So...Who Actually Uses Their No. 6 Plane?

[Mark R Webster]

I have had and used all the sizes over the years from #3-#8. For me the #6 is a nice weight (not too heavy and not too light) and still a reasonably long plane. For me the 7s and 8s are quite heavy. Realistically I use a jointer (machine) for initial jointing and don't really need the length of the longer planes. The 6 provides a nice finish up and handles most panels I would need to flatten.

[Bruce Haugen]

I was de-rusting a #6 Bailey yesterday. I have a Veritas iron and breaker on it.
I will buy a small can of black automotive paint to cover the japanning.
It does a great job.

I don't know why, but I have seven hand planes, including three Bedrocks, a 604, 605, and a 607.

One of the very best woodworkers I know of, a guy who has built furniture professionally for 30+ years, both flattens and smooths with a #8, in difficult woods, too. The plane isn’t the limitation.

[Matthew Hutchinson477]

My #6 gets a fair amount of use because of how I prep the blade. It's sharpened with a 16" radius.
So when my 5-1/2 with an 8" radius is a bit aggressive, out comes #6.

This is actually what I have been thinking of trying. My #5 also has an 8" radius for rough work but sometimes going from that to my #7 (set to take light shavings) is a bit of a jump and ends up requiring a lot of time with the #7. Maybe this is where the #6 will fit in.

[Patrick Chase]

One of the very best woodworkers I know of, a guy who has built furniture professionally for 30+ years, both flattens and smooths with a #8, in difficult woods, too. The plane isn’t the limitation.

Sure, and David Charlesworth likes to smooth with his 5-1/2 IIRC, and Alan Peters used #7s for just about everything (those crazy Brits...).

We have to separate what you *can* do from what is most efficient and productive, and the latter varies based on both the individual woodworker and the task.

[lowell holmes]

Actually, I favor my 5 1/2 Bailey. It has 2 1/4" wide iron and is 15" long. I use it more than my Bedrocks.

[Simon MacGowen]

Sure, and David Charlseworth likes to smooth with his 5-1/2 IIRC, and Alan Peters used #7s for just about everything (those crazy Brits...).

We have to separate what you *can* do from what is most efficient and productive, and the latter varies based on both the individual woodworker and the task.

In the same spirit, how can we leave out...PAUL SELLERS, another Brit, who uses a #4 for (almost) everything. Now and then, he picks up the #4-1/2, but he is often seen jointing with the #4, too.

Simon

[Tom M King]

I keep two with different cambers. It wasn't a plan to have two, but just happened in a round-about way. Turns out, I like having both of them. Here's a video of me using them. This was the first video I made with the camera that has a separate mic, and I forgot to turn it on. I was talking the whole time, but this was the last panel on this project, so didn't make another video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SED7B65cppM

[Don Dorn]

Not sure I've ever actually used mine with the possible exception of setting it after the initial blade sharpening.

[Jerry Olexa]

In the same spirit, how can we leave out...PAUL SELLERS, another Brit, who uses a #4 for (almost) everything. Now and then, he picks up the #4-1/2, but he is often seen jointing with the #4, too.

Simon

Paul Sellers used a #4 to flatten his bench top!!! He seems to know what he's doing and it was effective!!! A #7 might be better for us novices!!

[George Wall]

To be fair to Paul Sellers, he does recommend a #5 for edge jointing in some of his videos.

[Normand Leblanc]

In the same spirit, how can we leave out...PAUL SELLERS, another Brit, who uses a #4 for (almost) everything. Now and then, he picks up the #4-1/2, but he is often seen jointing with the #4, too.

Simon

Also, P. Sellers don't use any camber with his sharpening technique, all he does is round the corners. He can be seen doing all the work from rough to finish using a no.4 with no camber. We all have a preferred technique...

[Patrick Chase]

Actually, I favor my 5 1/2 Bailey. It has 2 1/4" wide iron and is 15" long. I use it more than my Bedrocks.

I've said this before, but as an engineer I really appreciate the Bailey-pattern design. It's an amazingly efficient design that does what it's supposed to with a relative minimum of cost and complexity.

I'm not as impressed by the Bedrock pattern. I think that it adds incremental cost/complexity to improve things that worked perfectly well in the Bailey pattern planes. While I don't think that it's worse in any respect, I don't understand why anybody but a collector should pay significantly more for for a Bedrock over an equivalent Bailey.

[Hasin Haroon]

My No. 6s don't get used much. Sometimes as a jointer/jack combo when I don't feel like bringing out (and therefore sharpening) two different planes.

[Dave Parkis]

I used to use a 6 for a shooting plane until I got the LV shooting plane. Admittedly, the 6's don't see much action anymore, but that's because I seem to spend all my time hunting and rehabbing tools rather than using them.

[Jim Koepke]

I've said this before, but as an engineer I really appreciate the Bailey-pattern design. It's an amazingly efficient design that does what it's supposed to with a relative minimum of cost and complexity.

I'm not as impressed by the Bedrock pattern.

+1 on that, all my Bedrock planes have been sold off. Using them on the same work any difference was imperceptible.

To me the round hump on the Bailey and early Bedrock lines are more appealing than the flat top on the later Bedrocks and many of the current planes.

jtk