You do not state what kinds of tasks you want to try with a hand plane.
Asking "what kind of first plane" without considering the tasks is a very
open question with no single answer.

Do you
a) want to be able to flatten the surface or edge of rough cut lumber?
b) do you want to be able to plane glued up stock?
c) do you want to be able to avoid sanding?
d) do you want to be able to remove small bumps from a piece?
e) do you want to be able to clean up dadoes and tenons?

I think you get the drift. Many people have already given good advise on
places to purchase your first place.

My first plane was a Stanley 9-1/2 (small block plane). This sat in a
cupboard for a couple of decades since I thought power planing and sanding
was easier. I was wrong. This is a good little plane for cleaning up small
bumps, rounding corners and tasks where bed length is not needed.

For the kind of planing tasks which I do, I find hand planing almost
therapeutic. Seeing the shavings is so much better than seeing dust in the
air.

A couple of years ago I went into a woodoworking store to buy my first plane
(technically second, but first for over 20 years). I also had not
considered the types of tasks. I asked the sales person what type of plane
I should buy and he was equally unable to answer.

I ended up buying a Record "Jack" plane (the company is no longer in
business), equivalent to a Stanley #5 about 14 in long. This is fine for
many tasks. I ended up getting a LV A2 blade. What a difference.

I then purchased a LV Scraper plane, a LV Low Angle Smooth Plane, a LV
Medium Shoulder Plane a LV Chisel Plane (used in lieu of scraper to remove
glue excess). I am now awaiting delivery of a LV Router Plane.

I love the feel of the LV shoulder plane, but its 3/4in blade and short body
mean it only gets used for its intended purpose cleaning out dadoes or
tenons.

The plane I used most is the LV Low Angle Smooth Plane.

I still use the power planer for surfacing rough cut lumber, but I now use
the hand planes as often as I can.

Dave Paine.


"DonkeyHody" wrote in message
ups.com...
OK Folks, they say confession is good for the soul.
So I decided to come clean.

I don't own a plane.
There, I said it.
But I don't feel much better.

All this time I've been masquerading as a fairly accomplished
woodworker (to my lay friends anyway) and I don't even own a plane. Oh
I have lots of nice machines. Thickness planer, yes, power plane too,
but not one honest neander plane.

Being self-taught instead of instructed, I have just blundered along,
somehow managing to turn out some stuff that I wasn't ashamed of by
making do with what I had.

I have decided that the woodworking gods must be appeased and they
won't let my skills progress any farther until I have made the
sacrifice and purchased a plane, and learned to tune and use it.

Question is, what should I buy, seeing as how I'm still a virgin
(plane-wise). I'd rather not buy something from the BORG that I'll
outgrow in a year. I don't yet have the skills to really appreciate a
fine piece of equipment, but I'm willing to fork over the dough and
grow into it. I just don't want to blunder into some specialty item
that's not versitile enough.

OK, enough grovelling, what say you?

DonkeyHody
"Every man is my superior in that I can learn from him."