If you had $400.00.......

[Jim Matthews]

The block plane is a rarely used item in my shop.

I like my "Jack" plane - an HNT Gordon wood body plane for most everything, including endgrain.
http://www.hntgordon.com.au/prodcatajkit.htm

Paul Sellers does the bulk of his handplaning with a number 4.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQyjLV92224

Given that I went through the same progression (buying the cheapest plane for starters)
I can say that the really small and really large handplanes are not the one I reach for.

If you're looking for a domestic product, I like the LN or LV low angle jack, with multiple blades.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/ToolG....aspx?id=33799

[David Weaver]

I'd love to see some of your work!

Lately I'd love to see some of my own work! Kid and work have kept me out of the shop (at least from doing what I want), and the wife feels like I should make new kitchen cabinets, doors and all... plywood, router and thickness planer. Gross. Like George, if I only had time to build one thing, it would be tools and not furniture.

But the three woods I've worked most are maple, cherry and beech. Sometimes cocobolo and rosewood if I am building a plane, I have never dimensioned any exotics with machines because I don't trust them and all of my plane blanks are air dried turning blanks (i.e., if I do something dumb, I ruin 4 or 5 years of waiting). The only furniture wood I've used is cherry and curly soft maple. The cherry I get from the local hardwood dealer here is not very good, it's often curly and if it's not, it's inconsistent in grain direction. A panel plane takes it off in almost 1 hundredth wide shavings and leaves it mirror, though.

I leaned the same way you did with the only new condition, it's not something I would stick to if I were on a $400 budget, because metal or wood, $400 can you get a lifetime set of planes and something to sharpen them. It might even be enough to get a set of metal *and* wood planes. My long JTbrown jointer, a nice try plane (can't remember the name of the big NY maker, starts with C.... chapin?) and a jack plane were together less than $100.

Btw, I saw you had mentioned elsewhere that you were looking for a vintage panel plane. If you have the time, build it yourself. You will not find a vintage plane that will be able to perform as well as one you make fresh where you have control of all of the bedding variables and the size of the mouth, etc. It'll take a while, but you'll never regret it. I made an expensive kit, but I wish I would've made it from scratch. The ability to precisely hog wood and leave a good fresh tearout-free and dead flat surface is uncanny. If you bought a vintage plane that didn't perform better than the planes you already have, it would be a costly shame.

[Zach Dillinger]

Bummer re: shop time. I know the feeling, no kid, but work kept me out of there for long periods of time. Thankfully I don't worry about that much any more.

Yup, metal or wood, $400 will buy a lifetime set if you don't hold the "new" condition paramount. I don't have much in my basic bench planes, even my favorites. Molding planes and my Old Street smoother... a bit more than $400 Perhaps add a zero...

I would love to make myself a panel plane, but I'm helpless with metal. I even took machine shop two years while in high school, but I have no talent for it. I have thought about a kit, but there again, no metal skills. So the only way I can get what I want is to buy one. I've been into infills lately, not sure why, but I'd like a panel to go with my new infill smoothing planes (bought two in the last little bit).

[george wilson]

We used wooden planes for decades in the museum,and you can buy plenty plus sharpening stuff for $400.00.

[Thom Edwards]

Personally, I enjoy forming my joinery with hand tools, so I went with the joinery planes. I spent my budget in Lee Valley's Specialty Planes and Shoulder Planes sections. My electrically driven jointer and planer handle most milling for me, so I didn't focus too much on the jack, fore, try, jointer, etc dimensioning hand planes. I then added on a couple of well-tuned #4s from the bay along with a #5 and a #6 I already had. I found that spending $30 or a little more for a good vintage bench plane suited my interests just fine. Who knows, maybe I'll "upgrade" my bench planes one day...

[David Weaver]

I would love to make myself a panel plane, but I'm helpless with metal. I even took machine shop two years while in high school, but I have no talent for it. I have thought about a kit, but there again, no metal skills. So the only way I can get what I want is to buy one. I've been into infills lately, not sure why, but I'd like a panel to go with my new infill smoothing planes (bought two in the last little bit).

>>(bought two in the last little bit)<< oh my!!

The metal work is more physical than precision until the last couple of strokes, even then, peining is on your side - it's like hammering together play doh and filing off the excess. It's a bigger issue to lay out the pins and tails and mark them accurately with a scribe than it is to cut, file and pein them (i'd be glad to provide the layout on a spiers 18" panel plane). It was much easier (but more time consuming) to get a very nice working infill plane than it was to cut out a coffin smoother. Everything in making an infill is stacked in your favor.

I've never used a "store bought" infill, so I can't compare too much how they work to new style planes, but I have noticed that a lot of them (the vintage types) that I've looked at have recondition issues or just looseness in the parts that I worked so hard to get exact on mine (the mouth, the fit of the lever cap to the back of the iron, and the points where the iron touches the sole of the plane and the bed). It would seem (from experience with other planes) that's the difference between a plane that works well or really well vs. a plane that is almost impossible to use to less than perfection. A perfect fresh fit also makes everything adjust absolutely precisely when you tap the iron.

Tool outlay to make one is extremely minimal if you have a few files, a hacksaw and a vise to hold the metal. Probably $200-$300 in materials if you use tool steel and a commercial Iron.

[Zach Dillinger]

I didn't pay much for the infills, less than $210 for the pair. Got lucky.

That's interesting re: ease of construction. Making wooden planes has usually been easy for me, except for the time I tried to make a 30" jointer in hard maple. Mortising through that is no joke. Perhaps I'll try to cobble together an infill over the winter, once my PW project is built and the article is written.

[Stew Hagerty]

If you had a budget of $400.00 dollars and had no hand planes what would you buy?

Stanley Sweetheart 162 Low Angle Jack Plane: $126
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-12-137...ley+sweetheart

Stanley Sweetheart #4 Smoothing Plane: $120
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-12-136...ley+sweetheart

Stanley #92 Shoulder/Chisel Plane: $72
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-12-140...ley+sweetheart

Stanley 62 1/2 Low-Angle Block Plane: $57
http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-12-139...ley+sweetheart

Grand Total $375

I have all of these and they work very well. These are not the lower quality English made replicas of the vintage tools. They are newly engineered versions with 1/8" A-2 steel blades and heavy, well machined bodies. While maybe not quite to the guality of Lee Valley or Lie Nielsen, they are certainly high quality planes, plus you can get a whole set well within your $400 budget.

[Jim Koepke]

If you had a budget of $400.00 dollars and had no hand planes what would you buy? To keep it simple, only new and only hand planes. I only have power tools ( I know) but want to add hand tools to my shop.
I do have chisels and a few other items. I want to start with just a couple of planes to really get to know how to use them and keep them set up and sharp. Thanks.

John,

This kind of question always brings a lot of responses. The responders often stray widely from the parameters of the question.

In my case, my usual suggestion is to get more bang for the buck with used planes. Though, starting with one new plane to have a starting point is a good way for many to start.

I am not sure if by "only hand planes" you mean none of the specialty planes or not even block planes.

The most important aspect is your needs. If you are just cleaning up after power tools, it also depends on your assortment of power tools. If you have a jointer and planer, then a smoother like a #3, 4 or 4-1/2 may be all you need. Smoothers are good at creating the final surface. Their short length makes them impractical for creating a trued edge or surface due to their tendency to follow every rise or dip on the work.

I do not have a planer or jointer. When long pieces come off of my band saw, the saw marks usually get removed with a #6 for most work.

I usually suggest going to one of the Lie-Nielsen tool events to give these a try, but I do not see any near you soon.

Here is something I wrote a couple of years ago. Of course I have learned a lot since then.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...th-Hand-Planes

If you do not have a sharpening set up, that is another area of consideration no matter what plane(s) you buy.

Other than the smoother recommendation above, my other suggestion would be a low angle block plane. For most work, the LV or LN low angle block planes along the #60-1/2.

The Lie-Nielsen is listed here:

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1216

Some of the LVs are listed here:

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...42&cat=1,41182

The root page of LV planes is here:

http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/pag...?cat=1&p=41182

If you are lucky, there may be another member who lives close to you who is willing to let you test drive their selection of planes.

jtk

[David Barbee]

This is a loaded question. If you buy a hand plane and don't have the skills/equipment to sparpen it, then it's just a paperweight. Additionally, if you don't have a proper (very sturdy, flat sureface, and a vice of some sort would be nice) bench then you are equally disadvantaged. Not to mention what you hope to achieve with this tool. Without more information any recommendations are pretty useless.

[James Owen]

I would consider either a Lie Nielsen #5-1/2 ($375) or #6 ($375), and either a #60-1/2 ($165) or the #102 ($115). The #60-1/2 will break the $400 limit by about $40; the #102 will keep you just under $400.

Both the #5-1/2 and the #6 make good jack/fore planes, short jointers, and long smoothers (a la panel plane).
A low angle block plane is very useful for all sorts of jobs. The adjustable mouth on the #60-1/2 makes it easier to use on more challenging grained woods, but the #102 will work fine, as well.

[glenn bradley]

Speaking as another mostly tailed woodworker; LV apron plane and a Low angle Jack with a 25*, 38* and 50* will handle many tasks. I have other planes; jointer, smoother, blocks, etc. but, If I could only keep 2, these would be them. If I could only keep one it would be the LA block with the optional grips. This was my only plane for quite some time.

[Ryan Baker]

Given the parameters of the original question, I would definitely say the LV low-angle jack and the LN 60 1/2 block plane, or something similar. Those will handle most of your general planing needs, and you can add other planes to the collection as you figure out what specialty items you need. For the basic planes, you should get some top quality items.

Of course there are tons of other (and less expensive) choices if the rules of the question change.

I also agree completely that you need to have some decent waterstones for sharpening. If you don't already have that (or have other budget), be sure to save some money for that first.

[John Fleming]

Thanks everyone for all the great responses. I knew I would miss some parameter . I do mostly all my furniture work in solid woods, and all of that in hardwoods. I would like to use the hand plane or planes to shave tenons, take a little off on a panel, that sort of thing. I got a much bigger response than expected and have been given plenty of options. Thanks.

[paul cottingham]

Thanks everyone for all the great responses. I knew I would miss some parameter . I do mostly all my furniture work in solid woods, and all of that in hardwoods. I would like to use the hand plane or planes to shave tenons, take a little off on a panel, that sort of thing. I got a much bigger response than expected and have been given plenty of options. Thanks.

The I would make sure I looked at the large shoulder plane. Can't beat it for trimming tenons and joinery.