Do you need more than a basic bench plane set?

[Kory Cassel]

Ive been woodworking since 8 o’clock this morning.

Lucky!
I spent most of the day working the pits out of vintage plane blades and some old pig sticker mortise chisels.

[Kory Cassel]

My most used are 4, 5 and 7. But I will say, equally used is a dedicated shooting plane. You can certainly use a standard bench plane (and I did for years), but after getting the shooting plane, I’d never go back. Maybe it’s not technically considered a bench plane, but when thinking about trueing up stock, it’s now a “need” in my book.

I hadn't thought of it but I'm definitely going to based on your recommendation.
Thanks Phil.

[James Pallas]

Jack, jointer, smoother. I went thru a period of many planes for bench work and finally got over it. I do have several irons. I think of them as drill bits, the irons that is. You don’t need to have another drill for each bit. It is helpful to me to have a straight iron ready for my jack to use as a small jointer, or an iron with just a bit more camber to use in my smoother. I know some people like to set up a plane and not change until they have to sharpen up. That’s okay too if that is what you like. I use a straight blade in my jack for shooting. Now joinery planes is another whole subject.
Jim

[Robert Hazelwood]

Are you going to joint and thickness your workpieces by hand? If so then I like a set of 4 planes

- Jack plane: ~15" long, heavy camber on the iron. Used for quickly removing high spots, twist, etc. Prefer english-style wood plane for this job, but a Bailey #5 or transitional works fine as well. You should be able to get this one inexpensively- does not need to be terribly precise or have amazing steel since it is always taking thick shavings.

- Try Plane: ~22" long, moderate camber on the iron. This is used to flatten the broad faces of boards. Prefer english-style wood plane again, but a #6 or #7 bailey will be fine with frequent waxing. This needs to be very accurate since it will be creating precision reference faces. A bevel down plane with a chipbreaker (i.e. double iron) is mandatory IMO. Do not recommend any sort of bevel up plane for this. You need to take healthy shavings with zero or minimal tearout, and a double iron and some experience make this possible.

- Jointer plane: 22 to 30 inches long. Zero or minimal camber on the iron. Used to flatten edges of boards prior to joining (gluing together), and to create precision reference edges in general. I like a bailey style plane for this, #7 or #8, wooden planes can work but have a higher center of gravity, and if all you do is edge jointing the sole will wear quickly. Needs to be very accurate, obviously.

- Smoother. ~9" long, used for removing any lingering tearout and dirt/oxidation prior to finishing, should leave a bright and perfect surface. Takes mostly very thin shavings, so the plane needs to be tuned extremely well. Also useful for various odd jobs where a small plane is handy. I prefer a #4 bailey or bedrock style.


The try plane and jointer can be combined into one, but some people like more camber on their try plane iron than they would want on a jointer.

The only planes I'd consider buying new/premium (i.e. Veritas or Lie-Nielsen) are for the smoother and jointer, these benefit the most from manufacturing accuracy and are least penalized by the extra weight. The others should be vintage bailey planes or wooden planes IMO. UK ebay is a good source for nice wooden planes if you're interested.

I do find block planes useful, not so much at the bench but in a situation where I have to hold the workpiece with one hand and plane with the other, or where I am forced to use the plane on a vertical surface (like planing the end of a very large board). Block planes or smaller japanese planes are well suited to this.

[Mark Maleski]

Probably the handiest to have seconds of is a smoother, because it allows you to go twice as long between stopping to sharpen (it take about as long to touch up two planes as one).

This I don't get...I find it takes exactly twice as long to touch up two planes as one, and find it's better to make honing an integrated part of my woodworking so I can do it without turning it into an event. What do you find beneficial about waiting and then doubling up (where is the economy)?

[Robert Hazelwood]

This I don't get...I find it takes exactly twice as long to touch up two planes as one, and find it's better to make honing an integrated part of my woodworking so I can do it without turning it into an event. What do you find beneficial about waiting and then doubling up (where is the economy)?

I happen to have a second smoother, and when I have a batch of parts to do (usually glued up assemblies) I will sharpen both and set one for a heavier shaving and one for a very thin shaving. I'll remove the glue squeeze out, level dovetail pins, etc. with the first plane, then take a pass with the second smoother to brighten up the surface. The thinner the shaving, the less work you can do between sharpenings, so I can keep the fine-finish type shavings going longer by minimizing the work it has to do. Since the other plane is set for a heavier shaving, it can take more wear and still stay in the cut. The net effect is that I can get more assemblies done and I don't have to constantly adjust the shaving thickness. It's a small luxury, not a game changer or anything, but works out for me.

You could use a jointer or try plane to do the job of the first smoother, but sometimes they are awkward to use on assemblies and so I normally prefer a smoother.

[Mark Maleski]

That makes sense. I do use my jointer/try for the thicker shaving as you describe, so pretty much doing the same as you are. If I had a smaller piece I would use the smoother and adjust the cut.

[Robert Engel]

Kory, sounds like you've got the basics there: smoother, fore and jointer + block planes. Personally I don't see a need for a #3 but others might. It wouldn't even fit my hand.

I would be looking at a shoulder plane and router plane. I think a medium and large shoulder is a good combo. In my work they are indispensible.

If you will use a scrub plane for prepping rough stock, then I think a #5 with a cambered iron goes hand in hand with that.

After that, I would let the project dictate. For example, if a project calls for curved patterns, then you might look at spokeshaves.

But a word of caution about acquiring tools because you think you need them -- will quickly become a collector

[Tyler Bancroft]

Yeah Tyler,

I was leaning towards a scrub plane because I've already wanted one roughing down riven stock I got from a neighbor's felled tree.

I held off on buying a scrub for quite a while, because it seemed like a luxury, but it's a fair bit lighter than a jack (the Veritas scrub is ~3 pounds), which I prefer. I find that the extra momentum from a jack isn't helpful when I'm scrubbing over high spots, rather than working down the grain, and my joints appreciate something lighter. If you want to save a bit of money, I find the edge retention on the HCS blade is fine - I don't think the PM-V11 is really necessary.

[lowell holmes]

Actually, I think you need one of each. I do.

[Jim Koepke]

Yeah Tyler,

I was leaning towards a scrub plane because I've already wanted one roughing down riven stock I got from a neighbor's felled tree.

My scrub plane came as one of those deals a person just couldn't refuse. In other words it could be resold for more than what the guy was asking for it.

Before that my scrub plane was a beat up in high school shop class #5-1/4. It is like a longish #3 and with a heavily cambered blade does well as a scrub plane. Though now the #40 gets most of the rough work.

If you are jammed for space and/or storage at this time you may want to put your acquisitions on hold unless some great deal comes your way.

jtk

[Kory Cassel]

This I don't get...I find it takes exactly twice as long to touch up two planes as one, and find it's better to make honing an integrated part of my woodworking so I can do it without turning it into an event. What do you find beneficial about waiting and then doubling up (where is the economy)?

I see what he's getting at Mark. By the time you've stopped work, set up your stones, taken the blade out of the plane...you've already used up more time than it takes to touch up the blade so you could easily touch up another while you're at it. Stop to sharpen one, then stop again to sharpen another would be a longer period altogether even though the actual sharpening takes an equal amount of time.

[Kory Cassel]

Kory, sounds like you've got the basics there: smoother, fore and jointer + block planes. Personally I don't see a need for a #3 but others might. It wouldn't even fit my hand.

I would be looking at a shoulder plane and router plane. I think a medium and large shoulder is a good combo. In my work they are indispensible.

If you will use a scrub plane for prepping rough stock, then I think a #5 with a cambered iron goes hand in hand with that.

After that, I would let the project dictate. For example, if a project calls for curved patterns, then you might look at spokeshaves.

But a word of caution about acquiring tools because you think you need them -- will quickly become a collector

Thanks Robert,

The router is covered, but shoulder planes and spokeshaves are still on the list.

The shoulder planes seem to be one tool that I just can't find any bargains going vintage as I prefer to do. The gunmetal Prestons are obviously beautiful, but fully 4 times the price of Lie Nielsen seems steep! I may have to get new ones or make my own when I get there.

P.S. I already have to squeeze my hand into the smoother so maybe a no 3 is not in the cards for me unless there are designs with more rear tote space.

[justin sherriff]

Thanks Robert,

The router is covered, but shoulder planes and spokeshaves are still on the list.

The shoulder planes seem to be one tool that I just can't find any bargains going vintage as I prefer to do.

what about a wooden rabbet plane? what do you get with a shoulder plane that could not be done with a traditional wooden rabbet plane?

[Kory Cassel]

what about a wooden rabbet plane? what do you get with a shoulder plane that could not be done with a traditional wooden rabbet plane?

I'm not really sure Justin, but I think the difference is in the way that the blade is supported.

I think that purpose made shoulder planes attack the end grain more directly in line with less chance of chatter than a bevel down rabbet plane where the delicate tip of the blade is being jammed side-like into the end grain. The wooden rabbets don't have a chip-breaker down there to dampen vibration. I don't know if it makes a difference in performance?

If anyone has had good success using a wooden rabbet as a shoulder plane, I'm game to get one and try it.