Keep Planes or Let Them Go?

[Rich Riddle]

As much as I would like to tinker on the Neander side of the house, it just hasn't happened much at all. It seems my talents are primarily in the powered side of tools. However, I now have quite a few decent planes that sit unused (for a couple of years), some never even assembled. They are all either Lie Neilsen or Veritas. Should I just let them sit and gather dust in the boxes or get rid of them? Some tools like saws get used, but not the planes except a block or shoulder plane from time-to-time.

[Bill Houghton]

Keep the ones you use. For the others, that you're asking the question implies you may not need/want them.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

*** First dibs!!!

Let them go and get something you will use, but keep a block plane and a smoother- even a power tool guy needs one of those from time to time.

[Frederick Skelly]

Never ever ever let go of tools Rich. :D:D:D
(Unless the proceeds will be used to buy more/better tools.)

[Phil Mueller]

...or donate. Donations are still one of the better tax deductions and it helps good causes. I've donated a number of tools to a local youth/young adult woodworking program within a 501(c)(3) organization. In my case, it's been a few power tools no longer used and some edge tools that have been upgraded.

[Rich Riddle]

We'll start hearing the Creekers talking about how they are charitable cases......

[Rich Riddle]

One of my problems is being divided between the house and the farm. I took a quick picture of four of the LN planes at the house, an eclectic collection to say the least. You can see in the pictures they stay in their appropriate boxes, rarely if ever used. I might be leaning to selling them. I know there is a LN block plane with knicker at the farm in its box.

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[Tony Wilkins]

We'll start hearing the Creekers talking about how they are charitable cases......

Do I need to apply for 803c for myself ;) JK

i would slowly let go of the planes with those you deem least useful for you first and keeping ones that would blend into a machine shop e.g. Smoother/#4, router plane, block, etc

if you do sell them then I'm sure you won't have a problem finding a buyer.

[Mike Henderson]

I have tools that I don't use and I hang on to them but they're mostly older Stanley planes that I refurbed.

On new tools like the LN and LV planes, I'd sell them. If you later find you need one, they're available for purchase again. In the meanwhile you can use the money for something else.

With old tools, you never know if you'll be able to find them again, and in what condition.

Mike

[john zulu]

I do keep my collection is air tight boxes. But I would say that one day u will need them for those odd jobs. The router and 102 is a definite keeper. The other two it depends on the situation but I will also keep them.

[Chris Hachet]

I have tools that I don't use and I hang on to them but they're mostly older Stanley planes that I refurbed.

On new tools like the LN and LV planes, I'd sell them. If you later find you need one, they're available for purchase again. In the meanwhile you can use the money for something else.

With old tools, you never know if you'll be able to find them again, and in what condition.

Mike


This is pretty good advice.

I found it helpful to divide my shop into a power tool side and a hand tool side...I put on my hand tool mindset while on one side of the shop, my power tool mindset on the other.

Believe it or not this was actually very helpful.

Chris

[Don Jarvie]

Please don't take this wrong but I assume you know how to use them, sharpen and set them up? I had a bunch of planes but had no idea on how to use them. Once I did I find myself using them quite a bit.

Sometimes it's faster to get out a plane than set up a planer or jointer.

[Jim Koepke]

Sometimes it's faster to get out a plane than set up a planer or jointer.

One of my former co-workers was always chiding me about how much faster his planer was than using hand planes. Then his blades got dull and nicked. He had no idea how to sharpen them nor did he even have the stones to do the sharpening.

jtk

[David Eisenhauer]

My jointer, planer and routers all cut (or whatever they are supposed to do) in a very precise fashion. But, I get tired of the constant fine adjustments required to sneak up to the exact fence/depth/etc setting that produces the cut I want. It is alright when you are fabbing up a bunch of the same parts, but to do just one or two? Grab a plane or chisel or scraper or something and be done with it. I mean, come on, even if it comes to it, it is not that much work to hone an edge if the sharpening stuff stays laid out.

[Chris True]

One of my problems is being divided between the house and the farm. I took a quick picture of four of the LN planes at the house, an eclectic collection to say the least. You can see in the pictures they stay in their appropriate boxes, rarely if ever used. I might be leaning to selling them. I know there is a LN block plane with knicker at the farm in its box.

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I'd call all those keepers except the scraper plane. Always need a block plane, there will be times your dado's aren't consistent depth and that router plane will clean em up in seconds, the shoulder plane will be just what you need to fine tune a tenon from time to time...

[Michael Stockdale]

I tell my friends all the time that I am not a mechanic (shade tree at best) or a woodworker (purely amature)... What I am is a tool collector! I say hang onto them...

Mike