5 1/2 planes...love em or leave em?

[Charles Shenk]

I would love to hear people's thoughts on these sized planes. Is it used a lot if you already have a 3, 4, 5, and 7 planes?

[Jim Koepke]

Mine gets used mostly when smoothing a wider piece.
It all depends on one's personal preference. If one wants to limit the space taken by their planes, then the 3,4,5 and 7 will do just about all one needs to do.

My style is to have lots of planes and have them set up in various ways. As an example, there is a pair each of #4s & #5s in my shop. One of each is set up to take heavy shavings and the others to take fine shavings most of the time.

The planes smaller than a #4 are set for fine smoothing. Planes larger than a #5 are usually set to take a medium shaving. Same with the pairs of 60s and 65s block planes. It is a lot easier just to reach for a different plane than to adjust the one in use.

Hogging a lot of wood with a wide plane can be a lot of work, so it is usually one of the #5s that gets that task.

It is nice to have a plane to fit the work at hand instead of having one too big or too small.

But that is my style and for someone else, it may be all wrong. Besides, so SWMBO doesn't catch on, they need to be used so she doesn't start thinking the are just being bought for a collection.

jim

[JohnMorgan of Lititz]

Charles,

I have a stanley 5 that i had trouble getting flat around the mouth and eventually replaced with a LN 5 1/2. I was going to get the LN 5, but after sitting through a seminar at LN w/ David Charlesworth and seeing how he was able to use a 5 1/2 as a super smoother, i was sold. Plus he said he felt the 5 was more for women. :) I believe he said it in jest, but for some reason i think there was a bit of truth in there. In all seriousness, he was pointing out that the 51/2 is just a bit longer and wider, but mainly heavier.

I really like having the 5 1/2 and haven't touched the 5 since.

I use a scrub plane for hogging, then the 7 to face joint, then the 5.5 to smooth.

[Eric Brown]

I have an old Stanley that works ok, but lately I've been thinking of a L-N 5 1/2 with a high angle frog. If L-N or L-V made this plane in a bronze or other heavy, non-rust metal, it would be next on my list. I would even consider a bevel-up if it were heavier.

Eric

[David Keller NC]

"If L-N or L-V made this plane in a bronze or other heavy, non-rust metal, it would be next on my list."

I use a 5-1/2 constantly in my shop - it's the main plane I use when surfacing wood by machine and then smoothing it for assembly. My comment here is that I don't think I'd want the L-N 5-1/2 to be any heavier - it's a tank as is. In fact, it's noticeably heavier than my Bailey #6, which is a good 4" longer.

[JohnMorgan of Lititz]

I'll second that. The LN 5 1/2 is certainly a tank. But man, its a smooth working plane...balances well. I think its the perfect plane.


"If L-N or L-V made this plane in a bronze or other heavy, non-rust metal, it would be next on my list."

I use a 5-1/2 constantly in my shop - it's the main plane I use when surfacing wood by machine and then smoothing it for assembly. My comment here is that I don't think I'd want the L-N 5-1/2 to be any heavier - it's a tank as is. In fact, it's noticeably heavier than my Bailey #6, which is a good 4" longer.

[Chuck Nickerson]

I have and use a LN 5-1/2. I have blades ground on an 8" and 12" radii, and I use the 5-1/2, rather than a scrub plane, for roughing down. It works for me.

[Johnny Kleso]

Dave Charleswoth reccommends a 5 1/2 to his students as there first plane..

I use my a lot since its a little lighter than a No.6 Fore plane and does almost the same work..

[philip marcou]

It is to be loved-far more than the #5 which just does not have the same feel or heft especially when working hard woods.
Most tradesmen ie those who have done an apprenticeship, will have been brought up on it.
Stanley for some reason did not make too many of them but Record did , and many will say that it superior to the Stanley. I have the Record (Old British) but not the Stanley so can't confirm-but I sure as hell like my #51/2. With a back bevel it can tackle most difficult woods- thin blade or not.
Pictures show it being used to fair end grain on infill for a mitre plane- the wood is Afzelia-which is hardish. Seems like a big plane to use , but it shows how versatile it is. I painted mine dark green to fool the collectors next century.

[Dave Cav]

I have both a #5 1/2 and a 605 1/2 with a Hock iron. I really like both of them for large or rough work. The mass and size seem about perfect for me. I have both of them set up for jack plane work, and my 606 is set up as a panel smoother.

[Frederick Rowe]

Charles - I'll join the chorus of support for the 1/2 sizes. I recently picked up and rehabbed a Stanley 4 1/2 and 5 1/2. Wow, what a difference. The 4 1/2 is now the first I seem to find in my hand, and the 5 1/2 a close second. I don't know if it the slightly wider size or greater heft. I plan on picking up a second pair with which I'll install radius ground irons. The prices are picking up, but still quite reasonable. My advise is to simply pick up the next 4 1/2 size you see under $50, tune it, sharpen, and try for yourself.

[James Bosley]

Hello, I have a rather unique Stanley 5 1/2 plane. It is the heavy WWII model with a frog adjustment screw. One of my most used planes. The extra weight really helps this wide plane attack the wood, and it was alot cheaper than getting an LN. Happy rust hunting.

[Jim Koepke]

Well, I do like my #5-1/2, but recently have acquired a #6.

The #6 is a type 9 just like the #5-1/2, but the #6 is a bit heavier. It is also a shade wider.

I have not weighed them, but the #6 seems heavier than my #7, a type 10.

Anyway, just for getting familiar with it, my #6 has been used a bit more lately on the longer boards.

So many planes, so little wood...

Well, that is not right, just remembered that we bought about 100 feet of 1X8 and 1X12 today. Better drink my Ovaltine.

jim

[Jim Nardi]

The 605 1/2 is really like a 51/4 because you have to file a 1/8" off the replacement blade to make it fit. I reach for it after the 605's have gone dull. I also keep the LN 51/2 set with a high angle frog just for smoothing. I do prefer it the most for smoothing.

[Bill Houghton]

Well, I do like my #5-1/2, but recently have acquired a #6.

You're going to like the #6. In my opinion, it's one of the unsung heroes. I've got two, although I have yet to have time to clean up, repair (horn on tote broken off), and sharpen the second one.

They're great hogging planes; I plan to put strong camber on one iron, to follow the scrub plane (or use first, if the wood's moderately close to right).

[Jim Koepke]

Yes indeed, I do like the #6. Today I was using it on some wood to knock off the saw marks.

It is set for a thick shaving. Once a full width shaving comes off the full area of the board, a #7 is used. The #7 is set for a fine shaving. That is mainly because it has a thicker blade and the mouth has not been modified.

jim

[David Cockey]

....
Most tradesmen ie those who have done an apprenticeship, will have been brought up on it.
Stanley for some reason did not make too many of them but Record did , and many will say that it superior to the Stanley. I have the Record (Old British) but not the Stanley so can't confirm-but I sure as hell like my #51/2......

I've heard that the 5 1/2 has been much more common in Britain than the US, and it was pretty much the most commonly used plane in British shops.

[Mitch Barker]

I recently attended a seminar by graham blackburn at a ww show. Based on his talk and the books he had for sale, he's a true blue neander. Anyway he claimed that the plane manufacturers dreamed up the numbering scheme to encourage people to buy more planes to finish their collections. He also was a big advocate of wooden planes - which of course are not numbered.

[philip marcou]

I've heard that the 5 1/2 has been much more common in Britain than the US, and it was pretty much the most commonly used plane in British shops.

That is true.

[Rick Erickson]

I agree with those who agree that the 5 1/2 is the ideal plane. I use my LN 5 1/2 more than any other plane. I too have different planes setup to do different tasks. My LN 4 1/2 has the 55-degree frog for smoothing the tough woods. That way I can use my 5 1/2 for everything else. I consider it the perfect plane. Some mentioned that D.C. also considers it the first plane of choice. I recently attended a Rob Cosman class. He too thinks that if you could only buy one plane the 5 1/2 would be it. In fact, it was because of that class that I bought my LN 5 1/2. It was a great decision.

Side Note: If you ever have a chance to attend one of Rob's classes (mine was at Woodcraft) DON'T pass it up. It was like drinking from a fire hose.