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What are your favorite "go-to" planes

richard newman

Titanium
Joined
Jul 28, 2006
Location
rochester, ny
Starting a new thread for this after the comments on the Industrial Design Art thread

The planes I use most often are all Stanleys - old 3, 4, & 5 bench planes, and 65 and 60-1/2 low angle block planes. A long time ago I put in a lot of effort on the 3, 4, & 5 - I re-machined the frogs and their seats to fit perfectly, surface ground the soles and sides flat and perpendicular (for shooting). Trued the edge of the cap irons for perfect fit to the blades. I use older Stanley irons, Hock, a laminated Japanese, and a laminated M-42 I made. They all seem to work fine. The block planes were hand scraped or lapped flat.

I've had these planes for 40-50 yrs, if I were starting now I'd probably go for Bedrocks or maybe Lie-Nielsen if I had excess $$. I also have Stanley 6,7 & 8, but don't use them anywhere near as much these days. And I have my dad's old #1, which was the plane I grew up using. Don't ever use that, too valuable now.
 
I have a couple older stanley nos 3 and 4, well used and properly tuned. A no. 4 remains the most used together with a smaller stanley block plane. Bought a new stanley no.6 a few years back. The sole looked like it had been finished by a dull beaver and the edge curled over, even when properly ground. After lapping and with an aftermarket blade it worked fine. I avoid stanley since this one.
I also have a few old dutch/german style wooden planes. If properly adjusted thes work fine and since they weigh considerably less than a steel equivalent they are easier whenworking with them for a longer period.
Veritas(lee valley tools) of canada makes really nice planes but expensive. I just got a spokeshave I ordered and it works beautifully out of the box. Kunz of Germany introduced their plus range a while back. Also well made and properly finished.
 
An older Stanley #5 is my go-to. It's narrow enough to be easy to push, and long enough to give decent flatness. I also use a low angle block plane, a Record, I think. Though I own a number of shorter and wider planes, I don't find them useful for much of anything. I will use a bigger and longer plane for larger boards because the added mass smooths things out a lot. I also have installed Hock blades in the ones I use the most. Bedrocks are nice, but I don't own any. Oh, and those ubiquitous little green 2" long things are sometimes useful.
 
I were starting now I'd probably go for Bedrocks or maybe Lie-Nielsen if I had excess $$. I also have Stanley 6,7 & 8, but don't use them anywhere near as much these days. And I have my dad's old #1, which was the plane I grew up using. Don't ever use that, too valuable now.

I would agree with your sentiments. I find that, in my area of the nation, the bedrocks go for similar amounts of money as a Lie-Nielsen. I find the Lie-Nielsen to be very good quality. Of course, you can spend as much as you want to on planes...there are a lot of top notch planemakers out there. But I find that L-N is a good compromise that gives a lot of value. I, too, reach for the good ole standard Stanley/Bailey 3, 5 and 8 bench planes using the Moxon rule of three. I think I have a #4 that I keep set up for figured woods in place of the 3 but I can't remember.
 
I'll go with three favorites:
Most used and oldest is a Stanley 60 1/2 low angle block plane - its small and light and a good fit in my hand. Probably had it about 35-40 years. Second favorite is a Veritas Scrub Plane. Amazing how fast it will rough level a board and its fun to use until I get tired! Last is a Lie Nielsen 140 Skew block plane with a fence in bronze. Not used a lot but sometimes nothing else will do. Not the most hand friendly for me as its kind of heavy and slick.
 
I started out interested more in metalwork, came to woodwork of almost any form, more by accident than design.

I retired out of the Military, and moved back to the family home, a farm here in the interior of BC, and am now the fourth generation here since great Grandfather bought the place.

Such were times, nothing much ever really got thrown away, so many of my Grandfather's old tools, were still floating around, including a couple planes, one a wood bodied smoother with a pretty good split in it, and a couple Stanley units of somewhat ill repute, if you go by the looks.
There were also a couple hand crank drills, a box of auger bits and a brace, a saw vise, and a couple sketchy looking hand saws, among the rubble and assorted other rusty items, not all of which I have come to recognize the use of.
But it did start me down the path to enjoying actually being able to do some work around here, without being blessed by high pitched noises, or the need to do everything within reach of electrical power.

Some few years back, I was blessed by the gift of a plethora of Veritas planes, bench and specialty, which had been gathered together by their former owner, I suspect, mostly because he was fairly enamored of them being both 'nice things', as well as their being Canadian made. In any case, I seem to have skipped rather a huge step in my process here, as I am rather well equipped, if under-skilled in their use.

Cancer being the sonofabitch that it is, he never really got the chance to use them, if that was indeed his plan.

In any case, I was blessed with a large storage tote of Veritas planes ranging from a Number 5 on down, as well as several other implements of wood destruction, almost entirely a Veritas wood shop worth. I really need to build an appropriate cabinet for them, if only because the deserve better than to be tucked away out of sight in their boxes. I think it fair that I should include a space for his picture in the case, too. I owe him a lot for his gift.

So far, my go-to plane for use has been the Skew Block Plane. It has been of great utility to me in the jobs I have needed it for, mostly trim carpentry and the like around the house.

Since I already have a bunch, I have since added a Veritas scrub plane, and recently ordered a Apron Plane and a pocket plane from Lee valley.

While looking about at the various offerings, I concluded that the Lie Nelson Block plane just did not appeal to my eye, and having a Stanly Low angle Block plane already, I was looking for something that would look good sitting on a shelf, as much as a using tool, which is what drew me to the design and looks of the polished up Veritas NX-60, sadly unavailable.

So, that's my add to this, from a fella that is thoroughly under-qualified to hold much more of an opinion beyond that the tools are nice, attractive, and feel good in hand.

Thanks Robert!

Cheers
Trev
 
Just about the only hand plane I ever use.
My trusty Stanley 102

9F166B81-E503-47ED-83F5-320183425C31.jpg

These days I break a edge or scrub down a high spot with this little guy- more than that and the work goes to a joiner/planer.
 
I am not a woodworker, but like to work in wood. Most of the time I use the Stanley bailey No 3 corrugated, the Millers Falls No 85 and the small E.C.E block plane.
Planes.jpg
 
A Stanley #3 has been my workhorse for a couple years. Flatten, joint, shoot ends... it does it all.
 








 
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