Buying a decent plane

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I've never used hand planes much in any of the work I've done so the fact the one in my toolbox was a cheap foreign jobbie never concerned me before. However after I saw a rather talented relative of mine(basically does a perfect job on any craft he turns his hand too) fitting and hanging new doors in a property my brother recently bought I have come to the conclusion that doing it the way he was ,using hand planes ,is much quicker and gives a better end product. as a consequence I will soon be seeking to add a few planes to my tool box. I have done a bit of reading and seen that really good quality planes are going to cost a lot of money which I can't really spare just for this. However am I also right in thinking that older planes manufactured in GB are of good quality and it would just be a matter of fettling if I could get hold of them?

If so , there is an auction near to here where old tool boxes and tools regularly come up and I have seen plenty of planes in them(including wooden ones) . Is there anywhere I could look to research what makes , which planes etc would be best to look out for and how to tell an old good'un?

 

[Mike G]

All older hand-tools are cheap, Tez. If in doubt, buy it, and if it isn't great, then whack it on eBay. The only thing I would look for in an old plane is that the sole is flat. Take a straight edge with you, and sight it carefully, holding it up to the light. Look out for twists. You really don't want that. Check that the working parts work, and that any rust is superficial (ie, no pitting). It would be great if the blade was a big heavy thick thing. Don't worry about broken totes (handles) or missing knobs: you can easily make them yourself.

 

[Woodbloke]

Mike has essentially nailed it on this one. All I would add is not to buy anything British from the 70's, which is when our planes were the absolute pits. Generally speaking, the older and tattier the better, unless it's not a complete restoration project. You ought to be able to get hold of a decentish No.5 for about £25 tops and No7 in good nick will be around £70-90. These were the prices at my local tool emporium (since closed) but if you went to somewhere like a boot fair you could strike lucky and get something much cheaper. Don't worry about the blade either as replacement blades are available from Workshop Heaven or Classic Hand Tools - Rob

 

[RogerS]

And also Woodworkers Workshop

 

[Pinch]

Tabs, you're making the right move. Woodworking just isn't the same without using hand tools and bench planes should be an important part of any woodworker's kit. Using a well maintained bench plane will bring you joy and satisfaction. I've bought a few job lots in the past for renovation purposes which have included old bench planes like Stanley, Record and older panel planes. I currently have a 90 year old (approx) Record #10 carriage makers rabbet plane for sale on eBay. I also have one of these on my bench in the shop and although I don't use it that much, when I do, it's a pleasure to work.

Mod edit: eBay link deleted

I also have a modern Irwin Record T04 smoothing plane for sale too. I bought this new about 4 years ago and even though it's not vintage, I still stripped the plane including the removal of that nasty gloss finish on the handles and gave it a good seeing to.

Mod edit: eBay link removed

I'm not inviting you to bid of course :eusa-liar: , but you're welcome to if you want to. There are loads of old planes out there and to decently overhaul one takes a few hours work. If you venture into my website (link below), you'll see some old planes (before & after pics) I've overhauled in the 'Tools for Sale' tab.

Good luck with your search.


Paul, Please do not post eBay links as this is explicitly against the rules

 

[Rod]

If you are not into fettling tools yet, Ray Iles sells old tools in good condition and at reasonable prices.

http://www.oldtoolstore.com

Rod

 

[kirkpoore1]

If you are not into fettling tools yet, Ray Iles sells old tools in good condition and at reasonable prices.

http://www.oldtoolstore.com

Rod

To get started, buying a restored one is fine. But to really understand what is going on, doing the actual tune-up will pay dividends down the road when it's not working quite right. My first handplane was a real POS, but with some work and lots of cursing I was able to make it barely tolerable. My next plane was a good one, and I appreciated it much more because of the minimal setup work required.

Kirk

 

[bugbear]

In general, older is better, but the older (pre 1930) Stanleys are made in the USA and carry a heavy premium (unless you're lucky, or prepared to synthesise your own luck by getting up for 4 AM car booting).

I would recomend looking for a good Bailey model made by Record (assuming you're not fixated on Stanley as a brand). Good ones are easy to spot, since they (conveniently) had a distinctive blade design in their good period. Easy to spot on eBay or at a car boot sale.

Look for square corners on the top of the blade, and assuming the overall condition is OK, you'll have a fine tool, with good machining, materials. and even (probably) a laminated blade. The only thing you'll probably NOT have is a rosewood tote, although you may well get a rosewood knob.

http://www.recordhandplanes.com/dating.html

search down for "Cutter and Backing Iron"

You're looking for the first type; this can be spotted from 10 feet away, without picking up the plane, or dismantling it. Very convenient...

BugBear

 

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Thanks guys. I will keep a look out down the auction. The price I have seen them go for before it doesn't really matter if I have to buy a few before I get a good one- and I can always look on it as a learning process