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Thread: What planes do you regret buying?

  1. #76
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    2,253
    I have one of the large scraper planes. When I got it I thought it would be the cats meow. But I just prefer using a card scraper or traditional holder. I even shipped the scraper plane around to members here once so different people could try it out (have thought about doing that again, it was the most it was ever used)

  2. #77
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    twomiles from the "peak of Ohio
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    12,120
    Over the years, there has been a lot of planes come through my shop.....hundreds, actually.....do I regret any? Not really. Why? Because how else was I to learn about HOW a plane works, what makes it tick, and how it would work in the projects I do. "Ready to go" right out of a fancy box will teach a person ZILCH.


    I have to have my hands on a plane, or any other tool for that matter. I needed to learn how to use a plane, how it worked, how to adjust, and sharpen....for myself. Soooo..

    After awhile, I started to learn what worked for me, what felt comfortable for me. I'd have sometimes 6-8 versions of the same tool...and then I could decide which worked to best for me. May not have been what worked for someone else. Wasn't interested what they said was THE correct way....as way too often their way was more about how much they paid for a tool.

    Slowly, just certain models seemed to stick around my shop...seemed to always work when needed. Soon learned that some may look GREAT...only to fail to do even one job that was asked of them. Have a plane all sharpened up, all set to take a decent first shaving......and never make a second one the same way. I'd send it off to the great auction place, and use the cash to try something else.

    Started back in the 80s...with a Great Neck G-4, a Stanley no. 110, and a Stanley No.128.....working on pallet Oak....that was it. Now? Pretty well set as to what planes I use every day. Have learned what to look for, and what to avoid. May have been the "hard way", but it worked for me.

    Some of the planes mentioned above, that others dislike.....I have been known to try them out.....some just needed me to take the time to LEARN how to use them. No biggie, there..as I am always willing to learn a new skill. About the only skill I don't need to learn..is how to open a box. There is nothing to learn, doing that, anyway.
    Last edited by steven c newman; 12-06-2019 at 4:02 PM.

  3. #78
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    N Illinois
    Posts
    4,602
    None........
    Jerry

  4. Quote Originally Posted by Tony Wilkins View Post
    curious why you sold (and regretted) the rebate block plane. It’s one that I’ve almost bought several times.
    I find it very useful for trimming tenon cheeks and adjusting grooves on the edge of panels. I prefer it over a shoulder plane because it is wider and can be handled with one hand. It easier to sharpen than the skew version.

  5. Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    The #90 (bull nose shoulder plane) doesn't have enough of a toe to register to the work. Mine is occasionally useful. My other rebate planes including a #93 tend to be used much more often.

    My surprise was Günther doesn't find much use for a #3, #6 or #8. My #8 doesn't get as much use as my #3 & #6, which are two of my go to planes. My #8 is usually pulled out for longer work.

    It shows we each have different needs and methods of doing similar things.

    One user sees an expensive piece of useless gear, another sees a brilliant answer to a nagging problem.

    One person's rusty hunk of junk is another's diamond in the rough.

    jtk

    I find the larger smooth planes to be more efficient. 6 and 8 I used more until I got a 12 inch wide jointer with a helical head.

  6. #81
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
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    27,347
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    1
    I find the larger smooth planes to be more efficient.
    My #4-1/2 does get a bit of use on bigger stock.

    My projects are all over the place, sometimes a #6 can be used like a smoother. Other times the work at hand benefits from something smaller like a #3 or even at times a #1 or #2.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  7. Quote Originally Posted by steven c newman View Post
    Over the years, there has been a lot of planes come through my shop.....hundreds, actually.....do I regret any? Not really. Why? Because how else was I to learn about HOW a plane works, what makes it tick, and how it would work in the projects I do. "Ready to go" right out of a fancy box will teach a person ZILCH.


    I have to have my hands on a plane, or any other tool for that matter. I needed to learn how to use a plane, how it worked, how to adjust, and sharpen....for myself. Soooo..

    After awhile, I started to learn what worked for me, what felt comfortable for me. I'd have sometimes 6-8 versions of the same tool...and then I could decide which worked to best for me. May not have been what worked for someone else. Wasn't interested what they said was THE correct way....as way too often their way was more about how much they paid for a tool.

    Slowly, just certain models seemed to stick around my shop...seemed to always work when needed. Soon learned that some may look GREAT...only to fail to do even one job that was asked of them. Have a plane all sharpened up, all set to take a decent first shaving......and never make a second one the same way. I'd send it off to the great auction place, and use the cash to try something else.

    Started back in the 80s...with a Great Neck G-4, a Stanley no. 110, and a Stanley No.128.....working on pallet Oak....that was it. Now? Pretty well set as to what planes I use every day. Have learned what to look for, and what to avoid. May have been the "hard way", but it worked for me.

    Some of the planes mentioned above, that others dislike.....I have been known to try them out.....some just needed me to take the time to LEARN how to use them. No biggie, there..as I am always willing to learn a new skill. About the only skill I don't need to learn..is how to open a box. There is nothing to learn, doing that, anyway.
    Hi Steven,

    Sounds like you have a wealth of experience and that going through many, presumably second-hand, planes has taught you a lot; not only what you like and what works for you, but from inference, how to repair and restore tools. That's really great.

    I have to say though, that I find your statements that buying a new, high quality, tool, that effectively works out of the box will teach a person "zilch" a little objectionable. Unless I miss-interpret the underlying intent of your post? For a start, no tool is ready to go out of the box, aside from maybe some super high-end hand made planes that cost thousands - you need to learn to prepare the blade and, if relevant, chip-breaker. Learn to set the blade, frog/mouth, and chip breaker depending on the application. You still need to develop a feel for the tool and learn to use it effectively - know when it will work well and when a different tool would be more optimal. You still develop a feel/preference for which tool you like best, both within a category and between categories. I think that, other than the restoration aspect (removal of rust, flattening of the sole, repair/cleaning of threads etc) there is no fundamental difference between an old tool and a new one; other than the work required to get to the starting point - at least not from a learning and skills development perspective.

    I'm certainly not dismissing that learning to restore planes is a useful skill, and certainly one that can save money, but I also don't think it's right to dismiss the learning and skills developed using any tool; new or old.

    Cheers,

    Dom

  8. Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    My #4-1/2 does get a bit of use on bigger stock.

    My projects are all over the place, sometimes a #6 can be used like a smoother. Other times the work at hand benefits from something smaller like a #3 or even at times a #1 or #2.

    jtk
    My 5 1/2 often gets used as a smoother, so I guess we are essentially doing the same thing. For me the 6 is set up with a very cambered blade more like a traditional fore plane. I also use the 5 1/2 as a sort of a small jointer. I use it for many things much like Alan Peter's used a 7. I think in traditional English cabinet making it would be a "panel plane".

  9. Like a couple of other people have mentioned, I regret my Lee Valley #4 Bevel Up plane. Actually, I don't even remember if it's the Bevel Up plane or the Low Angle plane. That's how much I've used it. I know other people have had success with them, but it just didn't work well with me.

    I don't regret any of my other plane purchases, but I do regret taking some free planes because they turned out to be junk and now they just take up room because I don't have the heart to get rid of them.

    Also, I regret missing the Lee Valley Cyber Monday sale.

  10. #85
    They are great for cleaning up cuts in Sheetrock.

  11. #86
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Greeley, CO
    Posts
    192
    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Oster View Post
    They are great for cleaning up cuts in Sheetrock.
    I assume you're referring to the Stanley cheese grater. I agree, when I was drywalling my workshop it was perfect for taking a little off the edge to make the drywall fit. I never thought it had use for woodworking.

  12. #87
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
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    22,492
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Shea View Post
    That's interesting. I actually picked up a LV #6 during one of these Cyber Monday Lee Valley sales and it has become one of the most used planes I own
    A great example of why these sort of questions are so hard to answer. The value will vary with the woodworker. These questions do make for good conversation though and that always seems to be beneficial ;-)
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  13. #88
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
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    Originally Posted by Tony Shea

    That's interesting. I actually picked up a LV #6 during one of these Cyber Monday Lee Valley sales and it has become one of the most used planes I own
    Quote Originally Posted by glenn bradley View Post
    A great example of why these sort of questions are so hard to answer. The value will vary with the woodworker. These questions do make for good conversation though and that always seems to be beneficial ;-)
    So very true… Some see a Stanley #45 as a fancy boat anchor. Others see it as a versatile way to plow groves or add decorative detail to their work.

    If a person is mostly doing small work on boxes for jewelry or pencils, they likely will not find a use for the big fellows like a #4-1/2 or a #8.

    Some folks find bevel up smoothers, jointers and jacks can handle every task they are called upon to perform. Others may find they are best at specialties like shooting end grain or using as a scrub plane.

    To me, a block plane with a 45º angle of attack, like a #9-1/2, is too much like a bench plane without a chip breaker to have much use. To others it is a handy accompaniment to their bench planes.

    We all do different things in different ways.

    This is the very reason for a forum like this, we can all hopefully learn something different from each other.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  14. I was planning to buy a plane recently. I'm a newbie in this and I was looking for the info, but then I came across this thread and here I've found more info about planes, than all the internet has lol.
    Thank you so much!

  15. #90
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Lafayette, CA
    Posts
    832
    Welcome, Alex. Keep asking and looking here. I've just joined myself, about a month ago, and I've found a wealth of experience, wisdom, insight, and a strong willingness to help.

    What kind of plane holds your interest just now?

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