Two Favorite Planes

[ken hatch]

I have two planes that are used on every project. The first is a Stanley #5 with a thin iron and a Jack plane camber. There are several other #5's in the till that have different cambers and a couple or three wood stock Jack planes that also come out to play but this #5 is used on every project. The other is a small shop made wood stock with a Hock cutter. It is small and shaped to be used in either hand as well as either push or pull. Great for when you just need to remove a local 1000th or so and perfect for breaking edges.

Today I was prepping the last board for the table slab glue up. There was a little light showing on one end. After looking carefully it appeared the bottom board's end was a thin one high. With the little wood stock a local 1000th or so was removed and the joint was good.

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What are your two indispensable planes?

ken

[Jim Koepke]

Though my #5s do a lot of work, often the first planes to come off the shelf is a #6 (type 4 & 9) and the final finishing is done with a #3 (both type 13).

Next favorite would be low angle block planes.

jtk

[Tony Zaffuto]

Can I have three or four? My apron plane (I actually have two, a LN102 and the LV, with one a gift and I like them equally), my LN low angle jointer (nothing gets built without it-or my 607, without its use).

Runner ups in no order: my large router plane, my large LN shoulder plane, my edge plane, my #3's and my #4's, my LAJ.

[ken hatch]

Tony, You are cheating , I guess I asked the wrong question. If your shop was on fire and you just had time to grab one tool which would it be. For me it would be the little wood stock because it would be the hardest to replace. If I had time for two the second would be my Hard Black Arkansan polishing stone.

ken

[Tony Zaffuto]

Tony, You are cheating , I guess I asked the wrong question. If your shop was on fire and you just had time to grab one tool which would it be. For me it would be the little wood stock because it would be the hardest to replace. If I had time for two the second would be my Hard Black Arkansan polishing stone.

ken

Well, Ken, the fire extinguisher is as easy to reach as my plane cabinet! If a plane, the LN 102. If another tool, then my Stanley 199 utility knife (have had it over 50 years), or maybe my Lufkin inside reading folding rule, or a dozen other tools, from inexpensive, such as my LV saddle square to more costly (don't mean much, but worth too much to leave behind).

Interesting thread and will be useful for determining what goes and what stays in the future!

[Stew Denton]

Ken,

I am going to ignore your revised instructions and go with your original ones.

The two planes I use the most are my 605 Bedrock that I inherited from my dad and one of my block planes. The block plane I use the most is my Stanley 60 1/2, but I would keep the old Winchester block plane that was my grandfathers. That plane can't be replaced, but I could get another 60 1/2.

The 60 1/2 is the better block plane, and because of that I use it the most as it has the adjustable mouth. That said, the Winchester is good, and I used it for years because it was my only block plane until just a few years ago.

Stew

[Jim Matthews]

ECE jack plane with replacement XHP double iron and Voigt "mini-smoother" with Hock iron.

From "hogging off" thick shavings to smoothing, to fitting miters, these two planes get most tasks done.

[Scott Winners]

We had what turned out to be an inversion instead of a chimney fire a couple years ago. At the time I grabbed my most heavily customized Ruger and my 1967 Dunhill smoking pipe on my way out the door, no gloves, it was about +20dF out there waiting on the fire trucks.

I don't wish the experience on anyone. Now that I have quit smoking a pipe I would grab the same Ruger and the #5 Bailey under my bench that used to belong to my grandpa. The rest of it is just stuff.

[James Pallas]

Here are mine. Almost always near the bench.

[Jim Koepke]

Here are mine. Almost always near the bench.

You must be a better man than me Jim. My #75s never really worked well for me. Though that was before me skill with adjusting blades on woodies was developed.

jtk

[Oskar Sedell]

my double iron Jack and Try planes I made. (Both posted here before). Used for almost any project.

[Ralph Boumenot]

My go to planes number three and all are Stanleys. A 4 1/2, 5 1/2, and a 3.

[Rob Luter]

My LN #102 gets used on everything I make so from a utility perspective I guess that makes it a favorite. As to the next in line, that depends on what I'm doing. My #62 sees duty as a jack and a small joiner. It's a handy tool. My #4 does lots of jobs and makes a good small smoother. My #4 1/2 is set up for light smoothing and is a joy to use.

[steven c newman]

Hmmm....which to choose, which to choose...
Plane Til, project post, both doors opened.JPG

[Ben Ellenberger]

One no.5 and another no.5. The one that isn’t so shiny is set up as a jack. The one that is a little more shiny is set up with a pretty straight blade and tight cap iron. I have a nice smoother, but most of the time these two are all I need.

i may clean up the not so shiny one some day, but I kind of like how it looks.

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