Planers - Understanding numbers

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Nev McWood

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HI

I'm soon to buy some planers as i know they are an important tool, but i have no idea what each number means and what its job is.
If i could get any feedback it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Nev
 
Hi Nev and welcome to the forum. I presume you mean planes, as opposed to planers (a planer is either someone who collects planes AND uses them =D> , or a machine for planing wood). There are about a squillion threads on here discussing planes in detail. It sounds like what you want is a simple guide and this looks like a good link to start you off.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plane_(tool)

Keeping it very simple, the lower the number, the smaller the plane, between 3 and 8 (they may go down to 1, but I've never seen one of those). 3 is for final smoothing, 4-5 and a half are jack planes (jack of all trades for dimensioning and thicknessing boards) and 6-8 are try or jointing planes for smoothing out longer boards or for jointing before joining boards together, like in a table-top. Block planes are used for end grain. Then there are loads of specialist planes for specific jobs. Everyone has their own favourite plane and there are loads of different ideas about which one to start with (4.5, 5, or 5.5 seems most common). If you really want a laugh, ask the best way to sharpen the plane iron :)

That is my limited understanding, but someone will be along shortly who knows a helluva lot more than me :lol:
 
Yes Nogssy , there is a #2 and a #1 as well. But unless you got serious cash and like "collectors items" they need not enter the discussion. One of the members recently got a number 1 replica (I guess that's the term) recently for his sons use , a Lie - Nielson I believe. Lovely looking lump of metal too. They are both fully functional planes , but so small as to not have caught on with the tradesmen of the time . Not many produced so very rare and so , collectables. Of the bench planes (numbers 1 through 8) GENERALLY the higher the number the longer the plane...so far so simple. Stanley numerology is explained in the famous "Blood and Gore" doctoral thesis available to all internet users. A very amusing read for those who are interested. Just google "Patricks blood and gore" (as I am hopeless at computers and such link posting stuff).
P.S. see how hopeless I am , no idea how my 8 turned into an emotathingy.
 
Nev McWood":2j5ilft3 said:
HI

I'm soon to buy some planers as i know they are an important tool, but i have no idea what each number means and what its job is.

Here's the famous, and complete "Blood and Gore" AKA planes by the numbers.

http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

However, if you're starting out in woodwork, what you need is a "how to do it" not a "what to buy", although some buying will be involved.

This thread might be helpful:


the-essential-woodworker-t67714.html

BugBear
 
Nev McWood":3jxo92pb said:
HI

I'm soon to buy some planers as i know they are an important tool, but i have no idea what each number means and what its job is.
If i could get any feedback it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Nev

The Stanley ones are easy enought as mentioned, I never understood union hand plane number, sergent, router, or block plane number.
I'm probably just daft but don't get hung up on the number :) hope this helps
 
From G.S. Haydon's pinterest board:

choosing-hand-planes_5F00_lead.jpg
 
The top 3 in Matthew's chart are block-planes - used for small trimming tasks in joinery. Like most joinery planes you could use a chisel to do the same job, but sometimes it's more covenient to have a specialised plane, especially if it's for a task you do frequently. Plenty of folk reckon a good block plane is so useful that it's considered pretty much essential.

The rest are bench planes. Each good for making wood smaller, smoother and straighter to varying degrees. The longer planes get you straight and accurate. The shorter planes get you a luxurious smooth, silky finish. Mid size planes do a bit of both and are sometimes used for quick stock removal. If you do a lot of handtool work you'll probably want a few bench planes. If you're mixing hand tools and power tools you can get on with less.

A good compromise is a mid size plane like a #5 Jack. With mine I use a skinny off the shelf cutting iron and a thicker after-market chip breaker for coarse stock removal, then switch to a thicker after-market cutting iron paired with the skinny chip-breaker that came with the plane for getting pieces straight and accurate. Switching the irons that way means you can easily change the setup of the plane to be perfect for different jobs without having to do any finnicky adjustments.

There's no one-size-fits-all with planes. What you need depends on how you want to work and what sort of projects you want to undertake, but a #5 is often as good a place to start as any. Oh, and the clue's in the name as they say, but bench planes are best used in partnership with a bench.
 

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