Need Advise on Planes......

[Drew Pavlak]

Need some advise on planes...... I find myself periodically thinking that it would be good to have a couple of general purpose hand planes around the shop, but I am unsure of what type of plane to get and then when to use it. Wondering if you guys might be able to help me out. In the past when I have glued up some panels for projects they didn't come out as even as I had hoped, so only having a Random orbit sander i would proceed to start sanding..... and to be honest this isn't working as well as I like. The panels are too large for my planer and I don't have a belt sander or drum sander to pass them through...... which leads me here.

I see lots of listings for older/old hand planes in my area, but I am unsure what to pick up and what would be a decent price as I am not a hand tool guy. So I guess I am looking for a general purpose plane that I can multi task with if there is such a thing or possible a better understanding of things like "Jack Plane", or #5, or #8, "Low angle Block", or........

Sorry to be so vague, but part of the problem is probably not knowing what to ask as well. I have very little intention in squaring rough stock with a hand plane at this time. Maybe down the road.

Any advise/wisdom you would impart I will gladly suck up like a sponge.

Drew

[Frederick Skelly]

Hi Drew.
Be prepared for different answers from different folks, because there's many ways to do what you're asking and everyone has his druthers. Here's my view.....

If you want one single general purpose plane that would even those glued-up boards, look for an older Stanley Number 4 in good shape - minimal rust, wooden handles undamaged, no broken or cracked metal. You might have some clean up to do but there are lots of good books/vids that teach how.

If you don't want to mess with even a minor restoration - and I'd understand if you feel that way - get online to Woodcraft and order a new Number 4. At full price that'll cost you $145, but if you watch, they have regular sales. Another option is to buy an older plane someone else has already restored. Check the classifieds here at SMC and if nothings listed, post a "WTB" (want to buy) ad. Buying one that way might cost you as much as $75 (I'm probably a bit high there). But once in a while, experienced members will send a useable restored tool to a new user like you for only the cost of shipping, to help them get started.

You will need a way to sharpen it, and no matter what folks say, this DOES NOT have to get too expensive. I used sandpaper glued to a marble tile ("scary sharp method") for many months, before I invested in a set of stones. Another option is a Worksharp 3000, but that will set you back $200. I'd try "scary sharp" on sandpaper for a while. You can read a ton of sharpening books on how to do that and there are many sharpening threads here.

With all that said, I personally prefer a Number 5 for the job you are describing. But I already have a whole suite of old planes. If I could buy only a single plane, I'd get a Number 4. It is generally viewed to be the most versatile handplane of all, and that's my experience too.

Good luck!
Fred

[David Eisenhauer]

There are some excellent videos on You Tube that describe hand plane differences and/or typical uses for the various kinds and it would be an easy primer to go to. I agree with Fred, go for a #4 Stanley (or other brand equivalent) to get started with. If someone offers a #5 user (ready for use) at a decent price, that would work as well. While the #4 plane is touted as being best used as a final "finish" plane, it can be easily set up to do rough or utility work as well. Please do not disregard Fred's advice on sharpening, as it is easy to become discouraged after trying to continue using a hand tool with a dull blade. If you try a plane with a sharp blade, you may be surprised at how much more efficient it is in removing wood as opposed to sanding (by any means). Have fun.

[David Bassett]

I think Christopher Schwarz did a good job answering your questions and explaining how different planes work together in a shop in an article, or chapter, "Coarse, Medium & Fine" he wrote. I have an undated reprint Popular Woodworking offered, but if you search for the title I think you'll find it and related blog posts he has made.

Since you mention flattening glue ups and have a sander, you may be able to skip the coarse and fine and just use a flattening plane, normally called a jointer or try plane and also known by the Stanley numbers of 7 & 8. These are long and help making a board flat easier. Any plane can be set up to do more than it's intended task, but a #4 is normally considered a smoothing plane and used for a fine finish. Since it is shorter I think it would be harder to flatten large boards. All that said I find a little block plane the most useful and I'm always grabbing it to take a little off there, or a little here, or to smooth or chamfer an edge etc. It's a slippery slope. (I also found a different C. Schwarz article about the 9 Essential Hand Planes. :-) He's paid to write and tends to cover all the bases.)

Oh, +1 on the sharpening that's key to getting any hand plane to work, much less work well for your task.

[Brian Holcombe]

If you plan to take this approach I think you should do so whole-heartedly so that the results are high quality. What you are doing is called face jointing and it requires a series of three planes.

A roughing plane, which can be a jack or #5 plane. Typically this would featured a heavily cambered blade. It is used cross grain to quickly level the board and remove wind.

A jointing plane, which can be a Try plane (you'll see a good number of try plane posts recently :) ) which is used to make the board a uniform flatness.

Finally the smoothing plane, which is a short plane set to a finer shaving for fine tuning the board and applying a refined finish cut.

If you take the time to learn to use these properly you will never be limited by machinery.

[bridger berdel]

I'd recommend a #5 over a #4 for what the OP needs. I would also recommend having a couple of blade-chipbreaker sets, one ground with a close to smoother camber, the other ground like a jack plane blade.

[Stew Denton]

Hi Drew,

BENCH PLANES:

I thought I would flesh out a little of what was written above.

Sizes: Stanley sold more planes than anybody, maybe more than everyone else combined, and their numbering system thus became the standard that folks use. Their smallest plane was a #1, and their biggest a #8. (The Bedrock line, their premium line of planes used the same numbers, but with "60" added to the front of the number, so a #605 Bedrock is the same size as their standard size "5" plane.) The sizes of planes begin with the smallest (#1), and get bigger as the # gets bigger. The exception is the #5 1/4 which is smaller than the #5. (The odd sizes are 4 1/2, 5 1/4, and 5 1/2.)

The #1 is 5 1/2 inches long I think, the #5 is 14", and the #8 is 24", about, with the rest of the numbers in between those lengths. For a complete listing do a search for "blood and gore Stanley Planes."

Generically, there are standard names for the various sizes, and there is a small amount of disagreement on the fine points, but generally speaking the following names apply: #1-#4s are smoothing planes, #5s are Jack planes, #6 is a fore plane, #7 and #8 are jointer planes or try planes. Each class has a different purpose, although there is some overlap.

To smooth a piece of rough lumber, table top, or work bench top, etc., and to bring it to thickness, you start with the fore plane, which is designed to take off quite a bit of lumber quickly and get the piece generally kind of flat, and to get it to thickness. This plane usually has a fairly heavily cambered iron. The #6 (18") is the typical fore plane size, but Christopher Schwarz uses a #5 for his fore plane, and does just fine with it, so it does not have to be a #6. With this plane you take off some thick curls in getting it to just about the correct thickness.

The next plane used is the try plane or jointer plane, a plane with a long sole, which is to get the surface dead flat. The long sole helps with this task immeasurably. This plane uses a cambered iron also, but not cambered nearly as much as the fore plane. It leave a flat surface, given moderate skill of the craftsman, but the skill can be learned relatively quickly. As with all things, you can do a moderately good job with just a little practice and instruction, and there are videos on Youtube, for example, but the guys who are highly skilled do better, of course. Using this plane you take off relatively thinner curls, the idea is to get it flat, and to begin the process of getting it smooth.

The final plane used is the smoothing plane, and normally the #3 and #4 are the main ones used for this. They typically use an iron that has just a tiny, a few thousandths, of cambering. This plane is to get the flat surface left by the jointer plane smooth, and many folks don't even sand after using a smoothing plane. Those folks do a good enough job that the surface is beautiful, and ready to finish "as is." With this plane you take off extremely thin curls, often only few thousandths thick.

The Jack plane, the #5 (and also #5 1/2 in many folks opinion) is a "Jack of all trades" plane, and was the one most used by carpenters, for such tasks as planning a door to fit if it was slightly oversized, etc. It could be used for smoothing, did a great job as a fore plane, and if the surface was not too large could even be used as a jointer plane. It didn't do jointing or smoothing as well as the specific planes designed for those jobs, but in skilled hands it could do a lot. I used only a #5 (and a block plane) for years, until getting other sizes. You had to have extra irons, to be best, with different amounts of camber when using it for the different tasks of the fore plane, the jointer plane, and the smoothing plane. I also used a straight iron for such jobs as trimming a door, etc., where camber was not needed. That said, a truly skilled man can do a lot of flattening with a Jack plane.

The 5 1/4 was used extensively by high school kids in "manual training" classes, and is bit smaller than the #5, and thus is the smallest Jack plane. There are folks here that use one a great deal, however, so individual folks have their own preferences, and may like the feel of a specific plane, for example.

The 4 1/2 is just a slightly larger smoothing plane. If you do large surfaces, like table tops, a great deal, it is a nice plane to have, but the rare ones, like the 604 1/2 bedrock are REALLY pricey. A nice Stanley Bailey 4 1/2, however, can be much more affordable.

Thus, if you are wanting to flatten the table top, a jointer plane might be the best way to go. To know for sure, please describe exactly what you are trying to do on the glue up, and someone will chime in, I am sure.

The smaller smoothing planes, the #1 and #2 are little used, and Stanley didn't sell many. They are, as such, quite pricey, as collectors want them. For practical purposes the block planes are a better choice and much much cheaper, for any job that this size plane is used for.

Hope this short survey will help you understand some of the basic terms used here.

Regards,

Stew

[Allan Speers]

Drew,

Everyone above covered your main question. One thing left out is the need for a very sturdy (heavy) bench, and one designed to hold stock for hand planing. In other words, a large heavy bench with dog holes, and preferably some kind of end or tail vise. - There are other ways to do it, but this is standard and very practical.

Also, the bench needs to be fairly low. It's hard to face-joint on a high assembly table, for instance, as you want to bend over the work & get your body weight into it a little.

-------------

Also, although you didn't ask, you will eventually: The next plane you'll want to get is a low angle block plane, for spot fixes and especially for trimming end grain. Even if you have big, noisy machines that through all sorts of dust into the air, a block plane can actually save you a lot of time. They're also fun to use, and kind of cute. - Even your wife will like them!

I suggest the Lie Nielsen 60 1/2, if you can afford it.

[Jim Koepke]

I see lots of listings for older/old hand planes in my area, but I am unsure what to pick up and what would be a decent price as I am not a hand tool guy. So I guess I am looking for a general purpose plane that I can multi task with if there is such a thing or possible a better understanding of things like "Jack Plane", or #5, or #8, "Low angle Block", or........

The Jack Plane is sometimes said to be so called in reference to its "Jack of all trades" uses. It can be a good smoother in a pinch. At other times it can work as a jointer. It is also able to clean up rough boards more like a scrub plane.

It is also one of the most commonly found planes along with the #4.

In my opinion from your original post you would be served well by either of these. My own preference in your situation would be for the #5.

There is a lot more information in the archive:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?103805-Neanderthal-wisdom-FAQs

Here is one from me about getting started with hand planes:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?148076-Getting-Started-With-Hand-Planes

A few hand planes can be very helpful in a mostly power tool shop.

jtk

[Stew Denton]

Hi Drew,

As Allan indicated above, the low angle planes excel at trimming end grain. Thus a #5 low angle bench plane is highly desired for use on a shooting board to trim end grain. It can also be used for many other bench plane tasks. In the low angle plane the iron is set at an angle much lower than the 45 degrees that is typical for a bench plane.

Block planes are small hand held planes that one are small enough that most folks hold them with one hand, with that hand pretty much engulfing the top of the plane. They are offered in standard and low angle versions, the low angle version being the better choice for trimming end grain. They are very common on the used too market, and are typically very inexpensive. They are also extremely useful. I use one for chamfering edges, and all kinds of tasks where the piece of wood you are working with is small.

Stew

[Allan Speers]

In the low angle plane the iron is set at an angle much lower than the 45 degrees that is typical for a bench plane.


This is correct, but just to be very clear: (because it can be overwhelmingly confusing for a hand-plane newb)

The iron is BEDDED at a much lower angle, (usually 20 degrees) but the effective cutting angle can be whatever you want, based on how you grind the blade's bevel. The big deal, regarding end grain, is that a lot more of the blade's tip is supported when the blade is bevel-up, reducing chatter.

[David Bassett]

... if you search for the title ["Coarse, Medium & Fine"] I think you'll find it and related blog posts he has made....

I went ahead and tried this. The top hit is the PDF I have, but it shows up without context. I thought to search on the Popular Woodworking blog and found a posting by Megan Fitzpatrick from last Spring about choosing hand planes. She provides a lot of references, but includes the (free) download link to the article PDF and recommends it as a starting point. Her post (http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/editors-blog/handplanes-handplanes-handplanes).

Oh, there is also a Lie-Nielsen DVD of that name I know nothing about which looks interesting.

[don wilwol]

https://timetestedtools.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/what-planes-do-i-need/

[Robert Engel]

Hi Drew.
Be prepared for different answers from different folks, because there's many ways to do what you're asking and everyone has his druthers. Here's my view.....

If you want one single general purpose plane that would even those glued-up boards, look for an older Stanley Number 4 in good shape - minimal rust, wooden handles undamaged, no broken or cracked metal. You might have some clean up to do but there are lots of good books/vids that teach how.

If you don't want to mess with even a minor restoration - and I'd understand if you feel that way - get online to Woodcraft and order a new Number 4. At full price that'll cost you $145, but if you watch, they have regular sales. Another option is to buy an older plane someone else has already restored. Check the classifieds here at SMC and if nothings listed, post a "WTB" (want to buy) ad. Buying one that way might cost you as much as $75 (I'm probably a bit high there). But once in a while, experienced members will send a useable restored tool to a new user like you for only the cost of shipping, to help them get started.

You will need a way to sharpen it, and no matter what folks say, this DOES NOT have to get too expensive. I used sandpaper glued to a marble tile ("scary sharp method") for many months, before I invested in a set of stones. Another option is a Worksharp 3000, but that will set you back $200. I'd try "scary sharp" on sandpaper for a while. You can read a ton of sharpening books on how to do that and there are many sharpening threads here.

With all that said, I personally prefer a Number 5 for the job you are describing. But I already have a whole suite of old planes. If I could buy only a single plane, I'd get a Number 4. It is generally viewed to be the most versatile handplane of all, and that's my experience too.

Good luck!
FredRead no further!!

[Don Dorn]

My opinion only, but a #4 or #5 would suit you well for the tasks you desire. You have to be able to sharpen and that is another rabbit hole for many, but I found the videos from Paul Sellers very helpful in my case. You don't have to be overly precise to do it by hand, and can get it done quickly; which is the opposite of what I previously believed.

[Drew Pavlak]

All I can say is WOW! I asked for it didn't I. :D Thanks so much, I do have a way to sharpen then, probably not what everyone else would prefer, but for my limited use it will suit me well. I will do some research on sharpening when I actually pick up a plane, that way I can be sure that I do it correctly or that particular plane.

Thanks guys again, I did not expect this many responses in such a short period of time. I has been very helpful. Now onto CL and other locations to see if I can get my hands on a decent plane without breaking the bank..... :rolleyes:

[Brian Holcombe]

Welcome to the slippery slope :D

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks guys again, I did not expect this many responses in such a short period of time. I has been very helpful. Now onto CL and other locations to see if I can get my hands on a decent plane without breaking the bank.....

Drew, the most any of my #5s cost was $35. That was the first one I bought. Long before knowing much about the world of planes.

One was purchased for $4 but was missing some parts.

Three others with all of their parts were purchased for $10 to $16. Those were all decent from the get go.

My #4s were in the same ball park price wise.

Good luck and happy hunting.

jtk

[Jeffrey Martel]

For a mostly power tool user, I'd look for a #5 or even a #6. The #6 was my first plane and I think I got it on ebay (which is usually overpriced) for $40. Both can be found very cheap and will work well for flattening table tops and such. You also may want a low angle block plane. Very useful for adding chamfers, trimming up joinery, etc.

As was said, the #4 is a smoothing plane. It can be set up to do other stuff, but a #5 is better for flattening things that won't fit in a power planer/jointer.

[Prashun Patel]

Drew, mentioning 'which plane' in a thread 'round these parts usually gets people pretty excited. Lots of opinions. Here's mine:

Learning to use hand tools is like learning an instrument. You have to master a couple skills like reading wood, sharpening, and then technique. A lot of people say to get a#5 or larger bench plane. But these are used for flattening rough boards; that's IMHO a more advanced skill. I'd start with something that's easier to master, like edge profiling or smoothing small parts that are already fairly flat.

I find far-and-away the most used plane at the beginning is a low angle block plane. It can do a lot of things from tweaking joints, transforming edges, smoothing small to medium sized parts.

They're also, IMHO, relatively easier to develop proficiency with. They're also cheaper as a rule than bigger bench planes.

In your situation where you're new to planes, and not really sure what you want one for, I vote this as a first step. I also recommend against buying a used plane as a first IF you can afford the $100-150 to buy a Veritas or Lie Nielsen.

When you say you have a way of sharpening, please elaborate.

[Allan Speers]

When you say you have a way of sharpening, please elaborate.


Indeed.

The biggest mistake you can make is to try to learn hand plane technique with a blade that isn't seriously sharp.

I also agree that a Lie Nielsen or Lee Valley plane is the right way to go, if you can afford one. Wood River is decent also, just not quite in the same league.

[Drew Pavlak]

Well I went to an estate sale today and picked up 3 planes. 2 are E.C.E block planes, the non-adjustable kind. I just kind of liked the look of them, $12 and $15. And a Wards Master plane. The only markings I could find at all were stamped onto the side, 5DBB....... Would this be a #5 plane? Tomorrow if I have some time I am going to try to clean them up a little. Little surface rust, but no pitting that I can tell. The Ward Master plane was $8, I figured for $8 I would take a chance.

Andrew

[Jim Koepke]

And a Wards Master plane. The only markings I could find at all were stamped onto the side, 5DBB....... Would this be a #5 plane?

A picture would certainly help. The designation sounds similar to a Millers Falls manufactured plane of mine. Would have to see the area around the knob and the end of the lateral lever to make a decent guess.

jtk

[John Kananis]

Surprised no one mentioned the 62.

[Joe A Faulkner]

Drew, you might checkout your local antique stores as well. If you Google Patrick Leach Blood and Gore you will find a Superior Work web sight he maintains that has lots of information on Stanley planes.

[Nick Stokes]

3 planes for $30 or so... then almost an entire weekend of work ahead to get them ready to work.

It's just so much better to spend the $150 and get you a veritas or LN block plane... In my opinion of course.

[Jim Koepke]

3 planes for $30 or so... then almost an entire weekend of work ahead to get them ready to work.

It's just so much better to spend the $150 and get you a veritas or LN block plane... In my opinion of course.

If one buys a clean plane, then it shouldn't take an entire weekend to get them ready.

My start in woodworking was picking up pallets for free and breaking them up for wood. Couldn't afford new wood at the time. My first wood working tools were power tools because of a gift certificate my employer gave employees, inexpensive ROS sander, inexpensive saber saw, inexpensive circular saw. Still occasionally use the saber saw.

My first chisels were bought one at a time for less than $10 each. They still get used at times to this day. My first plane was given to me by a friend. It was one he didn't use. A Record #778 rabbet (rebate) plane. It was discouraging trying to figure how to use it for a smoother. That didn't stop me. My first projects didn't have much joinery. Nails were often salvaged from the pallets. If something fancy was desired, screws were used instead of nails.

My first plane purchased was at a flea market for $35. A Stanley #5 maybe a type 15 or later. It was from a tool dealer in go to work condition. It was sold a few years later to a co-worker for what it cost me. My second plane was a Stanley #060 (made in England) block plane bought new at a local hardware store. It still gets used at times.

Yes, trying to rehab a plane without much knowledge can be frustrating. On the other hand, if you don't know how fine a job a plane is capable of doing, making a shaving can be exciting. My consumption of sandpaper decreased considerably in relation to my improvement with hand planes.

If someone has no familiarity with working on mechanical things, trying to rehabilitate a plane may be a very tall barrier to entry.

It will be enough just for a person who has never worked on mechanical things to sharpen a blade.

Many of us grew up in a time when if we wanted to ride a bicycle, motorcycle or drive a car, we had to know how to keep it running. Depending on how involved we were with working on those things, rehabbing a plane can be easy.

Through all of the fiddling and fettling planes a lot was learned about using a plane and what to do when something isn't working as desired.

In the long run, saving money might be a good way to earn an education.

jtk

[Frederick Skelly]

If one buys a clean plane, then it shouldn't take an entire weekend to get them ready.

.....if you don't know how fine a job a plane is capable of doing, making a shaving can be exciting.

My consumption of sandpaper decreased considerably in relation to my improvement with hand planes.

In the long run, saving money might be a good way to earn an education.

+1. My experiences exactly - from my first 2" long, found in a box Stanley trim plane - to 3 years later when I can actually spell "hand tools" and use them with a bit of confidence.

Fred

[Drew Pavlak]

Here are a few pics. I also found the #'s 305 on the base, and a # 5 on the frog and 496A there as well. I didn't get pics of those, was working on cleaning them up today and trying to get the blades cleaned up and sharpened.

321748321744321745321746321747321742

[Jim Koepke]

From what can be seen of the lateral adjuster it looks to be made by Millers Falls. To confirm, the area around the base of the knob raises up, but does not form a raised bead at the base of the knob.

Red was also a color for frogs from MF.

It does look to be a #5 sized plane. It looks like it shouldn't need much more than a rub down with steel wool to remove the rust. Sharpen the blade and see how it goes.

jtk

[Allan Speers]

That little ECE (primus) is a block plane, but it also works great as a small smoother, and it's a VERY nice plane. It has a lignum vitae sole, dovetailed in, which slides great, wears well, & is self-lubricating. (Though a little canola oil is still a good idea. The blade is Swedish steel, and nice & thick.

You will never have to replace that one.

[Drew Pavlak]

Here are the pics as promised. Also under the red part (frog?) I found the number 305 in the base. the Red part had the #5 and 496A in it as well.

321753321754321755321756321757321758

[don wilwol]

I also agree with Jim. You wind up understanding how a plane works after you figured out how to make it work. I enjoy the process and have made it my hobby. I spend more time rehabbing and making tools than actual woodworking.

Anyone with reasonable mechanical ability and a small amount of materials can tune a plane. And there are plenty of how to's floating around the internet, most are over kills.

[Mike Holbrook]

Drew,

Nice finds!
You might save yourself some work by going to a Tractor Supply or buying/odering a relatively friendly substance called Evapo-Rust (32oz jug is $8.99 on Amazon). I bought a 32oz jug about 9 months ago and have cleaned up 8-10 planes and a bunch of other old rusty tools and I am still using it. You simply drop the metal parts into the liquid. I leave them alone for 12-24 hours then pore the liquid into another container and pull the pieces out. The Evapo-Rust turns all the rust to a carbon like substance that rubs off easily. I just dump all the parts, screws included in and get everything in shape in one soaking. You are left with a much more attractive gray surface without all the time trying to abrade all those surfaces. Evapo-Rust is biodegradable and touted to be harmless to skin though I try not to test it. I just sand the handles or use a rasp on them and add WATCO if I think the wood needs it. You can freshen the paint if you want to, some do some consider it a waste of time.

I think Brian approached the OP's question from a larger perspective. I would like for the OP to avoid some of the confusion I suffered as a result of not seeing the bigger picture. The work Drew describes would typically require a set of planes like Brian mentions. The confusion sets in because we tend to talk about specific planes individuals prefer in their specific environments and obscure some basic information about which planes and sharpening techniques the OP might need for the specific work mentioned and why there is so much gray and so little black & white.

Drew you hit the sweet spot for this forum on your first try. Neanders love their planes. Planes can be a difficult subject not just because of the planes themselves but because of the various ways to adapt different ones for a variety of work.

Jack/Scrub/Fore plane confusion
The Jack/scrub/fore..../try/jointer plane designations can be confusing at first. I know they were for me. For instance, planes from 14-18" are usually referred to as Jack or Fore planes. A confusing reality is some people use them like jointer or try planes for shorter/smaller pieces or adapt them for smoothing large pieces... The Jack and Fore planes are usually used with a good deal of blade camber (radius/rounding) although the blades you find on these tools usually are not cambered when you get them. I believe the Fore plane was the original plane used for this work but in more recent years many people adapt a 12-15" Jack plane for the work. The subject gets even more complicated when we toss the scrub plane into the arena. The scrub plane is a relatively simple plane designed specifically for removing large shavings. The scrub plane is usually a little shorter and narrower than a typical Jack plane. Some find the smaller plane/blade easier to work with when they are trying to remove large amounts of wood. Others tend to use a heavier plane like a 5 1/2 or 6 finding the additional weight helpful. Some people swear by their scrub plane and others find them superfluous, preferring to adapt a #5, 5 1/4, 5 1/2 or 6 for the work. Some even modify a #4 for "stock removal". The Stanley 5 1/4 has a body shape much like a scrub plane and is fairly easy to adapt for similar work. Whether you prefer a heavier or lighter plane for stock removal becomes a more personal choice.

The Try/Jointer planes vs Jacks
The other piece to this puzzle is longer planes are typically better suited to leveling surfaces, particularly wide or long surfaces. How long a plane you might use for this work, however, may depend on the size of the work, which is why some use shorter planes for jointing and where/how jointing, smoothing and stock removal can get confused. The try and jointer planes, by virtue of their longer bodies, tend to remove what Brian calls wind in surfaces. Jointer planes often also use blades that are cambered, although less so than jack/scrub planes. The reason Brian mentions three planes instead of one is he is trying to help the OP see the bigger picture in terms of leveling larger surfaces. Following Brian's approach to helping the OP see the bigger picture I think we need to delve into the larger picture in terms of sharpening. Adapting the blade one typically finds in a used or new plane for removing larger amounts of stock is a much greater sharpening challenge than simply keeping a decently honed blade sharp. Certainly changing the profile of a plane blade requires sharpening resources that are not necessary for maintaining a blade that already has the desired profile.

Sharpening tools
I bring the topic of removing large amounts of wood/stock removal up as I think it is a stumbling block for people new to using planes. Our OP mentions leveling sizable glued up surfaces as his objective. This type of work often involves sizable amounts of stock removal. The reason some posters mention starting with a smaller #4 plane and some suggest a jack or jointer is the smaller plane may be easier to learn starting out but the larger planes may be more suited/adaptable to the task the OP mentions. Several other posters have mentioned sharpening as a key part of this puzzle. I find particular relevance to these comments as they relate to changing the actual profile of the edge of a plane blade to adapt it for stock removal or jointing work. IMHO (in my humble opinion) Drew may face considerable frustration trying to use the planes he bought or any of the planes mentioned throughout this thread if he does not have a way to alter the profile of his plane blades for jointing and stock removal. I think he needs to consider some sort of abrasive technique that will make him successful at this more advanced sharpening if he wants to flatten glued up panels of relatively large sizes. The easy way to approach this is with some sort of grinder or belt sander with a coarse enough abrasive to do the work in a reasonable length of time. Rather than try to suggest some way to accomplish this work I think it would help to know if our OP has a grinder or belt sander....that can be adapted to this work. He can buy a coarse diamond plate, but large heavy ones appropriate to this task do not come cheap and a grinder...may actually save money.