Old plane information

[Tom Godley]

I have spent the last couple of weeks gathering together many of my fathers old had tools - I used many of them 30 years ago!

Some of the old planes and a few chisels are still used occasionally - but most projects around the house have moved to the power tools.

My desire is to start to do more hand work - and I need to understand what I have and need.

Can anyone direct me to a resource to explain the different hand planes -- My starting point!

I have a load of them -- Stanley/ Record/ Millers Falls/ Craftsman/ and some japanese pull planes :?

I have a bunch of wood planes for moulding etc.. Many are duplicates - or look to be.

The few sites that I have found have confused me even more. It would be nice to see a list of planes and understand what they are used for.

[Bill Houghton]

are "The Handplane Book," by Garrett Hack. This is well enough known that your local library may have it.

"Planecraft," a reprint of a mid-last-century British book sold by Woodcraft, about $12. If you're comfortable with British word differences, this is a very good book on basic plane use.

[Robert Eiffert]

I just checked _Handtool essentials_from Popular Woodworking out of the library.

Each section seems equally thorough.

After discussion of tool types, fettling, and sharpening, there are good articles about basic and advanced techniques. Clear pictures really help.

Some projects, like workbench, storage, and shooting board complete the book.

Articles by C. Schwarz, D. Charlesworth, A. Cherubini, F. Klausz, and others.

ISBN: 1-55870-815-4

I'd also recommend a trip to the local library and pulling a stool up to the 684's. Take more home than you're willing to buy, peruse them at home, and then purchase what seems to work best for you.