Help choosing a hand plane

I just looked on ebay and couldn't believe how many used planes were available. So, I'm going to pick out a couple older ones and learn how to sharpen and use them properly before I go spending bigger money on anything else, and maybe I won't need to anyway. It looks like you can get some pretty nice old planes for really reasonable prices. I will look for nice, used and worn handles as you can see pretty well from the photos. I have been liking doing things the "old" way and finally bought myself a couple of good Dragon rasps. What a difference from the garden variety hardware store brand I had been using.
Thank you all, sage advise from all!! I will report on my purchase and progress. This is a great place.
 
On Ebay you can pick up some very good deals. You can also pick up some scrap metal. Just make sure it is in decent condition - no hairline cracks and badly chipped mouths. The older Planes have square cut corners to the top of the blade but be careful because blades are swapped out on a regular basis. Same with the kidney hole and the lock key hole to the lever cap.
The blade bedding surface of the frog is a much more reliable indicator.
Avoid those moulded resin handles that Stanley produced in the late 70's. Those planes were shocking.
 
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I have some big, sturdy Stanley planes that now are in excellent condition after adjusting and fettling. I inherited them from my father. But I also love my "little Victor" plane from Lee Valley. It's very useful for me. I do all kinds of work with it. And I got an "apron plane" from Lee Valley / Veritas with an extra toothed blade. It's like a dream come true (if you are dumb enough to dream of planes).
 
That's the problem with telling someone to buy old, off Ebay. It's not the best. It's the handyman range. Sorry but for the money you could have done better.
Having said that, sharpen the blade and see how it cuts.
I think you would have been better off giving WaltQ a call from Brass City Records. He knows his tools and he won't sell rubbish.
 
I bought this as part of a box of 5 for £25 - $35. I spent a couple of hours today linishing the body and stripping the finish off the handle and pomel, oiling them and tuning up the blade and cap iron. As you can see , ballroom floor finish on this piece of bridseye maple, no tearing out of the eyes and whisper thin shavings - blissed out man :)

Plane.jpg
 
Pete Howlett said:
I bought this as part of a box of 5 for £25 - $35. I spent a couple of hours today linishing the body and stripping the finish off the handle and pomel, oiling them and tuning up the blade and cap iron. As you can see , ballroom floor finish on this piece of bridseye maple, no tearing out of the eyes and whisper thin shavings - blissed out man :)
Click to expand...

That's a real beaut! Made by craftsmen for craftsmen who used them to earn a living. Those thin shavings tell a lot about the tool and about your skill in its use – that's what we're talking about. Nice.
 
At the start I had a small block plane for trimming down the sides to shape before I sanded and fitted the linings, I had a few cockups planing the back of upper bout area with the plane skidding across the neck block and hitting the otherside :mad: sometimes damaging the opposite side..then i started making the sides to the right size and shape to start with, just leaving a small bit to sand on the radius dish..so the block plane became redundant.
Now the only plane I use is a little chinese thing made of brass and wood, and I only use this to trim the bracings in situ, I have made a smooth radius down one edge so I can lean it over at an angle and not mark the wood...All other stuff comes off the bandsaw and straight thro' the drum sander and it's ready for use...So I can't find a use for a big old plane.
 
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I just ordered the Veritas cornering tool kit today to replace my old one. It would probably suit you better Ken and it is a completely neat and clever solution which I am sure you will appreciate. See it here...
 
Pete Howlett said:
I just ordered the Veritas cornering tool kit today to replace my old one. It would probably suit you better Ken and it is a completely neat and clever solution which I am sure you will appreciate. See it here...
Click to expand...

That's a great idea, Pete. At least worth a try. I've got a couple different renditions of those, one chamfers and one rounds over. I think. Haven't seen 'em since before the turn of the century. Now the only question is how deep will I have to dig to find them.
 
Glue your braces on square then round off with this tool; it is a very clever idea and veritas is a premier brand. I used the 1/4" almost exclusively...
 
Another tool for your catalogue Ken.. problem with the Veritas kit is you only need that 1/4" tool and it needs grinding to make it narrow so it clears the plates. I'll do a pick when mine comes...
 
Well friends, today I got the plane I had ordered from ebay. I know (now) that it's not a really desirable plane and it was pretty cheap (I thought). Anyway, I had to square up the blade as it was WAY out of square and then put a decent grind/finish on it and wow, I didn't know it could be like this!! Even with a marginal sharpen it's pulling off nice curled chips with little effort and making a nice smooth surface. I'm gonna mess with this plane for a while and then look for a good one, maybe

Thanks to all th
 
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