Reply by tom427cid

Many years ago before I could afford a jointer I used an old unbranded plane equivalent to a #7.A characteristic of that particular plane was the casting was thinner than a #7. I made a fence of maple that screwed thru the bed. I also would use a small shim either at one end or the middle to bring the bed to absolute flat. The final test was could 6 or 8 foot boards be jointed to match. Even though I now have a proper jointer for long stock I still use my old hand plane. One of the benefits of this approach is I don’t waste as much material as I do with a jointer.
tom

-- "certified sawdust maker"