Wooden Planes Advice Wanted

[Gary White]

I am switching over to woodys from iron planes. So far I have a German horn smoother, a moving filister, a plow with irons, and a nosing plane. I also have a scrub plane blade that I need to make the body for. What individual hollows and rounds should I be on the look out for? What other planes do I need to get first.

Thanks in advance.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Gary,

For H&Rs it will depend on what you are going to make. Furniture, the smaller end of the range. I use my 4s, 8s and 10s a lot. Less frequently are the 2s.

For larger moldings, obviously the larger sizes are required.

As H&Rs, especially individual pairs, are easily obtained, you are correcting in looking for other planes first. Perhaps a jack and jointer would be good additions. ECE makes really nice ones. Vintage ones abound, though the adjuster available on the ECEs are nicely made.

If you use beading, side bead and center bead planes are handy. Same with flutes. If used, a fluting plane is useful.

Oh, and there are so many more <g>. But it really all depends on the types of work, style, you desire/need to make.

Mike

[Steve Wargo]

I use 2's, 3's 4's and 6's more than anything for furniture. I use the larger sizes for custom millwork jobs and duplicating exsisting mouldings but smaller ones are typically used for furniture. I also prefer to use European Moulding planes, as you can often find them with a 50 degree pitch ( a convenience when working with harder exotics). Personally I have a complete half set of Prestons bedded at 50 degrees and with Skewed irons. A joy to use. The odds in my set are jsut filled in with whatever I can find that I need. Snipe bills are another necessity when doing mouldings with H/R's.

[Steve Kubien]

Hi Gary,

You did not mention whether you own a jointer yet. If not, that would be my next step.

Regards,
Steve Kubien

[Tom Stovell]

Gary,
Can I ask why you are changing over?

And then, if it is allowable as a link, have you go here. If I had the money, I'd have a couple of these in the 'fleet'.

http://www.planemaker.com/sample/
Tom

[James Mittlefehldt]

Yikes, is it me or are those rather pricey, they seem rather expensive, intersting to say the least though.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Yikes, is it me or are those rather pricey, they seem rather expensive, intersting to say the least though.
I'm sure C&W planes cause sticker shock to many, as do just about any other modern day maker's planes to some.

I have had the opportunity to use a couple, and they are so finely made and works so well. Alas, like a plane from Wayne Anderson, I cannot afford a C&W plane either.

Mike

[Gary White]

Thanks to everyone who replied.

I guess one reason I want to change over to wooden planes is cost. I seldom see any real good Stanleys around here anymore. When I do they sell for $40 and up. I got real lucky about 10 years ago and got a 608-C Stanley Bedrock for $6 and my brother-in-law gave me a 607-C. I decided to look for more Bedrocks and by being a holdout, I passed on a lot of good Stanley bench planes at auctions. There aren't many woodies around here either, but they are usually cheaper than Stanleys. I'll probably keep using the Stanleys I have, but I don't intend to buy any more unless I get them really cheap.

Hopefully I will eventually learn how to build my own wooden planes. I have a nice Buck Bros. scrub plane blade that will need a body. I plan on making it a razee.

[Tom Stovell]

Gary,
I just recently finished reading FWW 'Tools and Shops' with Eugene Landon's shop featured. He probably has a gazillion molding planes but in the article states that he likes metal bench planes better than wooden ones. Thinks the adjusting is so much easier. Is there someone close by that would allow you to use a wooden bench plane for a bit to know whether or not that is the route you want to take?

That and good user metal planes are readily available on ebay and the prices seem to be really reasonable now. If you can't find a local Stanley, maybe that is a route to go?

Tom

[Steve Schoene]

I'll second the C&W smoother as spectacular, well worth saving up for. They come with VERY tight mouths and steep pitches (if you order them that way) and will take transparent shavings from figured wood of the sort that tears out when you just wave an cast iron plane at it.

Mine was VERY expensive however. It was given to me as an anniversary present--just when I had missed the date. So add the price of a nice string of pearls to the price of the plane.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Now that's funny, Steve--and sounds so familiar!

I think it was our 20th. My wife's birthday is 5 days following our anniversary. Missed 'em both, I was so involved at work. At least that's what I told myself. That was a ruby necklace and earrings (guess what month...), a new upright freezer (not that the old one had died yet) and a trip for 2 weeks to Cancun.

Haven't missed one since. And I didn't get a present either <g>.

Mike

[Pam Niedermayer]

I've managed to accumulate two C&W planes (jack/scrub and jointer), and they're both wonderful. I also use and make many Japanese planes, which are also wonderful. They are all far and above metal bench planes in performance and pleasure of use. Now when you get to speciality planes such as shoulders, rebates, molders, beaders, plows, etc., I use a mix of wooden and metal planes quite happily. Did I mention I love planing? :)

Pam

[Pam Niedermayer]

Forgot to mention the ECE jointer, highly recommended but not quite as satisfying as the C&W, and the european style horn scrub which is great. Also, had an opportunity to use the ECE Primus adjustable mouth smoother (711P?), which is an excellent plane.

Pam

[Derek Cohen]

The biggest bang-for-buck among the wooden planes are undoubtedly those made by Mujingfang. Try the Japan Woodworder and Lee Valley.

You must also not ignore the HNT Gordon range of planes. Superbly made and a better performance than the Mujingfang, but with a higher cost.

These planes can compete in any company.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Pam Niedermayer]

...

You must also not ignore the HNT Gordon range of planes. Superbly made and a better performance than the Mujingfang, but with a higher cost.

...

Yep, forgot to mention the HNT planes which are also great, using the 3/4" shoulder, palm smoother, smoother, jack, and try.

Pam, who'd like to cull the selection a bit on general principles, but don't know which ones to give up

[Mike Wenzloff]

...Pam, who'd like to cull the selection a bit on general principles, but don't know which ones to give up
That's what I'm in the process of doing Pam. Even machinery.

It's scary and liberating all at the same time. We'll see which feeling wins the day :) .

Mike

[john roy]

There's a guy by the name of Todd Herli who teaches wooden plane making, he has a video out that shows how to make a woodie and he holds classes around the country from time to time...

Also, check out crown plane(maine) and the original owner of cp leon robbins in bath, maine i bought a raise panel plane from him last year thats awesome...