Plane name confusion

[Tom Best]

A little help would be appreciated. I am preparing to build my first workbench. I would like to build the Frank Klausz bench from the Workbench Book. Instead, I am going to settle for using the plans at

also known as Bob and Dave's Good, Fast, and Cheap Bench.

I've been lurking for a while and I've Scary Sharpened and tuned a cheap Harbor Freight plane to the point that it actually works (sort of).

I'm told I will need a Jack Plane and a Jointer Plane. My problem is that I cant find anything called a jack plane or a jointer pland in the Lee Valley catalog. Since the Veritas #5 1/2 is a junior jack, is the Veritas #6 the Jack? Also, is the Veritas Edge-Trimming Block Plane a jointer plane?

No really looking for a treatise on planes (yet) just some basic info.

thanks Tom

[Dan]

On Sun 28 Dec 2003 08:44:23p, [e-mail] (Tom Best) wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I ain't no expert so a treatise is out of the question but I'll jump in first and say that Jack and Jointer are measured in length. A jack plane is a "normal" length and a jointer is really long. :-) Don't matter who makes 'em, a jack is about 14" long and a jointer is around 22 or 24 inches. Don't think there's any longer than that, but I'm not completely certain.

And no, I don't think an edge-trimming block plane would be considered a jointer. It needs a jointed board. A jointer is long so it can take out the high spots on a long board. It takes the place of the power jointer, or in your case, to flatten a bench top.

You can get a good idea of how the nomenclature is used here:

[<treader]

Jointers are long, like 22" or longer, 20" is a fore plane like Stanley # 6, jack (means shortened) would be a #5. Woodswarf

[Charlie Self]

Dan s2s responds:

Some of the Stanley transition planes are longer...I forget the plane number, but one model is 26" long.

Charlie Self

[Mike G]

For a jointer plane example do a search on the Stanley # 7

[Eric Lund]

IIRC, Veritas doesn't (yet) make a full size jack plane, nor a true jointer. Their #6 would traditionally be called a Fore Plane, but it is designed with the blade set back, so the sole of the plane in front of the blade is similar to a #7 Jointer Plane. This helps it act more like a jointer at the front end of the cut, but I wonder about how it works on the tail end of the cut.

The Veritas 5 1/4 Junior Jack is shorter than a regular Jack, but they have done the same reconfiguration as they did with the Fore above, so the blade is set further back. Everything I've heard indicates their tools are well made.

I'm currently in the same process, though I've designed my own bench. My planes are all Lie Nielson. While they are more expensive than the Veritas, they do follow the numbering scheme more closely. For the last several days, I've been getting a lot of use out the following planes: scrub, #4 smoother, #4 1/2 large smoother, #5 1/2 jumbo jack, and #7jointer. I use the scrub to get rid of the rough sawn surface, then use the #4 set fairly heavy to get the surface roughly leveled. The 5 1/2 is set a bit finer to refine the surface (so using the #7 isn't like skipping a rock across a pond). Finally, the #7 is set very fine for a smooth and flat surface. When you get full with and length shavings with the #7 (and proper technique), you aren't going to get any flatter unless you move up to something even larger. The 4 1/2 has a 50 degree (York Pitch) frog, set extremely fine. I only use it if I can't get rid of tearout with anything else.

Cheers, Eric