deserter":31abpro0 said:
I work as a cabinet maker where we work mainly in oak and walnut, the other timbers we use frequently are ash, yew and maple, occasionally we use cedar of the Lebanon for drawer bottoms.
Working in an industrial setting most large stock removal is machine done so it's only really fine fitting and finishing which gets planed, having said that I also make furniture at home on weekends for fun, and maybe a little profit, I use hand tools for as much as possible at home as an escape from the noise of the workshop and I get more pleasure from working by hand.
I am leaning towards a Jack plane as my primary I must admit, it appears it is capable if doing most tasks and the recommendation to use a bevel up version is interesting.
As said the tools I use I need to work straight out of the box, my boss wouldn't take kindly to me spending hours flating the sole or grinding the chip breaker when I should be using the tool productively.
From what you say about the requirements of work, a small and nimble smoother might be best suited to final fitting and finishing work. The 'traditional' answer would be a No.4, but if you have to cope with wild grain (as the likes of yew can present you with from time to time), then a bevel-up plane with a couple of interchangable irons honed to higher effective pitch might be more versatile. I've never used a BU bench-plane, so I'll have to leave others to advise. A good low-angle block plane is handy for small trimming and chamfering type jobs, too.
At home, however, there's scope for wider experimentation. You may even like to try wooden bench planes, which would cut the cost a lot and would expand the skill-base. Keep a watch on ebay for a few weeks to see what comes up, and what prices things tend to go for. Pop into junk shops if you pass them - all sorts find their way into such places.
If the woodies don't appeal (yet!) then to keep costs down, the jack plane for starters approach is as good as any. When you can, add a good smoother, a try or jointer and - especially if you lack a planer-thicknesser - a scrub plane. A low-angle block plane is a handy tool as well. You can either stick with the high-first-cost work-straight-out-of-the-box approach, or if finances don't permit, keep a look-out on ebay for good old Stanley or Record examples (but still expect to pay good money for good planes). Another option is to trawl the better specialist dealers - Alf has a useful list of good ones on her website 'Cornish Workshop'.
There's some interesting and thought provoking ideas about handtools in Chris Schwarz's book 'The Anarchist's Toolchest', together with a very good guide to making - er - a toolchest. Axminster and Classic Hand Tools have copies.
And if in doubt - lob a question on here. (Unless it's about sharpening, in which case you'll start World War III again!)
