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David Quecke
07-30-2019, 1:10 PM
Noob question. Smooth vs Corrugated. Do I care? I don't really understand the difference. I'm guessing the corrugated channel debris? I've collected a number of "User" planes from #3-#6. I'm now looking at #7 and #8's and they are quite a step up in price. What should go into my decision on smooth or corrugated?

Thanks,

dj

Nicholas Lawrence
07-30-2019, 1:35 PM
I think the sales pitch back in the day was that the corrugated planes have less surface area in contact with the work, which equals less friction, which means you can work longer without tiring.

There is presumably a theoretical level of sense to the pitch. If you take a smooth bottomed plane and wax it, you will notice it slides much easier than an unwaxed one. In practice, I don’t think it is worth worrying about. If you are looking for a decent plane to use, and find one you like, don’t worry about whether it is smooth or corrugated.

Jim Koepke
07-30-2019, 2:10 PM
What should go into my decision on smooth or corrugated?

Whether or not it is in your budget. Whether or not the plane is in a condition that can be used without a lot of work. (unless you enjoy plane fettling, if that is the case, check out this old post > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?114373 <.

In my experience there isn't a whole lot of difference. My corrugated sole planes tend to get sold, my smooth bottom planes tend to stay around.

jtk

ken hatch
07-30-2019, 2:26 PM
Whether or not it is in your budget. Whether or not the plane is in a condition that can be used without a lot of work. (unless you enjoy plane fettling, if that is the case, check out this old post > https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?114373 <.

In my experience there isn't a whole lot of difference. My corrugated sole planes tend to get sold, my smooth bottom planes tend to stay around.

jtk

I'm with Jim, with or without a little wax or oil on the bottom it makes no never mind smooth or otherwise. I may have one plane with a corrugated sole stuck in a corner someplace. My first question would be do I need a #7 or do I just want a #7.

ken

Jim Koepke
07-30-2019, 2:38 PM
My first question would be do I need a #7 or do I just want a #7.

Though in reality filling a want or a need can go a long way in brightening one's day in the shop.

As to need, the question is how large is the stock you normally work?

If you do work stock longer than a couple of feet, then a #7 or #8 might be a useful plane in your fleet.

If like me you 'just have to have the whole set' then having the choice of which long plane to use today brings a smile to my face when entering the shop.

jtk

Günter VögelBerg
07-30-2019, 4:45 PM
The only advantage I believe corrugated planes have is that if they are not flat it is easier to flatten then because there is less metal to remove.

Even that I think is mostly theoretical.

steven c newman
07-30-2019, 6:08 PM
I have both versions...and haven't found a difference between them...
#3c vs #3
#4c vs #4

A #6c....sorry, don't have a straight 6....I do have a #5-1/2 smooth sole...
#7c Vs #0-7


Whichever is closest to hand...

Kyle Iwamoto
07-30-2019, 6:36 PM
Oh man. I thought corrugated planes were rarer than smoothies. No wonder I got my 8C cheap. 25 bucks...... I guess for a jointer, it will only be used on the flats, so the corrugated would less of a drag..... Pun.

Measure twice, cut twice.

Phil Mueller
07-30-2019, 9:06 PM
I have a 5C and it is generally my go to for most dimensioning work. It performs really well. If you find a good deal on a “c”, I wouldn’t hesitate.

Richard Line
07-30-2019, 9:27 PM
I've got a smooth #4 and a corrugated #4, a couple of type no's different from each other, both pre 1940's. The only difference I see/feel is due to the blades (my sharpening?) and how open I've made the mouths. However, I've for a long time wondered if there was a more noticeable difference if your working with wet wood. On wet wood, it seems to me there might be an advantage to the corrugated sole. Anyone have experience on this point.

Rob Luter
07-31-2019, 5:46 AM
The wood can't tell the difference. That said, I've never cared for the corrugated bottoms. I'm just that petty :o

J. Greg Jones
07-31-2019, 7:29 AM
I can pass on what my grandfather shared with me about his experience with corrugated planes. He and my great-grandfather were carpenters and interior finishers for most of the 20th century. They each owned a Stanley #6 corrugated (which are both nearly worn out) for roughing work and Stanley #4s that are smooth bottomed for finish trim work. When I asked my grandfather why the need for a corrugated plane, he told me a corrugated plane worked better with pine framing lumber when it had sap/pitch on it. I can’t elaborate further why that might be, but that’s what I was told. BTW, I still use one of the 6s and one of the 4s (both Type 11s) in my shop.

Jerry Olexa
07-31-2019, 1:25 PM
A simple thought: the smooth bottoms are much easier to clean than the Cs...

Barney Markunas
07-31-2019, 1:53 PM
I will confess that from the time I was a little kid, I thought the corrugated bottoms looked cooler but now that I am a user I don't think it makes much difference. As was mentioned earlier, if you need to try to flatten one, you'll need to remove less metal on a corrugated one. That's good if you know what you are doing, though it also probably means you could goof things up even faster if you are not as careful as you should be. Entrance into the flat sole society is not necessarily a no brainer sure thing.

Condition and price would both be way higher on my list of concerns when shopping. Buy what you need/want, sharpen it well and put it to work.

Mel Fulks
07-31-2019, 1:57 PM
A simple thought: the smooth bottoms are much easier to clean than the Cs...

I once worked with a fine cabinetmaker who hand planed large banquet extension tables perfectly. He said he didn't like
the corg type because it was not as easy to see something stuck on the plane. But I think that purely theoretical since
he would always set a plane down on its side.

Tom M King
07-31-2019, 4:02 PM
I have, and use some of both. I have multiples of some plane sizes, and those are mix and match sole type too. There is no way I could tell you which is which by sole type, without looking, but I do remember the different cambers when I open one of the plane boxes. Sole types never entered into the priority list when I was looking for ones to buy.

David Quecke
08-01-2019, 1:25 AM
Though in reality filling a want or a need can go a long way in brightening one's day in the shop.

As to need, the question is how large is the stock you normally work?

If you do work stock longer than a couple of feet, then a #7 or #8 might be a useful plane in your fleet.

If like me you 'just have to have the whole set' then having the choice of which long plane to use today brings a smile to my face when entering the shop.

jtk

Great observation - I think it is a want but I do intend using on the tops of some new shop benches I intend to build.

David Quecke
08-01-2019, 1:29 AM
Thanks to all. I got some good info here. I'm probably filling a want as much as need but I'll focus on condition and price instead of style. Thanks again.

Brian Hale
08-02-2019, 1:03 PM
I've got several corrugated planes, some i've had for 30+ years, and there is little performance differences between them and a smooth bottom with a couple minor exceptions.
For initial flattening of rough saw boards I generally reach for my Type 13 6C with a slightly cambered blade. If i'm rapidly working a board the corrugations will occasionally grab a high spot and drive the plane in a different direction.
Wax seems to last a little on the longer sole than oil.

2- 6C
2- 5 1/2 C
3- 5C
1- 4C
1- Sargent VBM 718C (#6 sized)

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