Help me round out my arsenal

[Keith Beck]

I'm really starting to enjoy "tail-less" woodworking and I'm trying to incorporate hand tools more and more into my projects. I'm slowly trying to build up my arsenal and need your input as to what you think I'm missing. Here's what I've currently got:

Stanley #102
Stanley #110
LN Low-angle Block Plane
LN Bronze #4
Stanley #5
Stanley #7
Stanley #80
Marples Bench Chisel Set

Here's whats on my wish list:

LN Small Shoulder Plane
LN Medium Shoulder Plane
LN Chisel Plane
LN Scraper Plane

Is there anything I've blatantly overlooked? Anything on my wish list I don't need?

Thanks in advance for any advise you can offer.

Keith

[Sam Yerardi]

Keith,

Welcome to the quiet world of handtools! You are definitely getting off on the right foot with your choices of tools. Here are a few I would add to the list:

Mortising chisels, 1/8", 5/16", 1/4", 3/8", and perhaps 1/2" (if you intend on doing mortises in boards thicker than 1", you might add more larger ones). Regular chisels will work but mortising chisels work better for cutting mortises

If you're into wood planes the list is unlimited. If you're not into those yet (you will be), and you want to do moldings, get a Stanley 45 or preferrably a Stanley 55. I have a 45 and I use it a lot.

Cutting Gauge
Mortising Gauge
Marking gauge
Marking knife

Hand panel rip saw (I have one but I use a frame sawmore often)
Hand panel crosscut saw
Small bow saw (I use one a lot in place of a bandsaw. I still use a bandsaw tho)
Backsaw
Dovetail Saw

[Stu Gillard]

Hi all,
Long time Lurker first time poster...

Agree with Sam with his suggestions, with the addition of ;

A Spokeshave - LV, LN, or my fave, the HMT
I do have a nicely tuned old Stanley 151 with a thicker blade to close up the mouth that works very well.

As far as the planes go, you've a pretty good selection. I do tend to however, grab for my #4 1/2 and #5 1/2 (both Stanleys) quite often for smoothing work on bigger panels. You could just get away with one or the other though.

The #80 is a great scraper, but I've just discovered the joys of the #112 (pre-war Stanley) after I learned to sharpen it correctly. It's just such a comfortable scraper to use when it's in the bench plane configuration.

Stu

[Steve Rozmiarek]

One of each! :D

I use a #78 rabbet and filletster a suprising amount, and they are cheap. You could subtitute a clone, or a #278, or a #289, or a woody. All would be fine. A #40 or #40 1/2 scrub plane is a great one to get too, even if it is only used to flatten the workbench. To make a dado a bit bigger, a set of side rabbets, like a #98 and #99, are really good. I use a #71 or #71 1/2 router plane fairly often to set hinges, even up the bottoms of dados, and about a dozen other things. Oh, then there are all those great old wood molding planes....

Totally agree with Stu and Sam about the #45, the #112 and the #151.

[Clint Jones]

How about sharpening supplies???

[Marcus Ward]

Take a look at the Veritas shoulder planes, I think they're a better design and fit your hand better in use than the design LN is using. Any particular reason why you've spec'ed 2 shoulder planes? Also you don't really have anything for cleaning up tenon cheeks, although the medium shoulder plane will work, a large or ideally a stanley 140 or sargent 507 would be better. If you're producing things using mortise and tenon.

[Robert Rozaieski]

I would question your wish list. If you want those 4 planes just to have them, that's fine, more power to you, but I would really think about how often you will use them before plunking down that kind of cash (over $1000 for 4 tools :eek: ). I do all of my work by hand and I have never used or felt the need for a shoulder plane. Saw straight and if you need to clean up a shoulder use a chisel as it does not need the tenon cheek to be perfectly parallel with the board face to use. Also, a shoulder plane will be useless if you are cutting an angled tenon with a square shoulder (I'm thinking like in some chairs). Chisels work better for paring tenon cheeks too if you need to do that.

As for the chisel plane and scraper plane, they won't do anything a regular chisel or card scraper/#80 can't do and you already have those.

I agree with Sam. Get or make some gauges (check Dec. 2006 "Arts & Mysteries" column in Popular Woodworking for the best gauge I've ever used) and get a few hand saws. If you want to chop mortises, get a few English bolstered mortise chisels (1/4" & 3/8"). Then, put away the precision rulers & straight edges, forget about what tools you "need" and make something with your hand tools. You will find that you will work differently (or should) when doing it totally by hand. The process of working by hand itself will tell you what tools you need...or don't need. ;)

[Sam Yerardi]

The process of working by hand itself will tell you what tools you need...or don't need. ;)

Truer words were never spoken. That has always been my experience, too.

[Mike Gabbay]

I use my LN large shoulder plane a fare amount. The medium or large would be my preference. I tried the small one and did not like it.

The scraper plane might be my next choice.

[Wilbur Pan]

Instead of two shoulder planes, I would vote for a large shoulder plane and a router plane. You'll like the improved registration of the large shoulder plane. Sometimes people will say that an advantage of a small/medium shoulder plane is that you can cut dadoes/grooves with them, but actually a router plane is better suited for this task.

[Pedro Reyes]

Keith,

I can't practice what I preach, I've been on the slope for a while and thus accumulated quite a lot.

Since you only included planes on your list, I assume the question is geared towards planes only.

The old advice of "get the tools as you need them" is solid. So before buying several or even one shoulder plane, I would recommend that you decide to build something and plan out what tools you'll need, from there buy the best you can afford (best not always being the most $$).

If that sounds like a bunch of philosophical BS, then indullge and get a nice LV sholder plane and a 78, those two are not on your current aresenal and definitely see use.

If I must be completely pragmatic about my answer the next 3 planes I would buy would be.

78 (or equivalent)
One Medium Shoulder (I like the LVs)
50... (no ofense to those who love the 45 and even the 55, I like the 50 is simple to use and covers a lot of the stuff needed, also easier to get and thus cheaper).

done, sorry to take too long.

/p

[Sam Yerardi]

Keith,

Pedro's suggestion is good. Usually when we start on a new project, we research, maybe find a plan, maybe draw up a plan, figure out the materials, buy them and then go at it. I've learned in using hand tools, there certain tools it seems like I use ALL the time regardless of what project I'm working on.

I find I'm always using:

Squares (I have two old rosewood Stanleys, one about 5" and one about 10". I bought each for around $3 at flea markets. Restored them and they're as good as anything you will buy new). I also use a rafter's square a lot.

Marking gauge

Marking knife

Straight Edge (I use a 36" steel edge that I've checked for straightness. I use it a lot when planing edges and surfaces of boards). I also have a smaller one that I use a lot.

Jack Plane

Smoothing Plane

Jointer Plane

Folding rule

Sliding bevel

You will see eventually what tools you use the most. Some you will buy may not ever get used.

[Keith Beck]

Thanks to everyone for their inputs. Once again, the knowledgeable woodworkers on this forum have opened my eyes to some aspects of the craft I wouldn't have thought about. Looks like I need to do some more homework on what I need/will actually use.

I did fail to mention that I'm already pretty much set with squares, a sliding bevel, a marking gauge, a straight edge and I've also got a couple of mortising chisels on my wish list. Right now, I'm looking at the 1/4" and 3/8" AI mortising chisels since those are the two mortise sizes I seem to make the most. I'm also using water stones to sharpen my blades. I do need to get a good marking knife. Any suggestions?

I haven't really delved into the saw world yet. Right now I'm still trying to figure planes out. I don't know if I'll ever get to that point in handtools. Maybe someday. You can be sure when I need advice in that arena, I'll be back here bugging you again...

Keith

[Sam Yerardi]

Keith,

Try making your own knife. It will make a good project. It's not hard and you decide what type of wood for the handle. Research what's out there, and then design your own. Myself I would make one before I would buy, but that's just me. Brings you a bit closer to your tools.

[Keith Beck]

Keith,

Try making your own knife. It will make a good project. It's not hard and you decide what type of wood for the handle. Research what's out there, and then design your own. Myself I would make one before I would buy, but that's just me. Brings you a bit closer to your tools.

Actually Sam, I was considering ordering the knife kit from http://http://czeckedge.com/MarkingKnives.html and then turning my own handle. It's worth 15 bucks to me to not have to do any metal grinding.

Keith

[Sam Yerardi]

Great idea! Go for it!!