Jack plane for newbie

Some suggest Woodriver planes (sold at Woodcraft). I personally prefer the vintage Stanley planes you can get from ebay for a fraction of the cost of a new plane, but is still very solid. Or message DonW who sells planes on this site, I’m sure he has an extra #5.

-- "hold fast to that which is good"

I have a Woodriver #5 that I love. Highly recommended.

-- jay, www.allaboutastro.com

Yeah, either buy and restore an old Stanley #5 from ebay or hit up DonW here or Patrick Leach (leach@supertool.com) or Josh Clark (http://hyperkitten.com/) for a slightly more expensive, but already restored one.

DO NOT buy a cheapass Groz or Anant plane. They are absolute crap. This is experience talking. They are not worth the frustration.

Rich;)

I have a vintage Stanley #5. I think I paid $25 for it. Honestly, knowing what I know now, I’d have paid double for it. Works beautifully and will undoubtedly be the only jack plane I’ll ever have to buy.
I don’t see how a better value could be had.

Vintage Stanley, you can’t beat them.

-- Bondo Gaposis

I have a Millers Falls jack from ebay for $25 that I spent a lil time tuning up and it works wonderfully.

Wow, thanks for all of the advice everyone.

I just picked up a Vintage Stanley #5, Type 16, in great condition ready to cut with for $55 shipped. I can’t wait to get it and try it out.

Now that I have one on the way, are there any definitive online resources for tuning and caring for planes?

Thanks again for all of the recommendations!

J

Vintage planes are great. I wouldn’t necessarily advise a #5. I would say grab a jointer since you mentioned an interest in table tops. They are great for glue ups and you can flatten a table very nicely once you get it close. Add a block plane and you can handle anything.

Once you get used to them, you can fill in a bit of other things. A smoother is nice and can surface areas faster and more comfortably than a block plane (not really any better, just faster). A scrub is great for leveling glued panels quickly.

Also you can make your own. I have made a few of my own and they are very inexpensive. Just for support, the first one I bought a kit from Ron Hock. Wonderful product. Once I had made one and found how easy they were to make, I was hooked.

-- Woodworking shouldn't cost a fortune: http://lowbudgetwoodworker.blogspot.com/

http://www.rexmill.com/ – Handplane 101

Also, if you’re a fine woodworking subscriber, there are several articles there. Lots of good stuff on LJs as well. Look at DonW’s blog.

Rich;)

Type 16. Last of the pre-war Stanleys. Nice.

I picked up a Stanley 26 transitional plane for something like $10 at a antique store, and have been pleased with it. Just needed some flattening and sharpening, and was good to go.

-- - The mightiest oak in the forest is just a little nut that held its ground.

When you say ” jack plane for smoothing” you mean a “jack plane for leveling”? A jack plane is meant for faster stock removal and will have a cambered blade.

a bit of an explanation is here https://timetestedtools.wordpress.com/2012/05/02/what-planes-do-i-need/

-- http://timetestedtools.net - Collecting is an investment in the past, and the future.

@Don W – What I meant to say is for flattening out or evening up glued panels. That being said, I’d like to pick up a #4 and a block plane as well to really get to learning.

I just sent you a message regarding picking up the other 2 planes I’d like.

@Rich – Thanks for the resource!

Regards,
J

I have got the handplane bug. ebay.garage sales ext. cant stay away. 5.00 -10.00 . i made an electrolysis rust remover so i have put them back to work looking pretty on the shelf .i have found that the older ones are made of rolled steel and not cast i am guessing . they are heavier or the steel is more dense nothing is more satisfying than to bring something back to usable life

-- ken tucker