about going down to the basement and getting some work done. I've been rather haphazardly adding tools to my kit as I've been going along; now I'm trying to decide if I need to look into adding some more planes to my arsenal, or if I can settle with what I have for the time being and make some stuff instead of spending my cash on tools.

Right now I have:


LV #6 - pretty much all-purpose plane right now
Krenov-ish style smoother
random 3/4" dado plane (I have a knack for bookcases?)
Stanley #78 rabbet plane
Veritas large router plane


I've been wondering whether I should look into a dedicated waste-hogger such as a scrub, or whether I can get away with using the #6 to work as both a workhorse and a jointer by swapping out blades? Money isn't so much an object as space, I don't really have much more room for tools at the moment. They all just sit on my bench with the exception of my saws, which I finally made a basic till for.

Any opinions would be much appreciated.

[Rick Whitehead]

The next plane I would recommend that you get is a block plane.They're handy for all sorts of planing tasks.
I'm assuming that your question: "Do I need more planes?" is a rhetorical question.Around here, the answer is certainly "YES!"
Rick

[Graham Haydon]

I'd say make some stuff but I know I don't follow that advice as it can be good fun trying different things. But being serious, making things, simple stuff if you're starting out, will be very good guide.

[John Vernier]

If you want a "hogging" plane I would suggest something in the #5 size. I have a #6 and love it as a short jointer, but I think it is a little heavy, and a bit too wide a blade to be a convenient jack plane (I know some people use the #6 that way). And if you want to switch the plane between the roles of jointer and jack, you might find yourself wanting to adjust the frog as well as changing the blade for different functions, and it would begin to seem less convenient.

Personally I prefer using a #5 with a significant camber over a #40-type scrub plane, for most typical board-flattening operations. I find the scrub plane is more aggressive than I usually need, and takes more cleaning up after. Also, the narrower blade of the scrub means that I don't necessarily save time or sweat over using the jack plane, even though the scrub is lighter and cuts more deeply. Lately I've been mostly using a transitional jack, which I'm learning to like even more than my old Stanley #5 (lighter and less friction), but not everyone wants to go there.

I do find that I use my #6 for the majority of my long-plane needs, unless I'm straightening something longer than 5' or so (and even sometimes then), so on the whole I think you don't need to buy a longer plane until you start to notice the need in your work. More power to you for working with a small kit.

[Stew Denton]

Hey Adam,

I am looking to fill in a few planes too. I need different ones than you do, because you have some I don't and vise versa. If I were you I would consider the block plane Rick mentioned above, and a jointer plane like a Stanley #7 or #8, but I would get the #7 first.

I use a block plane and one of my Stanley #5s or 605s jack planes more than any others.

Stew

[Kent A Bathurst]

"Do I need more planes?"

Trick question, right?

[Judson Green]

Given your list I'd get a vintage 5 or two. Set one as a true foreplane (heavy camber) and the other with a slight camber. Scrub planes are cool, I own one and love it, but could live without. Don't really grab for a block plane much, but probably a good idea to get one eventually.

[Jim Koepke]

After my 'sharpness epiphany' I am getting a little bit more enthusiastic about going down to the basement and getting some work done. I've been rather haphazardly adding tools to my kit as I've been going along; now I'm trying to decide if I need to look into adding some more planes to my arsenal, or if I can settle with what I have for the time being and make some stuff instead of spending my cash on tools.

Right now I have:


LV #6 - pretty much all-purpose plane right now
Krenov-ish style smoother
random 3/4" dado plane (I have a knack for bookcases?)
Stanley #78 rabbet plane
Veritas large router plane


I've been wondering whether I should look into a dedicated waste-hogger such as a scrub, or whether I can get away with using the #6 to work as both a workhorse and a jointer by swapping out blades? Money isn't so much an object as space, I don't really have much more room for tools at the moment. They all just sit on my bench with the exception of my saws, which I finally made a basic till for.

Any opinions would be much appreciated.

As already mentioned a low angle block plane is very useful and would compliment what you already have on hand.

How good is you smoother? If it leaves you looking for sandpaper to finish up the job, then it may need replacing.

For a scrub plane the LV #6 might be a bit big and heavy.

The question is do you use much rough wood where a scrub plane would be needed?

My scrub plane is made from a #5-1/4 that had the snot knocked out of it, most likely, in a high school shop class. Serving as a scrub is its only use.

How big is the wood you normally work?

If you work with pieces over 3 or 4 feet, then a #7 or 8 might be useful to you. If your book cases are full height that might be a consideration. You mentioned a limit on shop space. That adds a dynamic that may limit how many planes you should add. My #6s have both served well as short jointers.

You may also find a plow plane of use.

[ken hatch]

Adam,

Jim is asking good questions and I will just add maybe one or two more. What planes you need depends on, as Jim asked , what size wood you use and projects you do but also on do you 4-square rough lumber or do you use S4S or even S2S wood for your projects. If you use ready dimensioned wood or have a jointer and/or planer then I would add a #5 and either a #4 or #3 to my working planes. If you 4-square rough lumber by hand then a scrub and a #7 or #8 (depending on how large your projects are) should be added to the mix along with the#5 and the smoother.

I'm one of the strange ones that rarely use a block plane, I find a small shop made wood stock plane does most of the things a block planes does and is lighter and easier to use, of course YMMV.

ken

[Adam Stevens2]

The next plane I would recommend that you get is a block plane.They're handy for all sorts of planing tasks.
I'm assuming that your question: "Do I need more planes?" is a rhetorical question.Around here, the answer is certainly "YES!"
Rick

Of course I forgot to mention that I do indeed have a block plane - a Stanley #65 that fellow member Bill Houghton sent me. So my needs are covered there (though to be frank I have not gotten very good at using it).

[Adam Stevens2]

As already mentioned a low angle block plane is very useful and would compliment what you already have on hand.

How good is you smoother? If it leaves you looking for sandpaper to finish up the job, then it may need replacing.

For a scrub plane the LV #6 might be a bit big and heavy.

The question is do you use much rough wood where a scrub plane would be needed?

My scrub plane is made from a #5-1/4 that had the snot knocked out of it, most likely, in a high school shop class. Serving as a scrub is its only use.

How big is the wood you normally work?

If you work with pieces over 3 or 4 feet, then a #7 or 8 might be useful to you. If your book cases are full height that might be a consideration. You mentioned a limit on shop space. That adds a dynamic that may limit how many planes you should add. My #6s have both served well as short jointers.

You may also find a plow plane of use.

Jim,

I'll find out how well the smoother performs in short order. I really only got it fettled and in working order today. The results have been encouraging after using it on some scrap red oak (sharpened it with a slight camber today, actually) but more testing is required.

I have been using dimensioned wood from the borg. I keep intending to go to one of the lumber yards here in Atlanta but the borg is on the drive home and they are not. But I am going to be in the market for some cherry or walnut for a dresser in the near future so, depending on what they have, I may start using rough lumber. That would definitely be a challenge for me but may be worth while cost-wise (??).

Most of my pieces thus far have been smaller, not much longer than 5', most even smaller. I do have a bigger bookcase that is in the planning stages which might be 6-7' tall. The space limitations are hopefully temporary - I just need to figure out a suitable storage method for the planes that I do have, whether it be something shop-made or something from Crate & Barrel. I just never get around to thinking about it.

I have been giving a lot of thought to a plow. There are a ton of woodies on ebay that are appealing but I have a hard time judging their condition, and I keep losing on the record 044s that I've bid on. I know that a lot of people here talk up the Veritas small plow and I have definitely considered it as well.

I keep forgetting that I have a Stanley #5 that's been driving me nuts - it's a pretty old one, from right around 1900. The blade that came with it was kaput, so I got a replacement from Veritas that doesn't seem to catch on the depth adjuster properly. That and the depth adjuster itself doesn't seem to work properly. I spend an hour or so looking at it occasionally trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong, can't, and give up... I've yet to get a single shaving out of it.

[Archie England]

Upgrading your #78 to a LV skew rabbet might be a significant improvement. Adding a low-angle bevel up might be a significant improvement. A Fillister plane would be helpful, as would be a better quality shoulder plane (med or large; LN or LV).

For me, the #6 is a tremendous all around user. Buy yourself a few more blades (PMV11 preferably) so that you can work longer. A scrub is a great hogging plane but perhaps, too, much so. There's so many options, however, that most suggestions reflect preference and experience, not necessarily the best way to approach each task.

In the end, what works for you is all you need.

[Stew Denton]

Adam,

I really like the old Stanley planes from a bit after the turn of the century, most of them are pretty good planes, better than almost all of the modern ones, except for the fairly high dollar jobs.

That said, my experience has been that unless you are after a part for a fairly rare Stanley bench plane (there are a few, but not many), then you should be able to find the needed parts right away on Ebay. If it is a Stanley Bailey #5, parts are especially available, because #5 Stanley Bailey planes are the most common plane you find, and I believe that there were more Stanley Bailey #5s made than any other plane ever built.

There are also plenty of the vintage Stanley plane irons, if that is the problem, so you should have no difficulty finding one, normally there are probably at least 10 listed at any given time.

I did have a problem somewhat similar to what you are describing with an old Ohio #04 plane, same size as a Stanley #4, that belonged to my grandfather. It would not adjust so as to be usable. I finally figured out that the chip breaker was an old Stanley, and it was the wrong length for the Ohio. It was a major pain, but I finally did find parts for it, and once the chip breaker was replaced, the plane worked fine. The metal Ohio bench planes are not very common, and parts can be tough to find.

That said, the problem you are having may be with the Veritas iron. Some of the modern irons are thicker, some significantly so, than the original Stanley irons. Due to that thickness, the "Y" adjuster on the old Stanleys may be to short to reach through the iron and engage the slot in the cap iron well enough to adjust the depth of cut. If that is the case, you will likely have to go back to the thinner vintage Stanley iron. That said, any replacement Stanley iron may work, as I have NOS Stanley irons that I think were made in the 60s, and they work fine in my vintage Stanley planes.

Stew

[Jim Matthews]

Nice 5 1/2 on the Bay, right now.

[Robert Engel]

I've learned my lessons about Ebay. I only buy planes new now. If I can't afford it, I save up for it. Period.

You've got the basics covered with a block, a smoother, and a #6.
I don't see why you should look at a 5 or 5 1/2 there's not gonna be that much difference.

If your shop is "unplugged" then yes, you need a scrub and a jointer.

I've abandoned the "off the machine" mentality when it comes to joinery so I'm a big believer in "sneaking up on it" with hand tools.
I've seen a huge improvement in my joinery plus there is a satisfaction that comes with true hand work.

I'm a big believer in using a shooting board and the BU jack is definitely better for this than the #6.

By "dado" plane are you talking a true dado plane or a shoulder plane?
If the latter, I have a medium and wish I had a large.

[Moses Yoder]

I would suggest not buying anything until you know you need it.

[Marc Seguin]

I really like my Veritas low angle jack plane. I think rather than recommending a #5 stanley I'd throw my vote for the LAJ. With a couple irons it can do a ton of different jobs. I do have my Grandfather's #5 Stanley that I have set up with a cambered iron for my 'scrub' plane. But other than the super rough work, the LAJ does most of the rest. It's also brilliant for end grain with the 25* iron. Much better than any of my regular 45* bedded bevel downs.

[Frederick Skelly]

Adam, I think the others covered the waterfront pretty well for you. A couple small points to add - I have the suite of planes, from #1 to #7. I do use each of them, though some more than others of course. I probably use my #4 and 5 1/2 (Veritas low angle jack) the most. I build small boxes and medium sized furniture like end tables. For the boxes, that #2 and either the block plane or the #1 are very helpful.

Changing gears, do you remember this line in Ghostbusters? "The next time anyone asks if you're a god, you answer YES!!!!!" Welllllll, the same principle applies to the question of "Do I need more planes?" (Notice my signature line? Mr. C hit it right on the head!")

Fred

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I wasted a lot of time on projects trying to do things with planes that really were more appropriate for a saw. If you don't have a good pair of saws and a sawbench you might want to consider that instead of planes.

I will say a scrub plane changed my perspective on things in a way few of my other tools have. It is just flat out a lot faster and easier to clean up rough stock, or correct a twisted or cupped piece of stock. I have a #40, and it works much better for me then the results I got when I was trying to regrind a spare blade on my #5 and get that to do double duty. Others obviously have had better results going that route, but it did not work well for me. I think the narrower blade makes a big difference. When I found a #40 at a good price I almost did not buy it because I thought it was ridiculously small, but it works extremely well, removing material quickly and with little effort.

For planes I have a #3, #5 (two actually, but only one gets used), a #7, a Sargent 1080, a router, a rabbet (#78), and a low angle block plane, along with the scrub, a spokeshave, and a scraper. They all earn their keep in my opinion (except the spare #5). My ripsaw and bench along with the scrub have been added in the last couple of years, and if I had to do it over I would have bought them much sooner.

[john zulu]

After my 'sharpness epiphany' I am getting a little bit more enthusiastic about going down to the basement and getting some work done. I've been rather haphazardly adding tools to my kit as I've been going along; now I'm trying to decide if I need to look into adding some more planes to my arsenal, or if I can settle with what I have for the time being and make some stuff instead of spending my cash on tools.

Right now I have:


LV #6 - pretty much all-purpose plane right now
Krenov-ish style smoother
random 3/4" dado plane (I have a knack for bookcases?)
Stanley #78 rabbet plane
Veritas large router plane


I've been wondering whether I should look into a dedicated waste-hogger such as a scrub, or whether I can get away with using the #6 to work as both a workhorse and a jointer by swapping out blades? Money isn't so much an object as space, I don't really have much more room for tools at the moment. They all just sit on my bench with the exception of my saws, which I finally made a basic till for.

Any opinions would be much appreciated.


A block plane to start with. I am not sure how did you work without a block plane so far :)
Scrub plane is a good choice to hogging wood off quickly. If you deal with hard wood then scrub plane will make a lot of difference.
Plow plane.
Shoulder plane.

What is your next project? Maybe we can narrow down your choices.

[Jim Koepke]

I keep forgetting that I have a Stanley #5 that's been driving me nuts - it's a pretty old one, from right around 1900. The blade that came with it was kaput, so I got a replacement from Veritas that doesn't seem to catch on the depth adjuster properly. That and the depth adjuster itself doesn't seem to work properly. I spend an hour or so looking at it occasionally trying to figure out what I'm doing wrong, can't, and give up... I've yet to get a single shaving out of it.

Up to about 1890 Stanley planes had a right hand thread on the depth adjuster. The first time one of these came into my hands it was baffling. After figuring it out, I bought it. There is usually patent information stamped inside the brass adjuster nut if this is the case. It is difficult to see if there is any dirt inside.

Stew mentioned a few items which may be the cause of your #5's problems. Are you using the original Stanley cap iron or are you using one from Veritas?

If you can post pictures that may also be of help. A previous owner may have filed or snapped the tip off of the adjusting fork.

Moses offers good advice:


not buying anything until you know you need it.

This can save a lot of money and frustration in the future.

jtk

[Brian Holcombe]

I have a #4, low angle 5 and a #7. I have a very heavily cambered blade for the #5 for roughing (like a scrub) and another for shooting on a shooting board. It's actually not uncommon for me to use the #7 when I mock up a shooting arrangement on the benchtop for edge planing assemblies of thin wood or individual sticks of thin wood (I find it easier to maintain 90 in this manner on thin boards).

My special use planes, however, continue to grow and will do so for the foreseeable future. I have dovetail planes (side rabbet and ECE style), a dado plane, a shoulder plane and a router plane. I'll continue to add sizes and variety to this. Next is a plow plane, likely followed by more dado planes and then molding planes. I find a great improvement in doing tasks I previously assigned to a router table by hand.

[Adam Stevens2]

What is your next project? Maybe we can narrow down your choices.

Sharpening station is one I am thinking of. Probably another larger bookcase and, more ambitiously, a dresser (mine is falling apart and I'd like to go out on a limb a bit).



By "dado" plane are you talking a true dado plane or a shoulder plane?
If the latter, I have a medium and wish I had a large.

It's a true wooden dado plane.

Thanks for all the replies, much to think on!

[Kyle DuPont]

I had a problem with the adjustments on my 5 and the veritas iron and cap iron. It took me a little while but figured out I had the move the frog forward for it to work. It seemed very counter intuitive given the extra thickness of the iron but it was a dream after that. My 5 is from about 1902 and the mouth is tight with this set up.

[john zulu]

I would go with a plow plane. Sharpening station should only need the #6 plane. The book case will benefit from the plow plane.

[Jeffrey Martel]

The answer is always yes. An old #4 or #5 for a scrub, maybe a #8 for a longer jointer would work well.

[Robert Engel]

I would go with a plow plane. Sharpening station should only need the #6 plane. The book case will benefit from the plow plane.Excellent suggestion. Its on my list, too. Thinking of making one after watching Paul Sellers video.

[john zulu]

There is no end to planes :) Just buy what you need for the next project. So far I have not needed a compass plane or dovetail plane.

[Eric Schubert]

I would also go with suggesting a low-angle block plane. They're good for smoothing end grain, they're compact, and they're quite versatile.

If you want something a bit different from standard bench planes, take a look at router or plow planes for cleaning up a blind mortise (or a hinge mortise), or for making dadoes and grooves.

[John Sanford]

As is so often my wont, I'm going to chime in with a suggestion off the beaten path.

Side rabbet plane (http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/Page.aspx?p=60012&cat=1,230,41182,48945). That link is to the Veritas model, Woodriver and Lie-Nielsen also make them.

I picked one up years ago, had almost no use for it, and then... boom! It is THE handy dandy tool for widening a groove/dado just a smidge. It's one of those tools that is so focused and exquisitely excellent at it's task. If you do a lot of dadoes and grooves, and also rabbets, it is well worth the money. (Woodcraft has the Woodriver on sale currently.)

[Adam Stevens2]

As is so often my wont, I'm going to chime in with a suggestion off the beaten path.

Side rabbet plane (http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/Page.aspx?p=60012&cat=1,230,41182,48945). That link is to the Veritas model, Woodriver and Lie-Nielsen also make them.

I picked one up years ago, had almost no use for it, and then... boom! It is THE handy dandy tool for widening a groove/dado just a smidge. It's one of those tools that is so focused and exquisitely excellent at it's task. If you do a lot of dadoes and grooves, and also rabbets, it is well worth the money. (Woodcraft has the Woodriver on sale currently.)

I read mixed reviews of the Woodriver planes. Any idea whether the side rabbet would be a worthwhile purchase? The cost is not an issue, just the useability.

Plow plane is starting to look more and more compelling. Though, since I have a router plane, is it more worthwhile to continue using that to clean out dados and such (especially since I already have a dado plane), or will the plow plane simply be more versatile?

[Nicholas Lawrence]

I prefer my plow (I use a combination plane) to a router for grooves, and prefer the router for dadoes. I think it makes sense to have both.

I have a side rabbet and use it occasionally, but it would be further down my list of things to buy then a plow.

[Jim Koepke]

Though, since I have a router plane, is it more worthwhile to continue using that to clean out dados and such (especially since I already have a dado plane), or will the plow plane simply be more versatile?

A plow plane is for cutting grooves/slots with the grain. My plow planes get regular use. A dado plane cuts across the grain which is why dado planes have knickers. Be careful to not get them in a twist.

Most of the time my dados are stopped on the exposed end. Often they are stopped on both ends. This makes the router plane useful over a dado plane. Most of the time my dados are cut with a chisel or two.

A side rabbet is very useful if you want to trim dados, rabbets and plowed grooves. It is a handy tool to have. It is not a priority tool.

jtk

[John Sanford]

I read mixed reviews of the Woodriver planes. Any idea whether the side rabbet would be a worthwhile purchase? The cost is not an issue, just the useability.

Plow plane is starting to look more and more compelling. Though, since I have a router plane, is it more worthwhile to continue using that to clean out dados and such (especially since I already have a dado plane), or will the plow plane simply be more versatile?

I have no idea on the Woodriver side rabbet. If one is a hybrid or powertool woodworker, then the side rabbet is actually more useful than a plow. It's a lot easier to break out the side rabbet to tweak a router cut dado than it is to fart around with the router. Conversely, if one is focused on handwork, then the plow is likely a higher priority.

[Jim Koepke]

Any idea whether the side rabbet would be a worthwhile purchase? The cost is not an issue, just the useability.

Side rabbet planes are a complement to to plow, dado and rabbet planes. If one is creative or imaginative, they can also do a few other task.

There are a few things I do not like about the Woodriver version.

First is the sole (or skate) looks like it is much thicker than others. This would make it unusable in narrow slots.

Second is the depth stop has to be reset when changing from side to side. This could be a real disincentive in some cases.

Third is both blades are held by one screw. This could make set up a hassle.

Someone reviewed it on Lumberjocks. Google > woodriver side rabbet plane < and it should be in the first five. That review would be a fourth reason to look at someone else's.

Mine are the Stanley #98 & 99. The Lie-Nielsen version is based on these.

Stanley also made a #79 that is usually lower price for the two in one variety. I would avoid the Kunz offering.

As John said, if you are using hand tools instead of a router, you will likely need a plow plane before you need side rabbet planes.

jtk

[bridger berdel]

I read mixed reviews of the Woodriver planes. Any idea whether the side rabbet would be a worthwhile purchase? The cost is not an issue, just the useability.

Plow plane is starting to look more and more compelling. Though, since I have a router plane, is it more worthwhile to continue using that to clean out dados and such (especially since I already have a dado plane), or will the plow plane simply be more versatile?

I have the woodriver side rabbet. It works well without too much fettling out of the box. I found that in order to use it without slicing my hand I needed a "hotdog" handle.

[Tom Stenzel]

A plow plane is for cutting grooves/slots with the grain. My plow planes get regular use. A dado plane cuts across the grain which is why dado planes have knickers. Be careful to not get them in a twist.

.....

jtk

I saw what you did there. :)

-Tom

[Adam Stevens2]

A plow plane is for cutting grooves/slots with the grain. My plow planes get regular use. A dado plane cuts across the grain which is why dado planes have knickers. Be careful to not get them in a twist.

Most of the time my dados are stopped on the exposed end. Often they are stopped on both ends. This makes the router plane useful over a dado plane. Most of the time my dados are cut with a chisel or two.

A side rabbet is very useful if you want to trim dados, rabbets and plowed grooves. It is a handy tool to have. It is not a priority tool.

jtk

I'm not sure I can avoid the bolded...

Aside from the Veritas plow, are there some any reputable sources for either new or used plow planes? I've looked on The Best Things and he seems to have them occasionally, as well as Patrick Leach's mailing list. If there are any more sources I'd be interested to take a look. The wooden plows are very appealing to me, though the Veritas plane is also very much an option (so long as the wife doesn't complain too much about the cost!).

[Jim Koepke]

I'm not sure I can avoid the bolded...

Aside from the Veritas plow, are there some any reputable sources for either new or used plow planes? I've looked on The Best Things and he seems to have them occasionally, as well as Patrick Leach's mailing list. If there are any more sources I'd be interested to take a look. The wooden plows are very appealing to me, though the Veritas plane is also very much an option (so long as the wife doesn't complain too much about the cost!).

With my mistake on spelling nickers it seemed like a little levity might be in order.

For me the Stanley 45 works well. They can drive a person nuts if they need much fettling. With mine there have been fences that needed shimming to be parallel to the plane body. One fence needed to be trued to be square to the skates. Various blades have had to have some work on the adjustment notch so they will seat properly. Just a touch of distraction in the life of someone who also enjoys fettling planes.

If you want something that works when it gets to your shop, the Veritas may be a better place to start.

OMG! A quick look on ebay discloses the prices on a Stanley 45 have really jumped since the last one of mine was acquired. Even ones missing parts seem to be priced high.

jtk

[Robert Engel]

You can't get your nickers in a twist unless you're plowing against the grain, right?

Seriously, I watched PaulSellers make a rabbet (rebate in UK) plane using an old chisel he sure made it look simple.

I think you could attach a fence and a couple Xacto knife blades for nickers and make it work.

[Jim Koepke]

You can't get your nickers in a twist unless you're plowing against the grain, right?

Seriously, I watched PaulSellers make a rabbet (rebate in UK) plane using an old chisel he sure made it look simple.

I think you could attach a fence and a couple Xacto knife blades for nickers and make it work.

There are a lot of things that one can do to get a job done.

One thing about a tool made to do a job is its ability to consistently repeat the same job.

Setting up one of my Stanley 45s to cut a 1/4" slot 3/8" from an edge can be done in a few minutes.

How long does it take to rig up a chisel and a block of wood to do that? What if one wants to move the slot in our out a bit?

jtk

[ken hatch]

With my mistake on spelling nickers it seemed like a little levity might be in order.

For me the Stanley 45 works well. They can drive a person nuts if they need much fettling. With mine there have been fences that needed shimming to be parallel to the plane body. One fence needed to be trued to be square to the skates. Various blades have had to have some work on the adjustment notch so they will seat properly. Just a touch of distraction in the life of someone who also enjoys fettling planes.

If you want something that works when it gets to your shop, the Veritas may be a better place to start.

OMG! A quick look on ebay discloses the prices on a Stanley 45 have really jumped since the last one of mine was acquired. Even ones missing parts seem to be priced high.

jtk

Jim,

That was good for a giggle. I picked up my 45 from the "Old Hippie Tool Seller" in Watertown, MA back in the late 70's. It sure is pretty but its life SKH (Since Ken Hatch) has been consigned to its box with only an occasional pull it out and see what it can do. There is usually a tool in the shop that can do whatever job easier, better, and quicker so it tends to be put back in the box for another year or two but it sure is pretty :-).

ken

[paul cottingham]

Short answer, of course you need more planes. Seriously is it a trick question?
short list of planes I wouldn't do without:

jack plane
smoother
jointer
plow
moving filister
large shoulder
low angle block.
Router plane

bear in mind I'm mostly a hand tool guy.

if I used power tools a lot I would have:

jack
smoother
Block
shoulder
router plane

I, personally don't use my block plane much, but I recognize I am in a small minority. When I use it, it is literally the only or best tool for the job.
the other hand tools can be rendered unnecessary by a jointer, planer, and router (+table.)

[Nicholas Lawrence]

OMG! A quick look on ebay discloses the prices on a Stanley 45 have really jumped since the last one of mine was acquired. Even ones missing parts seem to be priced high.

You made me look. The only thing that shocked me more then the asking price for a bunch of old boat anchors was the price for a new one from Lee Valley. Am I reading their website right? If you want the full set of cutters you have to buy the conversion kit and the full price is over $400?

At those prices I would definitely stay away from ebay. Try a dealer maybe where you know what you are getting is complete and in good shape.

I guess on the bright side those prices must mean a lot of people are getting interested in hand tools.

[mike mcilroy]

Just read the title of this thread not any of the posts.

YES

[Bill McDermott]

Rabbet Plane - something like a Stanley 92, or better. It goes places and does things other planes don't. It got my joints tight while learning saw and chisel skills.

[Jerry Olexa]

You can never have enough planes...

[Adam Stevens2]

I managed to find a plow plane made by Summers Varvill at a pretty good price, so I'm hoping that will do the trick. Of course now I need to find irons for it, but I'll at least give it a go with the iron that comes with it. How long does it normally take for items to ship from the UK...?