Help me choose a first plane?

[Chris152]

So basically, think about what you want out of woodworking is it to be a tool collector; a craftsman; refurnish the house? whetever, you need to go through that learning curve and then start to apply what you learn. The rider will meet all your needs for the forseable future and serve you well as will the QS. Just remember people like Chippingdale, Roentgen et al, just had some bits of wood with a bit of metal sticking out and made masterpieces but only after going through that learning curve.
HTH

I'm sure these are important questions - along with the one about hobby/ income that Droogs asked. My background is in fine art and when younger I used to make mixed media sculpture, came to specialise in writing and photography but now (many years on) I want to make sculpture again, using wood and other media, but also I want to learn to make modernist-style furniture. So I'm going from something I know well to something I'm a novice in, and I could end up making on very different scales. So, from what I've read I need as a starter a Jack plane and a block plane (I've not really started thinking about the latter yet!).

 

[Chris152]

This is dad's plane which I seem to have failed to restore...

 

[woodbrains]

£154 for the Quangsheng
Indeed it will be a sound plane, but for that money you would be better getting a Bailey or a Record
and then some sharpening gear, since you said you don't want to spend more than you have to.
the 5 1/2 is the one I would go for or a 5.
I believe the quangsheng has A2 steel compared to regular 01....
No plane will work out of the box like a plane should work,
You will need to hone the edge and this is much easier with 01 steel.
You might get stuck with a good plane, but no means of sharpening it.
For the money .....roughly
You could get a cheap eclipse style honing guide £5ish
A decent 5 or 5 1/2 £40 say, depending how much you want to wait. a thick soled one that is,
I suggest you get diamond plates... forum link
your-cheapest-honing-setup-buying-new-only-t102548.html
or Ultex ones
I say this because you will need a dead flat surface to fettle the back of the iron and also the
underside of the chip breaker/cap iron.
Could do it on a salvaged granite off cut, but its less faff with the diamond hones.
You might need a plate to flatten the sole on, but you should get good results anyway.
Do you go to car boot sales ? cheap stones and planes are a plenty I hear...
I would look for a bench grinder with the change, for establishing a primary bevel on ...
Then onto the stones
Look for a fire door in a skip while your at it
Tom

Hello,

Just to clarify, quangsheng irons are not A2 steel, but T10, which is a water hardened steel and very nice it is too. The QS plane is head and shoulders over the Rider. If I was going to buy it would be one of these. And if I were a raw beginner I would buy a new one. There is a lot if garbage on the second hand market, unless you know what to look for, and what beginner does? Of course they can be fettled and improved if you know what you are doing, but what beginner does? Buy the QS and get planing from the get go. When you know how it works and why, then buy the used Record planes, as and when you need more. You'll never regret buying the QS though, they are very good tools and will last a lifetime.

Mike.

 

[essexalan]

All Bailey type planes new or old have that slack in the depth adjuster you get used to it. You should be able to get your dad's plane in to a good user regardless of the lump missing. If you can't then it is a waste of time buying another plane off ebay or elsewhere, well sorted planes are rare but they are there. I think DW did a video on how to sort a Record in about 30 minutes but you have to have the setup to do that and know what you are doing and why. You will learn a lot getting your dad's plane to work lots of stuff on the web on how to. Then you can decide about size and whether you want a new plane or are ready to take a punt at a user Record. I would go #5 1/2 because you already have a spare blade in the #4 1/2. Give you time to sort out your sharpening regime as well. BTW there ain't a plane out there ready to use straight from the box.

 

[Chris152]

Ok, thanks all for your helpful replies.

Maybe I'm just impatient, but I want to get on with sorting out the wood I have in the 'workshop' (garage), so just ordered the Quangsheng 5 1/2 and got a free Starrett Try Square thrown in! I'm very clear I need to get dad's plane working in time, and that I'll still have to do some sorting on the Quangsheng (following Peter Sefton's guide), but I feel this is the way forward for me.

I really appreciate your thoughts.

Chris

 

[G S Haydon]

All the best with it Chris .

 

[Ttrees]

Hello,

Just to clarify, quangsheng irons are not A2 steel, but T10, which is a water hardened steel and very nice it is too.

Mike.

My bad, thanks for correcting me on that one, Mike .
I see that the casting is made from unbreakable iron ...
That is defiantly a plus for the newcomer.
That 4 1/2 looks nice BTW
sharpening gear and a solid bench is all that you need now
Good luck
Tom

 

[Jacob]

I wouldn't worry about rust on an old plane as long as it's not seized up and the parts can be made to move as they should.. Just brush it off a bit and clean the sole with wire wool and oil. Pits don't matter too much (within reason).
Rusty blade doesn't matter as long as you can get a good edge. Even pits on the face can be liveable with - you don't have to go in for all that crazy flattening fashion and it improves with use.
In other words it's quite possible to pick up something cheap which looks like scrap but may well be OK.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYyV6IUpsYk
is as good a place to start with your old one as any.

 

[Chris152]

Thanks again everyone.

I wonder if there's a living to be made from buying brand new, cheaper planes, making them work properly and selling on - someone other than me, of course... ;-)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

MrDavidRoberts makes £1000s doing it.

 

[AndyT]

You could buy an old plane, professionally refurbished by someone who knows what they are doing.
Dearer than a bootfair but cheaper than new with the benefits of coming from a proper dealer.

For example, have a look here:

https://www.oldtoolstore.co.uk/bench-planes-66-c.asp

You'll also get the answer to your last question.

Btw, I'd go for a No 4 first.

 

[mathias]

I've been reading about woodworking for a very long time, just finished a small workbench and have no other handtool woodworking experience than a little at school.

As you say 1st plane I assume you will get others, which is what I did. I chose a N°4 as my first plane, an old Record from ebay UK and even before using it added a N°6 as i saw very little difference in weight compared to a 5 1/2. Those two were used to build my bench from rough sawn pine. Just sharpened and mated the back iron.

 

[Chris152]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYyV6IUpsYk
is as good a place to start with your old one as any.

What an excellent video. Maybe I should have seen that before I put in my order for a new one! But hopefully the 5 1/2 and my dad's 4 1/2 restored will be a good combination.

 

[Ttrees]

I'd not lap a plane like that if I were you
I'd prefer a sole with a single plane instead of facets, why ever you would want to do that ?
and not to be dubbing all the edges with loose sandpaper not affixed to a plate, and loose grit going underneath the plane.
Surely that's inviting shavings to get stuck under the plane under use.
and not doing short strokes over and back either, that end up wearing the toe and heel.
That's me though
Tom

 

[Trafalgar]

Jack, jointer, smoother in that order but with the jointer purchased closely on the heels of the jack. The only other bench plane that you might find useful for milling rough lumber would be a scrub plane.

 

[richarddownunder]

Hi
I bought a Clifton 51/2 a year or so ago, its a lovely plane and a joy to use every time I pick it up (although twice the price of a Chinese version)... but it depends what you are making, outside tables or jewellery boxes. I haven't picked up the 51/2 as much as I thought I would as most the stuff I make is relatively small and so usually turn to a #4 and sometimes #5. Most of my tools are restored old ones...majority Record, but buying a good quality new plane, knowing it will be a friend for life, has its appeal.
Cheers
Richard

Oh, too late, noticed you have bought one already.

 

[Trafalgar]

Worth a read before you spend any money at all:

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id= ... 1up;seq=79

Scroll up to get to the beginning of the book.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

That looks like Stanley Victor compass plane. I've got one.

 

[Trafalgar]

Can't beat 'em.