Hand Planes...My First Two???

[Wayne Wheeling]

Picked up woodworking as a hobby when I retired due to a heart problem. Went the typical route and added some big power equipment to add to what I had already accumulated. Moved out of my small 12X16 shop and took over the 3 car garage attached to the house.
Having followed this forum for quite a while my curiosity began to peak concerning handtools. Made my first purchase of a Lie-Nielson block rabbit plane when on sale at Woodcraft. Talking to a relative about my new found pleasure with planes, he offered me a plane he had that he hadn't ever used. Turned out to be a 1968? Stanley #5. Right in the box just like it had been sitting on a store shelf. Wonder how much tuning this thing will need? Should I go ahead and try to replace the blade with a Hock, LN or something else. Or just work from where it is now. Just picked it up and got home and opened it! Excited!

[gary Zimmel]

Wayne

Congrads on your first two planes.

I bet money thought they won't be your last two.......

Welcome to the slope.

[Sam Yerardi]

Wayne,

Nice planes! I would go ahead and try to use the Stanley as is for now. You will want to check the following things:

Are all of the parts there and in working order
Is the bottom of the plane flat
Are any parts loose?

As far as the iron, I would take it out and service the edge, and the edge of the cap and make sure they are in good order. Reinstall it and try it.
The Hock irons are great but you probably don't need a new iron yet. One reason for going to a different iron is if you are getting chatter and you need a heavier iron.

[Clint Jones]

The Lie Nielsen is a great plane I am sure it will last a lifetime and will be your favorite plane.

I would try to sell the 5C on ebay and use the money for an older one. I have tried to tune that same plane and it was near impossible to get it to work correctly. I have gotten some of the worst planes to work right but not that type of Stanley. First the frog design is horrible it allows so much chatter and will be hard to get it to seat even somewhat proper. Take my advice I have fixed up over 100 planes and the maroon colored bench planes by stanley are horrible (the maroon block planes are good despite the performance of the bench planes). An entry level collector may want the plane since it is in unused shape in the original box may fetch $30-$50 for it.

Congragulations on your new aquisitions it will be a long ride from here;)

-Clint

[Don C Peterson]

Clint, I wonder if that #5 couldn't be made into a decent Scrub/Jack plane. You don't care that much about having a tight mouth, flat sole, or much of anything else except a sharp iron when you're hogging off stock to flatten a board... I have an older #5 that was never quite "right" for most plane work, but it functions fine in the role of a big scrub plane.

[Wayne Wheeling]

Since the Stanley 5C was a gift, I'm committed to keeping it in the shop...if only for looks. You can tell it is brand new, no rust, nothing! So, either I find a use for it or it goes to the role of shop decoration and will be replaced with a new Lie-Nielson #4 Bronze. Which was the plane I was going to buy next once the tool funds build back up!:):) Looks good sitting on the bench anyway!

[Bob Oehler]

Welcome to the slope

Enjoy the peace and quite in the shop and listen to wood crackeling in the wood burner on a cold January evening. Like was stated earlier I bet this will not be your last purchase. ;)

Good luck and enjoy them in good health. Ask questions for the answers are here in all the good folks at the creek.

Plane ON
Bob Oehler

[Wayne Wheeling]

It has proved to be true about a slippery slope! Purchased a Bronze #4 Lie-Nielson and a 6 pc set of 2 Cherries Chisels with 2 Cherries Leather roll. And set up a Scary Sharp system today with a Veritas MKII Honing Guide and just finished 2 Stanley chisels with it. Kinda nice without the noise of machine. Well, Led Zeppelin was playing on my CD player as I was sharpening, but at least I could hear it!:D

[Dave Anderson NH]

Ye gads, two days between your posts Wayne and you're already accelerating down the slippery slope. Watch out, you're getting near the edge of the precipice and you're almost ready to go into free fall. Please post again at the end of next week and let us know what else you've picked up. I see a fully equipped shop in your future. Congratulations!!