(Snip) - Big planes, jointer planes, are hard to come by.
Heck Silvan, I must be the rare exception. I was out at a few flea markets
last weekend and between several of them, I could have bought a complete set
of Stanley hand planes from a #2 all the way through a #8 with several half
sizes and other scraper planes, scrub planes and spokeshaves, etc. I came
across several #6 and #7 in pre WWII, good condition for around $50. One
#7C was *exceptionally* nice for $75. (I might go back for that one.) Most
of the other ones, #3-#5 good condition, for around $30. The most expensive
one was the #2, at $150. I found plenty to choose from and ended up bringing
home a nice 4 1/2 for $30. You are right in mentioning that it is not easy
as pie to flatten a board in this manner though, little learning curve
there. --dave
"Silvan" wrote in message
...
TheNewGuy wrote:
I fully admit that I'm completely susceptible to TAS - Tool Acquisition
Syndrome. Yet, because my moniker is what it is, I'm far from having
carte blanche from SWMBO :^) Jointer has to wait.
If you don't have a planer or a jointer, buy a jointer. If you have a
planer, you can use some frigged up hack half ass method to simulate
jointing with the planer.
The "buy a hand plane" suggestion is not nearly so simple as it sounds on
the surface.
* buy a hand plane
* learn how to tune it up
* buy sharpening gear
* learn how to sharpen
It was suggested you can find a #7 at a flea market or something, but it
probably ain't that easy. Big planes, jointer planes, are hard to come
by.
When you can find one, they're usually significantly expensive. More
power
to you if you're the rare exception to this rule.
Then there's the fact that planing twist out of a board with hand planes
is
a skill that takes some time to acquire. I bought a mechanical jointer
because I SUCK at this job. Making curlies is fun, but I found ruining
perfectly good wood while acquiring a rather tricky skill was not very
gratifying or encouraging.
I would further suggest that you not buy a benchtop jointer. Suck it up
and
buy a real one. I bought a Delta ShopMaster benchtop with aluminum
tables,
and it's only slightly better than nothing.
with what I have - TS (GI 50-185L), 3-1/4hp plunge router, CMS, various
bench-top and hand-held sanders.
You can do a fake frigged up hack job of jointing with a router if you
have
a router table. I haven't tried it, but it's well-documented.
If I were you, I'd push SWMBO for the jointer anyway though. Once you can
work with real wood (which is IME rarely flat enough, or twistless enough
to go straight into a project) you can impress SWMBO with your new walnut
dingleflootchie or cherry doily oiler or whatever. Being able to escape
from BORG's crappy, overpriced lumber was a real epiphany for me as a
woodworker.
I got there with hand planes initially, sort of, but the material
acquisition curve for equipping yourself with hand planes is pretty steep,
and then they're hard to use for this job. You will still need at least a
plane or three if you don't have a mechanical planer, but you can get by
with a lot less accuracy IME if one side is mechanically flat and both
edges are mechanicall square. (Joint a face, joint an edge to that face,
rip the other edge, then hand plane the remaining edge "close enough.")
Having said all that, my jointer really is a POS that's barely useful. I
really need to replace it with a real one with cast iron tables and a
sufficiently long bed to handle boards longer than 24". Such a beast
would
be more weight than my floor can take where I'd have to put it, and I
can't
afford one either. I may well wind up having to suck it up and master
jointing by hand before it's all over in spite of everything I just said.
I do NOT recommend one of these benchtop jointers as an answer to this
question. They suck mightily.
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
http://rosegarden.sourceforge.net/tutorial/