I am building a dresser with 6 drawers and each drawer has red oak trim around all four edges. I can put up a picture on apbw but I don't think you would need to see anything to give me some advice.
I need to remove a small amount of trim (up to 1/8" in a couple of cases - usually less than that). I believe a plane would be the right tool to use rather than a sanding block and sandpaper. The only plane I own is a 40 year only monster from Sears. I have looked on the web and in this newsgroup history via google but I can't find any resource that can give some advice on what kind of plane to buy. Can you either point me at a good on-line resource so I can read about this or can you give some advice based on your own experience?
For that sounds like a small block plane would be fine if you don't want to spend much...sharpen it up good and lap the sole a little if it seems too sorry initially.
If you clean up the old smoother you could probably get by, but it may be a little awkward (as I gather is the hesitation to just go get it now)...
If, otoh, you're looking or an excuse, there's always Lie-Nelson, et al... :)
The practice of removing small amounts of material to make pieces fit is called 'blocking in' and the tool commonly used is the block plane.
Stanley manufactured an enormous variety of block planes, some of the best are still made by Stanley, with Record and others making knock-offs while Lee Valley and Lie Neilsen have somewhat improved designs derivative from the Stanley designs. The fanciest have an a djustable mouth and fine adjustments for the depth of cut and skew of the blade. All three of those features are useful.
If you can find an old Stanley, as at an antique store the quality will probably be better than any but the most expensive ones made today.
Here is a guide to Stanley planes, there were serveral series of block planes but the 9 1/2 and 65 are the ones still made by Stanley though they no longer use those model numbers and I think the new 65s have a skew adjustment not shown on the webpages.
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Valley and Lie Neilsen (Nielsen?) have their won webpages.
Simpler less expspensive models without the fine adjustments will get the job done, but I recommend getting one with those as they'll save you a lot of time and frustration fettling it.
Personally, I prefer the lever caps that use a knurled screw to clamp down the blade as I can slightly loosen it befor adjusting. The 'snail lever' and other quick release caps save 2 - 3 seconds when removing the blade for honing which, in my view is a silly time to worry about saving a second or two compared to making it easier to adjust during use. Clearly this is a minority opinion, though.
After using a block plane, there will be no going back. Befor long when you get a tool catalog in the mail you'll flip past the powah tools and rowtah bits to get to the hand tools section, scan the pictures and then say to yourself, they sure don't make them like they used to.
My experience with antique stores is that most of the time the planes are mostly over priced and not in good condition. You can but new planes for prices competitive to the prices in the antique stores I've been in. If I need to do the task you need to do I use the Veritas apron plane ($70 range), a LN 140 ($185 range), or a Stanley #4 smoother (Ebay $25-$30 range).
I mulled over this descision for quite a while, constantly looking at low angle block planes for a few months. I discovered all options and prices, small and large, eBay is always loaded with them from all makers but to get a decent Stanley 60 1/2 used is too much con- sidering the condition, lots of japanning chipped off, and "just old", you might need a new $30 blade as well so why pay $50-$60 for that plane, after all the bidding and waiting PLUS shipping??? Forget it.
So, I decided upon a Lee Valley Veritas low angle block plane, brand new, very heavy and well made including a thick A2 steel blade for $99, and no way have I regreted it. The body is of ductile iron which will not crack from dropping and has nice brass parts that are precision machined.
Also, the A2 blade will hold an edge longer, and is a little harder to sharpen. I did it the other night and it was a bit harder but nothing that would deter me from buying A2 in the future. This plane has a
1/4" wider blade than the Lie-Nielson blade, which is not "traditional", and has a blade skewer that LN also does not have, and it is $51 more.
I strongly second the Veritas apron plane. It comes from the store (almost) ready to use, fits the hand, adjusts easily and cuts well. What more could a person want?
Speaking of sharpening, I have done a little research on this too and have some more questions. I see devices to hold the steel blade for sharpening, another device to hold it at a different angle for honing, and sets of 3 stones for sharpening. Does this sound right? The price of all that stuff is more than the plane in some cases...........
I replied to this message with a further question about sharpening. Subsequent to doing that I found a good web resource that answered my question so I don't need any replies. I'm sorry I couldn't find this sooner so I wouldn't waste people's time replying to my question.
I am not out to spend massive amounts of buckaroos on sharpening because I am destitutely po'! heh heh... so I use the "scary sharp" method.
On this you will find a wealth of info on the 'net for free. I will not buy some companies SS outfit for too much dough either, I went to my local (and wonderful) junk shop and bought a piece of glass that is a serious 3/4" thick (highly expensive new, I paid $10), and a length of marble around 24" long x 11" or so wide, $15.
With these you'd want a cheap vise type Chinese honing guide (they are usually grey/silver painted), these actually are heavy and work very well. This is the guide I use, same one comes under many names and they are on eBay. Anywhere from $9 to $13. It is made to hold both plane cutters and chisels, as long as they're not real thick ones like current Stanleys. They have to be proper bench chisels.
?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=toolshop&Product_Code=EE-HG-800-1800&Category_Code=THGThey are everywhere.
To set the bevels you have to measure how far out of the guide the blade extends. I use the depth end of a Vernier caliper, this info is on the guide's package and molded into the side of the guide, two measurements each per type of blade, in metric.
The other items are a can of 3M super 77 adhesive spray, a can of Bestine's rubber cement thinner ~or~ a can of s.p.e.c.s. paint thinner works just as well (specifically), and cheaper. The dry glue must be removed before applying new papers to avoid hills and valleys.
And a set of Norton sandpapers that are aluminum oxide, from 100,
220, 320, 400, 600, 800, 1200. You can go as high as 1500 if you can find it. On these papers I would look to the 'net for best pricing. I skip 400 and 800 for drudgery, but this system works extremely well.
Two comments on that article.
1) For good results you should hone finer that 1000 grit especially for a place blade. 1000 grit will be OK for a scrubplane but cutters for smoothing planes will more often be honed down to an 8,000 grti waterstone.
2) The specialized equipment needed to sharpen a saw is a trangular file. After a few sharpenings the teeh will need to be jointed, which requires a medium bastard file and a holder--the holder can just be a piece of rabbeted wood. And the teeth will need to be reset which is done with a sawset, typically $5 to $10 at an antique store.
options
I haven't priced them on eBay recently so I dunno what the going rate is for a user. Chipped japaning has no effect on useablity and old is good in terms fo fit and function. Typically an old block plane will require less fettling than a new one to get it useable condition. I like restoring planes so maybe that is what makes the difference to me.
I'll agree that you can't go wrong with LN or LV though, and the plane will be useable or at most require a slight honing to the blade right out of the box.
snipped-for-privacy@spamcop.net wrote in news:1109716152.594224.282290 @g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
I'm a cheap bastuhd; here's my two cents worth:
For bench planes, I've bought all of mine off of ebay; other than a gorgeous #4, haven't paid more than about $40, but it's been a while. I can't really see paying ~$200 when you can get something quite serviceable for quite a lot less.
I've also got a couple of older Stanley blocks -- a 220, and 60 1/2 -- both were ok, and I didn't pay a lot for either one, maybe $30 at the most.
I've also got the low-angle LV block. Bang-for-the buck, this one's a no-brainer. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat, and forgo the Stanley's. "Only" ~$100, but you can make shavings with it right out of the box. (get the chamfering attachment, if you go this route; it works really well, and you'll learn all about reading grain. DAMHIKT.)
I don't mind fettling at all -- it's a part of the price of acquisition. But I'd still forgo the Stanley block planes ...
(No affliation with LV, other than as a well satisfied customer ...) Regards, JT
I wouldn't. For the extra money, their adjustable mouth version is even better. The Lee Valley / Veritas low angle block plane is one of the few hand tools I've bought new over the last few years and really been happy with.
What needs doing to it ? One of the things I like about Veritas is that they send them out ready-to-roll. Most makers don't. Steve Knight is another one who sets them up properly before shipping.
Yeah, well do about a dozen years research on it and then you'll be _really_ confused over the options !
Don't like them. They don't fit chisels, they don't fit wide plane irons, the ones with narrow rollers groove the stones. The Veritas one is about the best.
Honing is still at the same angle. The small shift to a steeper angle is putting a "micro-bevel" onto it. This is a rather bad habit to get into - it's useful, but makes sharpening at the real angle much harder, if over-done. You're better learning to do a good job with a single angle before you try.
For a plane iron on a flat stone, then you can quite easily "feel" the angle and when you're holding the iron at the right angle. A cheap brass angle gauge will allow you to measure what this is, and whether it's right (a major chore in refurbing old planes).
You don't much care about the angle anyway. Get it vaguely right, then worry about getting it flat and consistent. The wrong angle, done well, will work pretty well for you.
As to the stone itself, then the favourites round here are Scary Sharp, waterstones and maybe diamond stones.
Scary Sharp is quick and uses cheap materials.
Waterstones are a really good method, but a little fussy for a quick touch up on one tool. They work better on harder steels, which is nice for Japanese tools or A2.
Diamond stones are expensive and need as much care in looking after as waterstones. The cheap ones aren't much good.
Leonard Lee's sharpening book is a great investment.
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