Re: plain info on planes - ISO

[Swingman]

While books can often shortcut the process ... it ain't gonna work in this case.

Simply spend the money (subtract the cost of the book) to buy a good "low angle block plane", then use it once and you will instinctively know more than all that book learning can ever impart.

[igor]

Thanks. And, I s'pose I agree. But one initial bit of info I need(ed) is why a low angle block plane versus a smoother versus a whatever? (For that matter, viaduct?) Many people post here asking, "What kind of X tool should I buy?" w/o saying what they want to do. While my original post included lots of requirements for a book/video, frankly I could start with a good link to an article on planes -- types & functions. As you state, I do expect that the real learnin' will start with tool in hand, as Onan discovered. -- Igor

[George]

Well, just to get you excited, not the solution (pun intended) that you seek, but good information.

a low-angle smoother? Because it works great on hard/soft/difficult wood. Working some black ash with a lot of reversals today, and it's working better than my favorite Stanley smoother. Using my LV Junior Jack and the LN low angle afterward. On straighter grain, Stanley would do, but I can work the low angle almost across the grain and get a shine. Also a lot more hand room for the hand not otherwise occupied behind the LV design smoother and LN low angle.

[Swingman]

The low angle block plane, at least for me, has been an excellent ALL purpose plane, easy to use and with many uses. In my limited experience with planes of all types, I think it is a great first investment. I've used it for many tasks, within reason, that you would use a specifically designed plane for ... even to edge "jointing" smaller stock.

Now those more neander than I may have reservations and qualification based on their experience ... but I am not long out of the same boat you find yourself in as far a planes go and I am just giving you my singular judgment in the matter.

I do have a number of planes ... if I were forced to rid myself of all but one, that one would be the Veritas Low Angle Block Plane. My next plane purchase will be a good "shoulder" plane for cleaning up of tenons

FWIW, YMMV, ITSFWI, et cetera ...

[OldMan]

Ask and you shall receive..... This article talks about nearly every Stanley plane made, and is a good guide in deciding what to buy (especially if you buy a vintage plane and restore it). I hope this helps, I have only recently begun to buy hand planes myself and after restoring a few vintage ones to working condition I am quite happy with a quiet workshop.

luck!

[AAvK]

You want to know what planes you would buy for whichever purpose??? Then get that handplane book or ask that question directly as is.

BTW...incorrect on the "Onan thing" ha ha ha ... he disobayed God and "pulled out" instead of getting her pregnant. Look it up.

[AAvK]

I thought of that during thinking of designing and building my workbench and realized I will need to smooth the tennons, cut them slightly oversized and then shape them to perfection, so, the one kind of wooden plane not made currently are skew blade shoulder/rabbet planes, because you're cutting across grain. There's always several on eBay at any one time. I bought a few for around $10 each, as long as there was a long blade length included, and in good enough condition to be tuned up, no cracks allowed. Just a suggestion.

[igor]

Well, according to that great historian, The 2000 Year Old Man, Onan was the greatest inventor of all time. He discovered himself. (Then again, TTTYOM said that the greatest invention of all time is liquid Prell. Why? Compared to the heart-lung machine? Because, if a heart-lung machine is in your medicine cabinet and it falls out, it will break. (Take a beat.) But not liquid Prell!)

See also: Some Thoughts on the Science of Onanism A speech delivered to the Stomach Club, a society of American writers and artists, Paris, 1879, by Mark Twain

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. (They may have the order backwards.) for a more theologically based discussion (which sides with me), see LIVING TRADITION, ORGAN OF THE ROMAN THEOLOGICAL FORUM. (Yes, "Organ".) "But, as I hope to show, this [i.e., your] reading of Genesis has so little to recommend it exegetically that one can only assume that its popularity in recent decades is due mainly to the modern prejudices of theologians and exegetes who see intrinsically sterile types of sexual activity as morally unobjectionable in themselves (or even as necessary at times) - and who therefore have a strong vested interest in minimizing whatever biblical evidence there may be against these practices." you must be one of those darn exegetes. (Whatever that means.)

But seriously, thanks for laughing at the joke. And, I did not know about the interruptus charge of the indictment, just that other thing, that Onan preferred it in hand, not in bush. So, I learned sumtin today, for which I thank you. -- Igor

[BillyBob]

I own the fine woodworking video on handplanes. It covers tuning and use of four major handplane types. I've done a fair amount of reading, but I found the video to be clearer and also quite practical. It seems to demystify tuning and using handplanes.

Bob

[AAvK]

Uh-huh...hhmmm...look... none of the speculation that people come up with in any field can possibly change these two verses,

New American Standard Bible:

Genesis 38:8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife, and perform your duty as a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

Genesis 38:9 Onan knew that the offspring would not be his; so when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his seed on the ground in order not to give offspring to his brother.

As I originally meant to say...he didn't ********** such as too many non readers do speculate. Nothing else works if it isn't there, only that which is there can work.

"Exegetes"? Exegetesis Exegetesist...

Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

And thank you! I am glad I learned that word. It is not my site but try that link down below. You seem to have something of an interest, it has many translations, comm- entaries, dictionaries, and a search engine. Also maps and great art and charts, 97% for free.

[Larry Jaques]

On Mon, 31 Jan 2005 03:19:38 GMT, the inscrutable igor spake:

Grab Jim Kingshott's pair of videos on plane use and care. They're great!

>You want to know what planes you would buy for whichever purpose??? Then

Prell be praised!

Sounds like a painful rectal condition.

I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so.

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[igor]

Thanks all for the advice and suggestions. I ordered the FWW video since Mike's Tools carries it and it has a good price and gets free shipping on another order I was placing.

One more step towards the Neander side. I think the hair on my knuckles is already getting thicker, but that should be kept in check by the sidewalk scraping. -- Igor

[Swingman]

Hate to tell you this, but you should have learned what causes that back in elementary school. :)

Don't forget to start collecting information, and all the necessary bits, pieces and paraphernalia that you need to keep the damn things sharp.

Buying the first plane is just the tip of the financial iceberg, and a slippery sloped one it be.

[J]

Thanks to a habit of scrounging at garage sales and the like and the occasional Steve Knight sale, I find that I have almost as much invested in sharpening as I do in actual planes.

[Andy Dingley]

Jeff Gorman's website

A little book from the 1950's called "Planecraft". Produced by Record, AFAIR, it's quite a common find, certainly in the UK.

The Garrett Hack book.

[Lobby Dosser]

Woodcraft publishes this in the US for $11.99.