In another thread, Tyler from Fort Bragg, asked about finding a plane. I didn't want to hijack the thread but did want to advise him so here are some of my thoughts on the subject.
Tyler I'll jump in here also and say that the #5 is a good place to start. But they're (we) are starting you down that slippery slope. Take a look at Chris's picture some of his finds. Does he have just one plane? Pretty soon you will find a #5 (or #4 is also a good starter). You will get it home, try it out and wonder whats wrong. Maybe if you get it good and sharp it will work better. How do I get it sharp you wonder. Well you might be told that all you need is an assortment of wet and dry sandpaper and a piece of glass (the “scary sharp” system). The system works well and there are those that swear by it.
But then you will wonder, “How do I get the same angle every time?” Some will tell you that 'practice makes perfect' and you'll get the hang of it. Others will tell you to go to your favorite borg (Lowes and Home Depot in Fayetteville) and find a chisel and plane blade sharpening guide (this article (http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/chisel-and-plane-honing-guide-reviews/) lists several styles and price ranges). The 'eclipse' style works but the Veritas Mark III is better.
Pretty soon you will start to wonder about power sharpening and honing. The market leaders seem to be Tormek and Worksharp 3000 but there are others.
Then, once you get the #5 cleaned up, sharpened, and tuned, you will start to think about other planes. Again, you will get advice that starts with block (low angle and regular) planes, shoulder planes, plow planes, jointers, smoothers, etc. A good look at the range of Stanley planes is at Patricks Blood and Gore website here.
(http://supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html).
Now you start to wonder where to find out more about this stuff. Aren't there magazines to give us more information? Of course there are. Popular Woodworking is a good start, and Fine Woodworking if you are interested in nice furniture. An Internet article, somewhat dated but nevertheless relevant, lists several more.
http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/07/the-top-5-woodworking-magazines-and-the-22-runners-up
And pretty soon you have subscriptions to several of them and wish there were more.
OK, now you are beginning to see into our addiction. Don't forget the other tools and toys that make up our workshops. Visit Ed Lebetkin at his store in Pittsboro. Plan on spending some time with him and the other customers. Just don't drool on the tools, it causes rust.
Now come along and have fun with the rest of us. :eusa_danc
Tyler I'll jump in here also and say that the #5 is a good place to start. But they're (we) are starting you down that slippery slope. Take a look at Chris's picture some of his finds. Does he have just one plane? Pretty soon you will find a #5 (or #4 is also a good starter). You will get it home, try it out and wonder whats wrong. Maybe if you get it good and sharp it will work better. How do I get it sharp you wonder. Well you might be told that all you need is an assortment of wet and dry sandpaper and a piece of glass (the “scary sharp” system). The system works well and there are those that swear by it.
But then you will wonder, “How do I get the same angle every time?” Some will tell you that 'practice makes perfect' and you'll get the hang of it. Others will tell you to go to your favorite borg (Lowes and Home Depot in Fayetteville) and find a chisel and plane blade sharpening guide (this article (http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/chisel-and-plane-honing-guide-reviews/) lists several styles and price ranges). The 'eclipse' style works but the Veritas Mark III is better.
Pretty soon you will start to wonder about power sharpening and honing. The market leaders seem to be Tormek and Worksharp 3000 but there are others.
Then, once you get the #5 cleaned up, sharpened, and tuned, you will start to think about other planes. Again, you will get advice that starts with block (low angle and regular) planes, shoulder planes, plow planes, jointers, smoothers, etc. A good look at the range of Stanley planes is at Patricks Blood and Gore website here.
(http://supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html).
Now you start to wonder where to find out more about this stuff. Aren't there magazines to give us more information? Of course there are. Popular Woodworking is a good start, and Fine Woodworking if you are interested in nice furniture. An Internet article, somewhat dated but nevertheless relevant, lists several more.
http://www.toolcrib.com/blog/2008/07/the-top-5-woodworking-magazines-and-the-22-runners-up
And pretty soon you have subscriptions to several of them and wish there were more.
OK, now you are beginning to see into our addiction. Don't forget the other tools and toys that make up our workshops. Visit Ed Lebetkin at his store in Pittsboro. Plan on spending some time with him and the other customers. Just don't drool on the tools, it causes rust.
Now come along and have fun with the rest of us. :eusa_danc
