which hand planes are most useful?

[durango dude]

I'm going to build a table with drawers -----

and the drawers will involve hand work.

Been practicing dovetails.

I have a small Stanley block plane - but will be investing in some more woodworking planes.

I'm thinking a jack plane (I have a line on a nice used jack plane) will work well for me --- but would you fellows recommend anything different?

(I'm buying used tools, guys! and I'm only buying what I need)

[mpc]

A block plane is the one I use most so it's good you have one already. Keeping the blade sharp is the key to any plane but especially a block plane that you intend to use on end grain - trimming box joints or dovetails for example. I have a regular block plane and a rabbeting style (blade is same width as the plane body; the sides of the plane have cutouts for the blade so you can get into corners) and I find I reach for the rabbeting block plane the most.

My next most common hand plane use is on a shooting board. A jack plane will work for that. One with wide sides is best; many older models have less surface area around the frog than some current designs. I have a Wood River (Woodcraft's brand) #5 that works quite well as a shooter. Shooting boards are great for fine-tuning the fit of trim pieces, miters, etc. Especially skinny material that'd shatter with a table saw.

After that... a lot depends on the other tools or techniques you already use or plan to use. Do you want to hand-plane rough stock smooth? Or do you use a jointer and planer or just buy prepped (S4S) stock? I tried to hand-plane a board flat with several different hand planes - all the way up to a #8. Takes a bit of practice and lots of effort. I decided to stick with the power tool method instead since I already have them and I get too little shop time as it is... don't want to spend too much time prepping stock. If that sounds like you too, then the smoothing hand planes probably aren't in your near-term future. How do do/plan to do edge jointing - jointer, router, table saw, or by hand planes? If not by a hand plane, then the long sole jointer planes probably aren't in your immediate future.

I do have a Record rabbet plane (#78?) that is fun to use on some materials; for plywoods though dado blades in table saws work better. I also have one low-angle rabbeting jack plane - one of my most recent purchases. I haven't had shop time since getting it so it's still almost unused - just the "try it out of the box on scraps" playing. I expect though it'll become a go-to plane just because it did work so well right out of the box (as expected from a new Lie-Nielsen) and was a pleasure to use.

The other recent acquisition: a spoke shave. They are available in several styles: wood body, metal body, with flat or curved soles. I have both flat and curved sole metal body spoke shaves (also from Lie-Nielsen) that are bloody addictive to use. A friend of mine brought his car over for some diagnosis (my other hobby - car stuff) and I had him try hand planes. He found the flat sole spoke shave rather addicting too. It works quite well at knocking off an edge (just like a block plane) but it's much easier to make a rounded edge with a spoke shave. I used the curved sole one to fine-tune curves on a rough-sawn bandsaw box and it worked pretty well for that, including rounding over the edges where I'd normally grab a trim router. They also are great for tuning curved parts like cabriolet legs, the legs going to traditional ball-and-claw feet, etc.

For my type of projects:
rabbeting block plane
jack plane or low angle jack plane, especially as a shooting board plane (can't be a rabbeting plane for a shooting board)
shoulder plane (cleans up the bottom of dados/grooves and/or makes them slightly deeper)
spoke shave

have but rarely use:
router plane
jointer planes
side rabbet plane & edge trimming plane

mpc

[cabinetman]

A block plane is the one I use most so it's good you have one already. Keeping the blade sharp is the key to any plane but especially a block plane that you intend to use on end grain - trimming box joints or dovetails for example. I have a regular block plane and a rabbeting style (blade is same width as the plane body; the sides of the plane have cutouts for the blade so you can get into corners) and I find I reach for the rabbeting block plane the most.

My next most common hand plane use is on a shooting board. A jack plane will work for that. One with wide sides is best; many older models have less surface area around the frog than some current designs. I have a Wood River (Woodcraft's brand) #5 that works quite well as a shooter. Shooting boards are great for fine-tuning the fit of trim pieces, miters, etc. Especially skinny material that'd shatter with a table saw.

After that... a lot depends on the other tools or techniques you already use or plan to use. Do you want to hand-plane rough stock smooth? Or do you use a jointer and planer or just buy prepped (S4S) stock? I tried to hand-plane a board flat with several different hand planes - all the way up to a #8. Takes a bit of practice and lots of effort. I decided to stick with the power tool method instead since I already have them and I get too little shop time as it is... don't want to spend too much time prepping stock. If that sounds like you too, then the smoothing hand planes probably aren't in your near-term future. How do do/plan to do edge jointing - jointer, router, table saw, or by hand planes? If not by a hand plane, then the long sole jointer planes probably aren't in your immediate future.

I do have a Record rabbet plane (#78?) that is fun to use on some materials; for plywoods though dado blades in table saws work better. I also have one low-angle rabbeting jack plane - one of my most recent purchases. I haven't had shop time since getting it so it's still almost unused - just the "try it out of the box on scraps" playing. I expect though it'll become a go-to plane just because it did work so well right out of the box (as expected from a new Lie-Nielsen) and was a pleasure to use.

The other recent acquisition: a spoke shave. They are available in several styles: wood body, metal body, with flat or curved soles. I have both flat and curved sole metal body spoke shaves (also from Lie-Nielsen) that are bloody addictive to use. A friend of mine brought his car over for some diagnosis (my other hobby - car stuff) and I had him try hand planes. He found the flat sole spoke shave rather addicting too. It works quite well at knocking off an edge (just like a block plane) but it's much easier to make a rounded edge with a spoke shave. I used the curved sole one to fine-tune curves on a rough-sawn bandsaw box and it worked pretty well for that, including rounding over the edges where I'd normally grab a trim router. They also are great for tuning curved parts like cabriolet legs, the legs going to traditional ball-and-claw feet, etc.

For my type of projects:
rabbeting block plane
jack plane or low angle jack plane, especially as a shooting board plane (can't be a rabbeting plane for a shooting board)
shoulder plane (cleans up the bottom of dados/grooves and/or makes them slightly deeper)
spoke shave

have but rarely use:
router plane
jointer planes
side rabbet plane & edge trimming plane

mpc

+1. I agree that the block plane is a go to plane, and a low angle works end grain the best. You may have need for the different types of spoke shaves...convex/concave/straight. Another plane useful in casework is a bullnose plane.

.

[Pappy]

a pair of block planes (Standard and low angle)
#3 or #4 smoothing plane
#6 or #7 for jointing

[woodturner]

a pair of block planes (Standard and low angle)
#3 or #4 smoothing plane
#6 or #7 for jointing

This would be my list as well.

When shopping for used planes, if price is a concern don't limit yourself to Stanley. Most brands from the 1950's or earlier are pretty good and you can often get less collectible brands for less money.

If you attend a local tool collectors event such as an MWTCA show, you should be able to find many user grade planes for $10 to $30 a piece. Collector shows can be a good place to buy user planes, because there is a lot of supply and therefore price competition and many attendees are looking for collectible planes.

[cabinetman]

Some get into collecting them...like this guy.

.

[durango dude]

I use my Stanley 220 for tons of things.

Just yesterday, I used it

a) to tune the entry door on my home (cold weather, new door)

b) to take the sharp edges off a finished project

c) to fine-tune a couple of miter cuts

I'm looking at a couple of #4s --- but I don't really like the feel.

A friend of mine has a Millers Falls #14 that feels great in my hands.
(about the same as Stanley #5)

I tried it out - and was able to plane some scrap white pine just right (my analog caliper suggests it's pretty flat). I finished the planing job off with some sanding --- but not much was needed.

Haven't found a #4 that feels good in my hands, yet.

I figure it's kind of like a handgun --- if it doesn't feel good --- don't buy it.

[LinuxRandal]

Others have made good suggestions, let me add one thing. When you start looking, garage and estate sales, may surprise you. I found three planes for less then I figured what one would cost me. Keep some fun money in the wallet, and you may be surprised.

[pelligrini]

+1 on the block plane.

I'm not sure what's in your budget, but the Veritas low angle Jack from Lee Valley is a very versatile plane. It's not cheap. I do think the price is worth it though. I finally got myself one for a birthday present earlier this year. It works really well on my shooting boards. I've rehabbed many old Stanleys (mostly ebay buys) and spent a fair amount of time getting them in working order. That low angle jack cut superbly straight out of the box, I didn't even hone the bevel up iron.

Another plane I find very useful is my rosewood rabbet plane. I picked up several wood planes when HF was closing them out a few years ago. A pair of them are open nose like a chisel plane. I use them a lot for cleaning up glue squeeze out, especially in corners. I plan on picking up a woodriver chisel plane with some Christmas gift cards. It should be easier to adjust.

I'll use my jointers a lot too, especially if I need to edge joint a single board. I find it a lot quicker grabbing my No.7 or No.8 and taking a few passes then getting my jointer out of the corner and hooking it up.

I use a No.6 quite often when preparing rough stock. One of my No.6's is an old Stanley with a heavily cambered iron and a open mouth that I use to quickly remove a lot of material. It'll make a flat side on a limb or log in no time.

Router planes are pretty useful too. My small veritas router will make short work of mortising hinges for boxes. I'm looking to get a good shoulder plane sometime soon too.

[dbhost]

A #4 Jack plane is pretty useful for overall smoothing, and a #6 or #7 for jointing. I have a #5 as well, it mostly collects dust.

[vaking]

Most carpenters carry with them either #3 or #4 smoothing plane - one of those would probably be the best start. #5 (Jack plane) and #6 are bigger planes. Jack is good to remove a lot of material quickly, I use my #6 for jointing opeartions. I do not have power planer, I mostly buy S4S but when I need something - #5 and #6 come in handy. 2 block planes (regular and low angle) and a chisel/shoulder plane combo round up my collection.

[chopnhack]

The field is well covered with similar opinions. Since you will be used, the next accessory you may want to look into is something from Mr. Schwarz