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Thread: Plane Tote Handle ?

  1. #1
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    Question Plane Tote Handle ?

    I'm going to sell a few of the planes I collected up over the last year. The reason is that I broke one pinky finger years ago and injured (maybe broke/fractured) the other pinky finger a few months ago. Unfortunately, the tote handle on some of these planes put pressure on just the right spot and cause severe pain in my pinky finger. My larger planes, and planes with more straight handles (like Veritas) don’t put the same pressure on the same spot.

    As mentioned, I'm about to list a few for sale, but any tips or thoughts? My plan is to replace them with the veritas versions just because their totes appear to have less bulge at the bottom where my pink would land. Thank you.
    Last edited by Greg Parrish; 03-17-2023 at 6:45 PM.

  2. #2
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    Have you tried grasping the plane by the handle instead of wrapping your fingers around it?
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  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rafael Herrera View Post
    Have you tried grasping the plane by the handle instead of wrapping your fingers around it?
    I did try that but don't really like that style of hold. It feels awkward to me while trying to control the plane. I think if the totes were more straight on these small planes it would be better, but given my hand size and the fact that my pinky winds up right on that bulge at the base of the plane, it just hurts. Don't have any issue on the 5-1/4, 5, 6, 7 or 62 planes that I own. On them, the tote is taller so I can get my hand up slightly higher. Thanks for the help/tip though.

  4. #4
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    I learned it from using a coffin smoother, it feels natural after a bit. When using my no.3, I switch to using the plane as a coffin smoother sometimes. On occasion, I use the same grasp on my no. 6.

    By the way, the no. 4 1/2 handle is the same size as the no. 5 and all the other planes larger than it. That one may work for you.

    Stanley Interchangeable Plane Parts.jpg

  5. #5
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    Thanks again, that’s good to know. Not sure if a 4-1/2 tote would actually fit on the 4, but it tells me that I stand a good chance of replacing them with a 4-1/2 and being able to handle it. I may give that a try for a smoother plane. It’s either that, or one of the LV or LN bevel up or low angle smoothers. They appear to have straighter handles more aligned to those of the other LV planes.


    Quote Originally Posted by Rafael Herrera View Post
    I learned it from using a coffin smoother, it feels natural after a bit. When using my no.3, I switch to using the plane as a coffin smoother sometimes. On occasion, I use the same grasp on my no. 6.

    By the way, the no. 4 1/2 handle is the same size as the no. 5 and all the other planes larger than it. That one may work for you.

    Stanley Interchangeable Plane Parts.jpg

  6. #6
    Plane handles are not difficult to make. With Stanley-type planes, you are locked into the angle of the steel rod that holds the handle to the plane, but you could work within that limitation and make the handle more upright than stock. You could also shape the handle differently. Your only cost would be a drill bit long enough. (You would need a drill press to pre-drill the handle blank). Shaping the handle can be done entirely by hand (using a rasp) after sawing it to the desired profile. Lee Valley has excellent patterns for standard Stanley handles. You can use those to see the original handle profiles.

  7. #7
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    Hmmm, since I rarely engage the pinky on any of my planes....usually it just lays alongside the handle, letting the others do the work....And..I have Uncle Arthur (itis) in MOST of my finger joints....
    A Planer? I'm the Planer, and this is what I use

  8. #8
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    Thanks for all the responses. For now, I think I'm going to keep my No 4 Bailey as I really like it. It does a great job and works very well. I'll just have to stick my pink out the side and use a 3 finger grip for now. Works okay so far and will allow me time to figure out alternatives if needed.

    I went ahead and sold a Bailey No 3, a Stanley No 40 and a Millers Falls No 15 (5-1/2). The No 3 was because of the small tote, but the No 40 and the 5-1/2 were simply because I wasn't using them. Bought a bunch of planes here on the forum all around the same time, and have sort of narrowed down the ones I think I want to keep. Still trying to decide if I truly need a 5-1/4, 62, 5, 6 and 7. I could honestly see myself selling the 5-1/4 but am still trying to assess its possible uses. The 6 is another one that I'm not sure about given the fact that I'd also have a 5, 62 and 7 available.

    Anyway, thanks for the insight and feedback regarding the totes. I'll have to keep all of this in mind as I move forward.
    Last edited by Greg Parrish; 03-19-2023 at 12:09 PM.

  9. #9
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    Picked up a used Veritas BU smoother here on the forum last week. Got it mainly to try the different handle style. Realizing this is more equivalent to a 4-1/2 plane, the tote may not be representative of the smaller versions, but I’m happy to report that this plane works very nicely and it doesn’t hurt my pinky. The key take away I think is that the straighter, more upright tote doesn’t hit the same nerve spot on my finger so I’m thinking the others of this style may prove possible. For my next try, I ordered a LN 164 to see how it fits. If it still gives me issues, I can look at the Veritas versions as well.

    another positive on the Veritas BU smoother appears to be the blade is shared with my BU jointer. My 62 is a LN but apparently the Veritas version also shares the same blade as their smoother and jointer.

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    CE449070-32EC-43AF-8020-36E679066215.jpeg

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