Would You Make This Swap?

[Warren Allen]

I'm toying with the idea of trading my DeWalt 735 planer for a LN #7. I'm not quite at the skill level to surface a board anywhere near as fast or clean a machine (that DeWalt leaves a fine surface!) but I have no jointer either. The #7 would fulfil 2 roles.

I'm a working carpenter. I get a couple jobs a year where I mill my own lumber and perhaps save a few dollars buying rough. As a working carpenter I can't make a total switch and there will always be power tools at hand, but increasingly I reach for the hand tools. I love my planes and chisels! There is something about the sound of sliced wood under a well honed blade that rings true to me. Conversley if I hear another dust collector go on......<G>

But I have learned skills out of nessesity. Perhaps the switch would be good for me. BTW finances demand one or the other or wait.....and patience isn't my strong suit.

Thanks,

WarrenA

[Ken Werner]

Interesting question. I sure do use my yellow planer more than my [not LN] No. 7. Now esthetically and idealistically, the LN wins, but practically, for overall usefulness, I'm sorry, but yellow and noisy wins.
Just my 2 shavings worth.
Ken

[Barry Beech]

If you use your planer in your business, I would say you need to stay with the Dewalt.

Time is money you know.

I would definately wait on the #7.

[Mike Henderson]

If you want a jointer plane, get a Stanley on eBay. You won't see that much difference between a good Stanley and a LN in a jointer plane.

You can also joint with shorter planes. Just use a long straightedge to check your board and work the high spots.

Also, a planer and a jointer (even a hand jointer) perform two separate tasks. The planer gets the wood to the desired thickness. That's a very labor intensive process by hand.

I'd keep the Dewalt.

Mike

[greg Forster]

If the DeWalt puts food on the table-keep it.

[James Mittlefehldt]

I am a hard core neander but I am a hobbyist, if I was doing it for a living I would keep the Dewalt, you can't beat the speed and efficieincy it offers, with a handplane, or series of handplanes.

Not as much fun maybe but more efficient surely.

[Zahid Naqvi]

You can have it both way without spending much. Keep the Dewalt and make your own jointer. I made the one at the bottom of this thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=547119&posted=1#post547119) for the cost of about 2 brd foot of hard Maple, and a 99 cent blade from eBay. I can't say it works as good as a LN, but it sure feels better than any metal plane :D .

[Tim Nylander]

I am a working carpenter as well and I don't think I could face the amount of lumber I put through my Makita in a year with only a No.7
Or the fact that I would have to learn how to make all new jigs for the No 7 for handrails and scotia, if you can even do that.
I'll do a board or two though if no one's looking........

[James Owen]

I'm toying with the idea of trading my DeWalt 735 planer for a LN #7. I'm not quite at the skill level to surface a board anywhere near as fast or clean a machine (that DeWalt leaves a fine surface!) but I have no jointer either. The #7 would fulfil 2 roles.

I'm a working carpenter. I get a couple jobs a year where I mill my own lumber and perhaps save a few dollars buying rough. As a working carpenter I can't make a total switch and there will always be power tools at hand, but increasingly I reach for the hand tools. I love my planes and chisels! There is something about the sound of sliced wood under a well honed blade that rings true to me. Conversley if I hear another dust collector go on......<G>

But I have learned skills out of nessesity. Perhaps the switch would be good for me. BTW finances demand one or the other or wait.....and patience isn't my strong suit.

Thanks,

WarrenA

Warren,

Since I'm a hand-tool-only hobbyist, my initial, gut vote would naturally be for the LN #7, but.....since you have to make a living and time is money, on the realistic side, I'd say stick with the tailed apprentice.

As others have mentioned, if you really want or need a jointer plane, then -- until you save the dinero for the LN -- get a vintage plane from eBay or one of the antique tool dealers.

I'd also recommend the #8 over the #7, simply because longer more or less = straighter (but this is more a personal preference than anything else). I'd also recommend a pre-WWII vintage Stanley plane; after about 1950 or so, the quality declined considerably. Pre-WWII Stanley #7 & #8 planes in good user shape on eBay tend to be pricey: about $60 - $125+; you could also take a look at an equivilent Sargent or Millers Falls and get a very nice plane for somewhat less money, as they tend not to be as popular with collectors as the Stanleys are.

You could also take a look at a wooden jointer -- they can go up to about 34" or 36" long and generally tend to be less expensive than a metal jointer plane.

Or, finally, as has been mentioned, you could build your own wooden jointer plane. It's a fun, inexpensive, and relatively easy project.

Here are a couple of tool dealers that I have dealt with that have given excellent service and have nice, accurately described tools:

http://jonzimmersantiquetools.com/

http://www.thebestthings.com/

(No affiliation, just a satisfied, repeat customer for both.)

Hope that this will be of some use to you. Good luck!!

[Don Boys]

It sounds like you are talking about two different tools. The planer with make things a uniform thickness but not flat, the LN 7 is used to make one side perfectly flat, then you use that reference side to thickness the other side parallel to the first with the planer. If you put a non-flat board through a planer you get a second side non-flat but equal distance from the reference side. I think you need both tools.

Or I totally misunderstood the question.

Don Boys

[Bob Smalser]

I'm a working carpenter. I get a couple jobs a year where I mill my own lumber and perhaps save a few dollars buying rough.

No way should you swap.

I've done more edgejointing and caulking bevels by hand on job sites and in boat sheds than many, and recommend a good beech jointer over either the Stanley or the L/N. For muscling the tool all day, the #7's are too short and the #8's are too heavy. A 26" woodie, preferably one with a laminated iron, has just the right balance of mass and power, for a small fraction of the prices you are considering. If it has some wear, resoling is a snap.

http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL12/1104763/4029780/140203367.jpg

Transitional jointers work fine, too, and may be a better choice if you aren't used to adjusting wedges, and you can always upgrade the blade and chipbreaker to a Ron Hock product.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-STANLEY-FULTON-Transition-Wood-Hand-Jointer-Plane_W0QQitemZ130087765609QQcategoryZ13874QQssPag eNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/STANLEY-NO-32-TRANSITIONAL-JOINTER-PLANE-32-1891-2-NR_W0QQitemZ170090306389QQcategoryZ13874QQssPageNa meZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://i21.ebayimg.com/02/i/000/90/a7/9362_12.JPG

[Warren Allen]

Whoa!

What kind of neanderthals are you? Aside from a few austailiopithicus type remarks on get a Stanley or a wood plane, you all voted for the power tool!?
Or at least not for the LN #7.

I appreciatte the feedback and as always have my eyes peeled for some nice users but it seems around here the prices are quite inflated and ebay has been hit and miss for me. I looked all over for a decent Bedrock 604 1/2 and found them going for roughly 2x the price of the LN 4 1/2. 607's and LN7's closer price wise but many of those have issues and I feel the added heft of the LN a plus. I've used Bailey 7's and 8's to good effect but even those go for a pretty penny 'round here and add the Hock or LN blade and chip breaker...

Anyway thanks for the input. I have a list I'm working on for tools by next Fall and LN7 right up top. I'll keep the 735 as ya know what? That thing is a fine tool that puts a heck of a finish on board!

Thanks again,

WarrenA