Manual plane

A used no4 off ebay should do you nicely

Agreed, and I have one (but havn't used it for years). I used to rely on my late FIL to sharpen it (master builder) and I've never got anywhere near his technique. I do have a (cheap) power plane, but that very seldom comes out too.

If you are only cutting sheet, use a circular saw and a sawboard for straight cuts. Then just sand.

I used to love my Record Plane when I could see. Something very therapeutic about planing wood you know. Brian

New or used makes no difference unless it's damaged. There is more than one way to set the blade position, some mechanisms are easier to set accurately than others. Knocking a wedge in is the crude option, though it's quite usable.

I used to see toy planes in the likes of poundland decades ago, needless to say they were junk, as I discovered once when left one & I thought I'd see if it was usable. It wasn't.

You could always make your own from a lump of hardwood. They're not rocket science, a home made plane can fly.

NT

I have a teak one that my grandfather made, and he died in 1955. Although it looks as though he bought the metal bits.

Once nice and sharp and well adjusted, there is a certain satisfaction in a hand plane that you don't get form the powered version.

Yup. Probably two in fact. A good general purpose "No 4" or "No 4 and a half", and a small block plane.

Brans not too much, quality helps. Having said that the cheap chinesium ones are ok if you spend a bit of time sanding off the rough edges etc,

Its often better to go for an older Stanley or Record from ebay rather than the new version.

No 4 is probably the the nearest to an "all rounder". If you particulat need to edge joint boards then a slightly longer one might be better - but they are significantly more expensive.

Agreed loads on ebay under £20 dont feed the Chinise

No, they're horrible things. Too much like hard work.

Bill

Best place to get one is car boot sale. You will need training if you haven't used one before. Or a lot of trial and error. There are several different types too.

My goto for small jobs is a small block plane. Easily handled. Top of the line would be Lie Neilsen with number two, in my opinion, being Veritas.

However there are many cheaper alternatives.

Learn how to sharpen the blade and keep it sharp.

Remember practice makes perfect and thie is true os using a plane more than other tools i.m.e.

First think about *what* you will be planing.

Chipboard will dull a plane very quickly. Nails? Old paint? --> RALI plane with replaceable blades, TC available ISTR. Beware the price!

Otherwise, get a wooden plane with a wooden wedge, blade with a chip breaker. Not expensive, used is fine, though "used" may mean that most of the blade is ground off. Not a problem for occasional use, and more than enough for a quick smooth. Look at a few youtube videos as to how to adjust it, a few taps and you can take off paper-thin shavings...

Thomas Prufer

As others have said, either a Stanley #4 or a block plane. You'll also need a means of sharpening the blade: an oil stone (or one of the modern alternatives), a means of holding the correct angle, and a grinder for when you damage the edge. These people have some nice tools that are cheaper than Lie Nelson