Jointer plane advice

[Zahid Naqvi]

If I were to get only one jointer plane which one should it be?

I see several Stanley #7 and #8 on sale at ebay, prices range from $40-$80 for the non collectibles. I know Record makes good planes too, any others I should be looking out for? I have had mixed results with the cheap Buck bros. block plane from HD. It took extensive amount of work to get it all tuned up because every component was out of line. But once I got everything alligned it works satisfactorily. That experience started me thinking about getting an older plane which might require an equal amount of effort to get tuned but will be far supperior in terms of workmanship and quality of the tool. Am I headed in the right direction?


Zahid

[Jim DeLaney]

You might also want to look at Keen Kutter. The K7 or K8 are actually early model Stanley Bedrocks, and the KK7 & KK8 are 'regular' Stanley patterned planes.

Sargent VBM (very best made) planes in models 422 & 424 are also very good.

Both Keen Kutter and Sargent planes can often be had somewhat cheaper than their Stanley equivalents.

[Mark Singer]

The ECE Primus is a great one....about 2' long! and wood...

[Dave Anderson NH]

Jim and Mark have given you some good choices. One thing to remember is that jointer planes of all brands are common on the used market and don't have as high a level of interest in them as do the smoothers and smaller planes. Be picky about the condition. Discipline yourself to see a variety before committing to buy something which might be marginal and require a lot of work. It sometimes is cheaper in the long run to go to a dealer and pay $10-20 more for a plane which will be guaranteed to be as advertised and which carries a money back return policy. Restoring and fettling is fine, but for many of us the goal is to make shavings and $10-20 more in the purchase price can often buy you a plane one or two grades high in condition.

To answer your specific questions, I personally find a #7 to be plenty big enough for me since I'm only 5' 9". The #8 is just too large and heavy for me. I do have and use a 28" jointer which was my g-g-g grandfathers, but it only weighs about the same as a 22" #7. I'd stay away from the Anant's and the modern day Records though an older Record would be a good plane. Most of the other modern choices like ECE, L-N, LV, etc are great, but pricey.

[Bob Burke]

I would seriously consider getting a good, tuned user from a known source. Personally, I have been very pleased with a type 13 Stanley #7 plane that I picked up from a guy who refurbs planes down in Georgia. If you're interested, he goes by Rarebear over on this forum:
http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=handtools
Hope I am not violating any rules by posting to another forum, but I suspect most of us have these and maybe a few more forums bookmarked anyway.
Well, best of luck with your search.

Bob

Whoops... Almost forgot Walt Q who also frequents this board and the woodnet board. He often has some nice stuff and I have yet to hear anything less than positive about him on these boards. FWIW he has a bunch of stuff in the classifieds now...

[Zahid Naqvi]

The more I engage in hand tool discussions the more I realize the truthfullness of the "slippery slope" axiom, but I am already sliding and there is no going back - atleast for now.

Dave I am 5' 8" myself and certainly not built like a foot ball player, if you know what I mean. On the other hand I rarely work more than 20 hrs. a month on woodworking, so the weight of the plane may not be such a factor. But after indulging myself in tuning my first bench plane I realise the difference an accurately tuned plane can make. Hence the concern about buying used planes and in my ability to tune them. When you say dealer do you mean new tool dealers or are there any used tool dealers out there? Unfortunately here is Central Arkansas there are no woodworking outlets and we are limited to on-line retailers. So far I have been keeping an eye on eBay as the only source of used tools, are there others I should be looking at?

To rephrase my original question if I had a budget of between $50-70 what would be my best option for a jointer plane.

[Steven Wilson]

I use a Stanley/Bailey #7 type 11 with a Stanley 386 fence attached for edge jointing. This particular plane is setup just right for a light cut and is great for kissing the edge of a board that has gone through a powered jointer. I also use a Clifton #7 which is a bit heavier but works just as well, for general jointer work.

[Matthew Dworman]

Hi There,
I'd have to agree with what these guys are saying - It's easy to become a "tool collector" without the intention of doing so. You will find that if you go the "cheap" route, you will be dissapointed with performance, and as you continue to develop your hand-tool skills, the lower quality will become more and more evident. When it comes to hand tools, price can often be an indication of quality (with the exception of "Collector" items). One person recomended "rarebear" from another forum which I frequent - my experience is that he is a stand up guy. If you cantact him, let him know your price range, he'll find you a good #7 and fettle it for you. I think you'll be pleased with the results as he is always posting pics of planes that he's refurbed and sold. Buyers always post good comments about the planes they receive. His web-site is www.rexmill.com (http://www.rexmill.com)
Good luck, and remember that you can avoid the "slippery slope" by staying with the high quality stuff

[Gary Bingham]

I have a stanley #8, and if I were buying a new jointer, I would get a #7 instead. Sure, it's big and heavy, but the weight isn't my biggest problem with the #8. The #8 uses a 2-5/8" wide blade, while the #7 uses a 2-3/8" blade. My sharpening jig won't accept a 2-5/8" blade. The #8 is the only plane that uses a 2-5/8" wide blade, so you can't mix and match blades between planes. Also replacement blades for #8's are usually expensive.

For a #7, they use a 2-3/8" blade. It's the same size blade as a #4-1/2 or #5-1/2. So you can switch blades between the two. You can buy one replacement blade, and use it for more than one plane. In fact, I think it's Ian Kirby that only uses a 4-1/2 and a 7. He has a lot of replacement blades that will work on both planes, so he only can just swap out blades instead of constantly sharpening them.

Of course, if you don't plan on getting a smoothing plane (or have one that's not a 4-1/2), it doesn't really matter. But if you plan on getting a smoother, most people consider the 4-1/2 to be the best size, so it may be something to consider.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Gary, thats good advice, getting a #7 does make more sense. Woodworking is only a hobby for me and I usually don't get more than 3-4 hrs shop time on weekends, as such the weight of the #7 would not be an issue. Since my inventory is also limited the swappable blade option is very useful.

[James Carmichael]

If I were to get only one jointer plane which one should it be?

I see several Stanley #7 and #8 on sale at ebay, prices range from $40-$80 for the non collectibles. I know Record makes good planes too, any others I should be looking out for? I have had mixed results with the cheap Buck bros. block plane from HD. It took extensive amount of work to get it all tuned up because every component was out of line. But once I got everything alligned it works satisfactorily. That experience started me thinking about getting an older plane which might require an equal amount of effort to get tuned but will be far supperior in terms of workmanship and quality of the tool. Am I headed in the right direction?


Zahid

Zahid,

If you're looking for a user plane and don't want to fool with restoring an old one, I believe Amazon is now selling Anant planes. These are reasonably priced and probably better than either the current-production Stanley or Record planes.

[Marc Hills]

Zahid:

A couple of thoughts:

1) I too started with a modern Buck Brothers plane and got it to work only after extensive fettling. That too made me leery of investing a lot of additional work to get a vintage plane functional. My experience has been that that concern is unfounded. As long as you heed Dave's advice and get a reputable specimen in decent condition, I seriously doubt you'll have to do much more than sharpen the blade and you'll be planing circles around your Buck Brothers.

2) I've plumbed the bottom of the old tool market and can report that older Fultons, Dunlaps and Sears Craftsman planes get no respect. Which is to say that the pre-war ones are quite good and can be had for very good prices. In particular I have a dandy of a Fulton #7 that appears to have the the same build quality as the circa 1925 Stanley #5. Similarly, the Craftsman #6 from that period is very nice and sports the nicest rosewood handle in my collection.

[Marc Hills]

Oops! I hit the enter button too soon.

3) Consider also the transitional joiners (the kind with wooden soles, but have the Bailey style mechanicals topside). They offer the smoothness and charm of a woodie. Some folks consider them the best of all worlds. And they go for an absolute song. For some reason they just aren't considered collectable, which I've never been able to figure out.

[Zahid Naqvi]

Oops! I hit the enter button too soon.

3) Consider also the transitional joiners (the kind with wooden soles, but have the Bailey style mechanicals topside). They offer the smoothness and charm of a woodie. Some folks consider them the best of all worlds. And they go for an absolute song. For some reason they just aren't considered collectable, which I've never been able to figure out.

Marc, as you know I got the sargent VBM from rarebear, which is working out superb. My only other plane is the Buck bros. smoother, so I will need at least one in between like a jack plane. Perhaps a transitional will fill that gap. I will keep vigil on the bay.

thanks
Zahid