On Mon, 11 Mar 2019 11:33:33 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

In a nutshell, I'm thinking about getting a manual plane; something to make a rough edge cut flat and smooth, without throwing clouds of dust everywhere.

The first question, then, is: should I buy one new?

The second question is: for a given size and with the use I have in mind, does brand/quality matter that much?

The third question is: for shaving wood in the range 1ft to 3ft in length and typically no more than an inch wide (edge to be planed), what size (length) of plane is best?

First think about *what* you will be planing.

Chipboard will dull a plane very quickly. Nails? Old paint? -- RALI plane with
replaceable blades, TC available ISTR. Beware the price!

Otherwise, get a wooden plane with a wooden wedge, blade with a chip breaker.
Not expensive, used is fine, though "used" may mean that most of the blade is
ground off. Not a problem for occasional use, and more than enough for a quick
smooth. Look at a few youtube videos as to how to adjust it, a few taps and you
can take off paper-thin shavings...

48mm wide, 8" or so is fine. More and it gets expensive, and also bulky.


Thomas Prufer