First Plane

[182much]

With all the talk about the "ZEN" feeling you get working with hand tools has got me wondering.
What do you all suggest for the first plane?
I havent worked with a hand plane in 40+ years(Jr high school), and then I thought that something you plugged in would be easier.
Right now I'm into doing inlay work, so would some kind of plane to flatten the project be a good place to start?

[leehljp]

What is a "ZEN" feeling? Never had one of those. Had Lots of WONDERFUL, Peaceful and even "euphoric" feelings though.

[182much]

What is a "ZEN" feeling? Never had one of those. Had Lots of WONDERFUL, Peaceful and even "euphoric" feelings though.

Some people call them wonderfull others use relaxing, peacefull, at one with ....

[JSUPreston]

I would suggest something along the lines of a Cessna 150 or 170 series. The 170 is a four seater, so the family could come along.

Oh, you mean the other kind of planes...sorry, no experience there.

[eddy merckx]

I8,

Kind of depends on your budget. Cheaper planes require a significant invenstment in time and effort before they won't destroy your work. Better planes work well out of the box.

I suggest checking out Veritas bevel up planes. They are very high quality for the money, plus made in Canada. You can buy different blades and have one plane do the work of several conventional ones. A low angle block plane is a good place to start.

Eddy

[SARGE..g-47]

Trick question as no one plane will serve all purposes. I have used hand planes for 37 years along with power tools and there are cases they out-perform a power tool. I flattened a 14 month old work-bench top a week or so ago with my #7 jointer in about 8 minutes with no saw-dust from a belt sander flying everywhere. But... that is not what you would use on inlay and what you would use depends on the stock surface.. size.. species before it sees a plane. So....

I would suggest a low angle block plane to start. It is easy to use.. cheap and won't break your budget if you decide hand planes are not for you and frankly.. they aren't for everyone. I currently have a standard block.. low angle block.. low angle smoother... #4 smoother.. #5 jack.. #7 jointer and a medium shoulder plane. I don't need anything but these for a full cycle but as I stated.... no one plane fits all sizes.

The low angle block is a good place to start but again... it won't fit your need to flatten inlay as it is designed to sever end grain and if the inlay is of sufficient size... the plane sole is not long enough to register and produce flat as a longer soled plane would.

You might want to purchase a book on using planes if you get one. You don't become an expert over-night by reading a book but you need to understand and grasp the basics before you move on to more planes.. I don't know about a feeling of Zen but... I can tell you that a plane is just the right tool to pull out on certain occasions when you reach into your "bag of tricks".

But.. I don't have time to write a book on when and where. You have to find out by experiencing it in a slow climb up the ladder to efficient.

Regards...

[Uncle Cracker]

Good advice above from Sarge... The plane you will use most will be the one best suited for the work you will be doing. Beyond that, you will want to get ready to sharpen and hone... a lot... A sharp plane iron is absolutely key to a good planing experience. If you have a Woodcraft nearby, most of them will have Saturday classes every so often on both sharpening and planing technique. Another thing I always recommend is to look for an upcoming woodworking show within easy distance, and check to see if Lee Valley will have their little dog-and-pony show there. You can handle a wide variety of the very best quality planes up close and personal, and get tips from their pros. Well worth the effort. Then, when those wispy curls start floating around the room, you'll be hooked.

[kevincan]

My first plane was a old Stanley block plane that I got at a flea market years ago. It seem that you start one and it grows from there. I would think that to start out a block plane and a No5 would be a good start.

You have to make the decision on buying new or old. They is a lot of older planes out there that just need a little TLC to be good users.

Here is a good online resource for info on planes.

http://www.rexmill.com/

Kevin

[shoottx]

Ditto what has been said.

Finding the right hand plane for the situation has gotten me up to 11 planes, and looking for more.

I will repeat the key to "zen" with a hand plane is sharpness!

What ever you decide here are a couple of good references;

http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

http://www.knight-toolworks.com/

http://www.handplane.com/

[jackellis]

Ditto about making sure they're sharp. Mirror finish on the bevel and the last 1/2" of the back are absolutely necessary.

I assume the 182 in your handle refers to a plane with wings?

[Richard in Smithville]

A good place to start is by picking up a second hand stanley and learning how to tune it up. There is a plentitude of information to be gleemed from the net. Be warned though...it's a very slippery slope to start down.

Just be careful not to get a plane that has been neglected well beyond any resusitation.

[chopnhack]

Good question, I always thought it meant "I ate too much"

Ditto about making sure they're sharp. Mirror finish on the bevel and the last 1/2" of the back are absolutely necessary.

I assume the 182 in your handle refers to a plane with wings?

[182much]

I assume the 182 in your handle refers to a plane with wings?

The "1" was suposed to be an "I" as in "eye ate two much"

[chopnhack]

Eye ate too much - as in eye getting too much sawdust, right

[Russianwolf]

For what you are working with now (inlays) a Stanley #12 or one of the similar scraper planes (#112 or #212) would be great. You can even put a toothed blade in and get great glue surface on the bottom of your inlays.

here's the "top of the line" Veritas copy.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=48431&cat=1,41182,48945