SKIL power hand plane #1: anyone ever use one of these ?

The only thing I have ever used one for is to plane a new door slab down to fit an existing opening.

-- Clay Ortiz, North Georgia

I have an OLLLDDDDEEE Craftsman. It’s great for doing door edges and I have used it to open up a rough door frame.
The thing I use it for most is when I split a log to resaw on my band saw. It smooths down the high and rough spots so that I have a relatively flat spot to put on the table for the first cut.

-- Improvise.... Adapt...... Overcome!

they are great for fitting doors and windows. I’ve had one for a long time. I used it a lot when remodeling, not much in the shop.

-- There is nothing like the sound of a well tuned hand plane. - http://timetestedtools.wordpress.com (timetestedtools at hotmail dot c0m)

Jay, like Clay, I think it’s best to relegate this guy to pesky ill-fitting doors. I’ve got an expensive handheld powerplaner and I’ve never done anything with it outside of doors. I’d put it in a box and wait for the day you need it. You’ll look like a superhero when you bust that thing out and trim a door. It’ll be like Spiderman level stuff. ;)

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

LOL well then thats not a very useful gift then is it.. I guess ill go with the thought that counts on this one. I dont think i have ever re hung a door in my life. Maybe that day will come and I will get to use this instead of the skill saw.

-- " If it wont fit just hit it harder "

Jay, others may correct me; maybe you’ll find a use. I’m telling you, though, if you ever need it, it’ll be very handy to have. Whoever got it for you should be commended. Us tool guys are hard to buy for;)

-- My dad and I built a 65 chev pick up.I killed trannys in that thing for some reason-Hog

I saw a video where a guy used one to plane wide slabs of rough lumber. It did the job quicker then a hand plane so he could run it through his power planer.

-- "Courage is being scared to death -- but saddling up anyway."

I have a big, heavy,OLD Skil power planer that I don’t use much but Dallas’ tip to flatten the edge of a log before bandsawing sounds like a great idea as I hate using my jointer for this. Thanks for the tip.

-- " I'll try to be nicer, if you'll try to be smarter" gfadvm

Doninvegas

That is what the very inventive Matthias Wandel does
http://woodgears.ca/shop-tricks/flattening.html

Although he has a few hand planes:
http://woodgears.ca/handplane/index.html

but not exactly what you would see on the Mega blog “hand planes of your dreams” ;-))

-- Sylvain, Brussels, Belgium, Europe - The more I learn, the more there is to learn

I bought a power hand plane a few years ago. They are not ideal for fine woodworking but would not say they are useless for it. Because of the power of it, it can be snipe prone on the front and ends of boards. It takes some time to get a feel for shifting the pressure between the front of the plane and the back when starting and ending your cut. Many of them come with a fence that you can ride along the face and use for jointing the edges. As already mentioned, rough face planing can be accomplished with it, kind of like scrub planing. It won’t be pretty but can save your arms from a workout when flattening for a thickness planer or jointer plane. I would set it for light cuts at first, until you get more of a feel for it.

A tool is a tool and I have yet to have been given one that I did not find myself grateful for at one point or another. Sometimes that unexpected project comes up that makes us appreciate that gift in which we first scratched our heads and said to ourselve “What the heck am I ever going to use this for?” :)

David

-- There is little that is simple when it comes to making a simple box.

Use it for fitting doors,
use it to quickly straighten timber that’s really out of straight before putting on a jointer, thru the saw,
working to scribe lines when you’re fitting, kickboards, panels, worktops etc.
If you’ve got to distress the living crap out of a job
Hooked up to a vacuum they make very little mess.

-- Do or do not, there is no try

Practice with it before you put it away. That way when it is needed and you pull it out in front of friends you will look like you know what your are doing. You will find a use.

I have one and use it mainly for big thick wood to try and put an edge on, also for odd shapped wood, or like a piece of driftwood you’re trying to put a flat side on. Something you can’t run through your planer or over your jointer.

-- (You just have to please the man in the Mirror) Mike from Michigan -

its in a bag under my bed, i have no use for it .. I hope one day i will and it will be great for whatever that might be.

-- " If it wont fit just hit it harder "

I use mine for stuff I don’t want to mess my handplanes up on, or stuff that would be too much work to handplane; eg, I used it to plane the old finish off a picnic table…took 10 minutes and a heck of a lot easier than sanding!

-- Rob, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario