Early Access Video: Choosing and Using Wooden Planes
Added 2021-02-13 12:01:01 +0000 UTCFriends:
I'm happy to present the 2nd part in my little series on wooden planes. The more I think about it, the more I think these traditional tools are the unsung heroes of the budget shop. Many wooden planes perform beautifully and deliver excellent results for very little money.
This video will tell you which ones to buy and it covers the finer points of setup and adjustment. I hope it helps some people discover these wonderful tools.
Happy Saturday!
--Rex
Comments
That sounds like a fine choice!
Rex Krueger
2021-02-23 12:37:08 +0000 UTCI have a bunch of European smoothers, but I've not yet tried a European jointer. I would like to!
Rex Krueger
2021-02-23 12:33:19 +0000 UTCExcellent video Rex! Guess what? I only use one metallic plane. A Nr 4 smoother. All my other planes are (restored) wooden planes. European style, which I prefer because of the superior grip thus better control and many other wooden planes. I use them for a wide variety of jobs: jackplane, scrubplane, foreplane (Dutch: Voorloper), joiner etc. My last restored and customized plane is in use as a shooting plane.
Arie van den Ende
2021-02-23 11:59:38 +0000 UTCThanks, Rex! I’m in the process of putting a set of handtools together and this helped me solidify my decision to go with a metal No 5 and wooden for the rest.
Lee Newsted
2021-02-21 20:46:46 +0000 UTCRex, get out of my head! This is the second time you've posted a video on something I was about to do. This time, your 2-part wooden plane videos were just as I was planning a wood plane buying spree.
Benjamin Frayser
2021-02-16 22:17:30 +0000 UTCI agree with William, great video. I wish I had seen this when I first started woodworking
Ola Bovin
2021-02-16 14:40:57 +0000 UTCThat thumbnail makes you look like some 70's kung fu master.
Jim Williams
2021-02-16 13:42:10 +0000 UTCI am loving this series! So good, so useful! I still need a jack plane, so I’m going to go scouring for one. I’m also going to try that way of holding the plane and see how that goes. Can’t wait to see what else comes down the pipeline!
William Allen
2021-02-15 05:47:36 +0000 UTCworks ok in Poland
Michał Nowicki
2021-02-14 23:07:58 +0000 UTCI have an ECE try (jointer) plane, which I bought for its reasonable price (@ $200), its good reputation, and for the opportunity to experiment with a wooden plane. When I got it a couple of years ago, I was impressed by its thick, sturdy blade and chip breaker to eliminate chatter and tear out. However, I still find it significantly more onerous to set up and adjust than either my Bailey #4 or my Lie-Nielsen low-angle jack plane, and when I use it, I find myself reluctant to sharpen the blade as often as I should because setting it up again is a nuisance. I don’t plan to replace it, and I have heard that metal jointers are heavy even for large men, but I do not find my ECE as enjoyable to use as my other two steel planes.
Stephen Cannon
2021-02-14 23:04:18 +0000 UTCWont play for me.
Scott Galczynski
2021-02-14 22:29:16 +0000 UTCGetting a playback error like others.
Brian Lenzo
2021-02-14 21:33:45 +0000 UTCGreat Video. I appreciate the body position tip, nice.
Kevin S Thomas
2021-02-14 20:20:45 +0000 UTCAgain Rex great information on use of wooden planes. Which leads me to ask about when will you do a video on transitional planes? Wooden bodies and the ease of adjusting the blade of a metallic plane.
Jeff Hill
2021-02-14 17:47:10 +0000 UTCThanks Rex. That hand position was new to me and having tried it (air plane ) it feels natural. Your whole body becomes part of the tool. Neat. Not a slow learner but forgets quick so have to learn again (my excuse)
WoodworkLearner
2021-02-14 14:14:52 +0000 UTCThat's a good blend, for sure!
Rex Krueger
2021-02-14 13:15:57 +0000 UTCI blow minds for a living! Thanks so much for your kind words.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-14 13:15:20 +0000 UTCThat's totally up to you! You could use the plane more like a finer jack and make the iron straighter again, or you could leave the camber in the iron and just file that mouth open. It really depends on what you want the tool to do.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-14 13:14:56 +0000 UTCYeah, something was really wrong with that thing. I also struggled with the chip-breaker.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-14 13:13:36 +0000 UTCBrilliant again. I have 2 wooden planes, and 1 metal. I feel reassured once again. Thanks for the great information.
chris wood
2021-02-14 13:01:40 +0000 UTCMan, this video was awesome. I don't even have a single plane (I prefer power tools, I am too lazy, haha) but I love to watch your enthusiasm and really enjoy learning new things from you. What you showed from 18:40 just blew mi mind. Congratulation! :)
Csongor Halmai
2021-02-14 03:24:10 +0000 UTCRex, this has been great, I picked up a wooden plane a bit ago and your videos got me motivated to restore it. I was happy to find that it passes most of the structural checks you talked about, some checking, but doesn't seem serious. I did have a question though. The plane is 17" long, which (based on this video) leads me to think its a jack/fore plane. After watching the first video I put some heavy camber on the iron, and then put it back in, only to find that the mouth of the plane seemed really small. The mouth looks to be 1/2" wide, is that too narrow to be a jack/scrub plane?
Brian Schival
2021-02-13 22:41:24 +0000 UTCThat was a fascinating video Rex. I bought a Pinie Jack plane a few weeks ago, and after a few false starts I love using it now. The ECE planes are expensive in Australia (exchange rates + shipping fees) but the Czech-made Pinie are priced well, and after some fiddling are pretty good. I think the wide-mouthed one you reviewed ages ago might have been wrongly labelled.
Laurie Savage
2021-02-13 22:18:01 +0000 UTCIt's a big thing. My smithing instructors are always yelling at me to get my hip against the anvil. It's good advice, but I'm a slow learner.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 22:08:15 +0000 UTCI recently got a "gutter" plane that is supposedly for ship-building. It has a VERY curved sole and is made from an intriguing mix of woods. Ship-wright's tools are FASCIATING.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 22:07:21 +0000 UTCTake a look at NHT Gordon here in Australia, lovely gear but make sure your credit card is in good nic 😉
Wayne
2021-02-13 21:42:42 +0000 UTCJohn Kamenik yeah I’m having the same problem too.
John Day
2021-02-13 21:38:26 +0000 UTCSo this produces a playback error for me. Anyone else?
John Kamenik
2021-02-13 21:16:10 +0000 UTCI love that you covered body position. It’s such a game changer with hand tool work. Even something as simple as aligning your feet and not shuffling around will help with filing, forging, cutting, sanding, honing, and of course planing.
Gary Fetrow
2021-02-13 19:59:23 +0000 UTCYou're not the only one. It's YouTube, not me or Patreon.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:32:32 +0000 UTCYou're very welcome!
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:32:11 +0000 UTCHm, I wish I knew why.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:31:59 +0000 UTCIt's not talked about enough. The way you hold them matters a lot.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:31:48 +0000 UTCStavros is the man.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:31:26 +0000 UTCI really can't say enough good things about ECE. Just a classy company all the way around. I might break down and buy they jointer. You know....to review. It's all for the viewers.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:31:16 +0000 UTCGreat video Rex. The last two of the smaller planes are similar and would be used in boat building. The cooper's plane would be used to smooth and shape frames or ribs and curved surfaces. The second plane is similar to planes shaped to back out planking for a tight fit to curved framing. Take care and have a great week.
Matt Evans-Koch
2021-02-13 19:31:01 +0000 UTCI did that when i refinished a teak table for a client a few years ago. Sandpaper kept clogging. 10 minutes with a plane and done.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:30:18 +0000 UTCThe plane wipe was all the editor! There are a few places that make English style woodies, but they're too pricey if you can find old ones.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:29:27 +0000 UTCOne of my planes has an iron strike button. I love those. You can do everything with a steel hammer. I have a lot of planes with strike-buttons and they're still mashed to hell, so I suggest a soft mallet even with a button.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:28:42 +0000 UTCMy pleasure. There sure is a lot to read on the subject.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 19:27:23 +0000 UTCI can’t get the video to play either after multiple attempts. Error messages...
Russell Gough
2021-02-13 17:15:52 +0000 UTCGreat. Thanks.
James Boatright
2021-02-13 16:28:58 +0000 UTCI can’t seem to get the video to play 😞
Larry
2021-02-13 16:24:54 +0000 UTCGreat information on the planes and 0n the body position when planing - that was very interesting.
Robert A Carbo
2021-02-13 14:24:17 +0000 UTCGreat video Rex! I can't wait for some plane making videos. I follow Stavros Gakos youtube channel, he is an amazing plane maker.
ROBERT MCCLENNING
2021-02-13 14:13:12 +0000 UTCGreat video Rex. I think for new planes, ECE is one of the best values for what you get. Highland sells them for $99, about $117 after tax and shipping where I live. Even there jointer is only $179, which is cheap when you consider quality and other manufactures prices of long planes. I wish American wood plane makers were this affordable. Anyways, thanks for the video. Off to grab some lumber to attempt Richard Maguire’s wood plane build.
James Crandall
2021-02-13 14:13:09 +0000 UTC"Because of.... physics". LOL Great stuff as always Rex! I had to refinish the bottom of a longboard deck last night to repaint. My aggressive sanding was working but was slow.. so I turned to my plane.. and 60 seconds later.. perfect. Ready for new graphics. Of course, I now have to sharpen the iron.. but thanks to your sharpening video.. easy. Thanks for your content.
Marty Ford
2021-02-13 13:54:25 +0000 UTCI think it very much depends on the material of the button. One of my wooden planes has one that is apparently made from aluminium, and it dents really easily when I hit it with a metal hammer, so I only use a wooden mallet for this one. On another one, the button is harder and withstands brass hammers just fine.
Daniel Bohrer
2021-02-13 13:52:17 +0000 UTCThank you, this was interesting! I wonder if you could also get English-style wooden planes new from a factory, or is that just a German thing? And I especially liked the plane wipe at minute 21 😁
Daniel Bohrer
2021-02-13 13:49:32 +0000 UTCNice follow up, the backwards pinch grip and associated body geometry was completely new to me! Two questions, if your plane has a strike button do you find using a brass or steel hammer for adjustments to be non destructive? And if you happen into a wood plane that is a good candidate in all ways but it’s missing an iron would you try buying one of the LV or Hock replacement irons or just move on?
Tony DeFilippo
2021-02-13 13:46:52 +0000 UTCRex, great video. I have been reading about wooden planes but your video brings the information to life. Thanks much.
Skully Wood and Metal
2021-02-13 13:43:16 +0000 UTCNow you got material for part 3 😃
The Deaf Maker
2021-02-13 13:20:52 +0000 UTCGood question, but it's nothing special. Keep em dry and keep the dust off. Oh, and knock the wedge loose before you store them. You don't want all that tension in the plane all the time. I should have mentioned that in the video.
Rex Krueger
2021-02-13 13:19:01 +0000 UTCAnother brilliant video. Do you have any recommendations on how to store the various planes?
The Deaf Maker
2021-02-13 12:58:11 +0000 UTC
