Shopsmith Forums

Howdy,

I highly recommend getting an old Stanley #4. Paul Sellers only uses them in his work, and he does magic with it. I was tempted as you, but finally opted for the old #4. I couldn't be happier.

Have fun,
mike

I inherited a Stanley Defiant bench plane, about 9 inches on the sole, from my dad and it is my #1 go to plane for most clean up, chamfering and trim sort of work. I think you would call a plane that length a 3. For leveling glue joints I agree with the recommendations of a good 4 or 5.

rjent wrote:Cool! You have any good ones you want to get rid of LOL

JK

Thanks for the help ...

Dick

No I don't have two alike

lightnin wrote:If you need to flatten the sole of a plane I found if it's really out of whack start on the shopsmith belt sander first to save a lot of time.
Finish it up on float glass with sandpaper but not when it's warm from the belt sander rather when it's room temp the same temp it will be when your using it.
A good smoothing plane and a good block plane will cover most needs for someone who also has power tools.
As I said before I would have a flat cutter and a cambered cutter. The flat one for using with a shooting board or jointing and the cambered cutter for general use.

I love my Millers Falls #07 block plane the same as a Stanley #140

I have an addiction to old tools especially planes I collect them and plan on restoring them when I retire.

This thread could use some plane pics...just saying....

ibskot wrote:This thread could use some plane pics...just saying....

OK, here ya go...Here is a picture of my Stanley Defiance smooth plane. According to Professor Google, Stanley marketed tools in the Defiance line from 1929 to 1953. I suspect this one was made after the war, probably early 50's. I discovered I was wrong calling it a #3...those were 8 inches long...this one is 9 inches long and is properly a #4 From a web site called Patrick's Blood and Gore, I found this little write up about this plane:

#4 Smooth plane, 9"L, 2"W, 3 3/4lbs,

"The standard smoothing plane. This, along with the #5, are what made Stanley a fortune. This plane will out-smooth any sanding, scraping, or whatever on most woods. There are woods that present themselves as problems for this plane, and the rest of the Stanley bench planes for that matter, but this shouldn't deter you from owning one. The planes were designed to be general purpose and affordable, not to conquer any wood tossed their way. Many modern woodworkers have their first plane epiphany with this little tool as the curls come spilling out its mouth."

As I said, this is my "go to" plane for most shop tasks other than jointing long edges. I have even used it, set coarse, as a sort of scrub plane and it works pretty well. I have an inexpensive Buck #5 that I am going to regrind the blade to make a true scrub plane out of...one of these days.

The other plane I use a lot is an old Craftsman block plane. Use it all the time. I have a nice Veritas low angle block plane and I like it too, but for rough and ready work the Craftsman is great.

These are probably the two types of planes I would suggest a new woodworker buy first.

Nice. I have a c'man block just like that. It is the the non low angle block I use.

ibskot wrote:This thread could use some plane pics...just saying....

This is about half of what I have collected so far

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The rest are packed away

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And the final three pix

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Absolutely outstanding! I don't know, I seem to have a gene for "collecting", don't know if I want to get started in this It always starts with the first one .....

Nice set of tools ...

Dick