Trusty, I got a Lie-Neilsen #4, in cast iron. I, too, had to adjust the frog forward a good bit. Don't feel bad, it took me a while to figure that out, as well.
Trusty Rusty, here's a couple more videos from Rob Cosman that you might find valuable to learn more about how this type of plane works and how to tune it to your needs. 👍🏻 ruclips.net/p/PLqUOljnY0d9eW9evOCMDmtmV3ntlVvprT
Honestly, I think these days, youtube videos like yours or Paul Sellers is the Digital Age equivalent of hand tool woodworking apprenticeships. All the knowledge and different experiences of woodworkers around the world at our fingertips. All we have to do is grab a plane, a few chisels, some wood and follow along "one-on-one", with personal or video shown(like making the low and high benches) projects as out "homework" with growth and individual styles happening along the way. Videos by folks like you are completely invaluable and will continue to be for years to come.
I completely agree. I am self-taught in the school of trial and error, isolated from the few who could give me any advice. These videos have helped me refine my skills over the ones I picked up on in my teens and twenties.
The main advantages of an apprenticeship over RUclips being better access to tools and a experience person to help find the flaws in your technique and tell you how to fix any mistakes.
Gareth Baus indeed! But imagine the scalability 1:1 vs. 1:1000s of apprentices. And an experienced teacher knows all the frequently made mistakes and can explain them in advance.
@@Sadowsky46 I am not saying RUclips isn't a better system, I am primarily describing why you want to seek out an in person teacher if at all possible.
I am 'Paul Sellers taught'. I am 'James Wright' taught. I am 'Rex Figures it Out' taught. There are probably others. Restoring a plane is the best education one could get. Totally agree.
Rex, I am 78 and have been using a Craftsman no. 5 plane for over forty years. I learned more about setting up the plane in this video then I have learned by just experimenting and using the plane for years. I do know how to sharpen plane irons and chisels. But the actual set up has always been a mystery. You cleared up most of the mystery. Thanks for this great tutorial. And yes I still do some woodworking.
Yeah, I concur! Rex I don't know if you have read Nick Offerman's stuff on woodworking, but he says a humble learning based attitude is the best way for all of us to get better at the craft.
I totally agree with Amy. I have learned alot from you Rex. Especially the way you think, the way you simplify an issue so it is understandable and the solutions you come up with. You have a great woodworker/handtools channel. Greetings from Denmark 🇩🇰
This doofus is a first source site when I have an issue I need to research. I can usually find somthing that helps me think in the right direction even if the exact answer cannot be found.
I bought a cheap Silverline plane from Amazon a year ago. After taking it apart almost a hundred times and refining refering to your videos it it starts to become a decent Tool. So thanx Rex from Germany.
Amen to your closing remarks. A friend of mine is a professionally trained luthier, and he is way less of a snob about his planes (modern-day Stanleys even *shudder*) than many hobbyists. It all comes down to knowing how to use your tools and how to keep them in good working order I guess.
As a luthier myself, I second that. While it's easier to get good results with premium tools, if the setup is good, then you can do just fine with almost anything (within reason).
Pretty sure I'm staying with the two grizzlys, the ones from your plane plans bundle and a couple from Paul Sellers and James Wright. Oh, and I either got incredibly lucky or there's been a twist in the universe but I got a $3.00 chinese spokeshave to function pretty well as backup for the one you made. Thanks Hoss.
I agree! I use two planes made by Faithfull. I've applied what I learned from Rex to set them up and use them correctly. I am very happy with the results even after using a far more expensive plane on a course recently. I am a hobbyist of course. Still, I like using tools that work. Mine do.
I have a thing for trading tools around... as much as the wood-craft itself... I've restored and even built a few round-tops (guitars), but hardly consider myself a level of "craftsman" on those instruments... I have a couple hand-held box-planes, about a 20 inch jointer, and a couple Baileys... ALL of those planes were restored (aggravatingly) by me years before RUclips was a thing... BUT I lucked out with a "wood-shop" course in high school and a few available teachers to slap me up-side of my head and show me where I was wrong.... (lolz) I have plenty of other planes, but those listed are "The regulars" in my shop... I also restore and rebuild power tools... Including a table-saw I put on a mobile cart because the table was "dead"... My brother's already asked "Dibs" on it, though... I think building a repertoire of gear you can build, improvise, troubleshoot and fix is VERY MUCH the craft. Do right for your tools, and they'll do right for you... Even a great driver doesn't need a Ferrari or Mazeratti to be a great driver... That's not to say any gear-head worth his salt wouldn't jump on the chance to drive one. ;o)
Soriyu I mean it might be more dangerous(I am not sure I don’t use wood working tools. However, you can infer that he takes the blade out fist to test. And I wasn’t saying it more or less dangerous I was pointing out that many other people test sharp stuff like that.
Hey Rex I really enjoyed this video, even more than I enjoy you videos usually, the story you told at the end of the video made me want to go to the flea market and find planes and tools to restore. I'm 17 years old and this is my Third year of doing Woodworking, I used to go to a woodworking class but now I do it on my own in the garden, I'm right now in the process of building my first workbench. Your videos have always inspired me, thank you rex.
You both have a little more experience than me, in hand tool wood working. Although, I have quite a bit more cabinetry experience. I've been building and installing high-end custom cabinetry since 1983. It has mostly been sheet goods with solid doors and fillers. I have always used a block plane to fine tune the scribing of the filler but just bought my first #4 smoothing plane. I am just about finished building a low Roman bench. I am 98% retired so I hope to catch up with you kids soon
He very clearly states towreds the end of the video that he hasn't completely mastered hand plane usage despite being fairly capable with one which makes it very clear he considers himself to be roughly equivalent journeyman level for this particular aspect of woodworking, and this is probably an accurate evaluation doesn't mean he can't teach others as he improves his technique.
The last five minutes of this video are absolute gold, and applicable to every discipline, not just woodworking. When I interview for a new job, people ask me in a variety of ways, "Are you an expert?" I always answer, "You bet! Best you'll ever see!" because that's what they want and need to hear. But really, I'm ok. There are people who have pushed the rock up the hill higher than I have, and people who I have surpassed. The journey is the point, and once you stop pushing, the rock is going to slide back down.
"The struggle is built into our craft." Very true. My experience has been that the internet has created the illusion of leveling the playing field, whereas in many cases what you really have is the blind leading the deaf. Not always, but enough to confuse, or even discourage a beginner. Nice, balanced video - good for you!
I drooled over the Lee Nielsen planes looking at their catalog back in the days. Pricey yes. But so gorgeous! I imagine, can only imagine since I don’t have one, the satisfaction of working the wood with piece of art in your hand must be quite something. Learned a lot from this video. Thank you! Have to apply these lessons to my Record planes. Now only if I can afford some wood ☹️
Sometimes you have to be creative acquiring wood. You do not always have to buy wood. Do what Mathias Wandel does and look in dumpsters of big apartment complexes. They're always throwing old furniture out. Which is sometimes made of wood. Or wood like products. I did the pallet thing before it was big too. Before I was on the Internet really.
Thank you for the advice on wood sourcing. I frequent flea markets & thrift stores as well for old ugly furniture that nobody wants. Your idea of disgarded furniture is better 👍
@@ticklefish4898 the way wood costs these days you have to get it wherever you can. Furniture makers have an in for getting wood too. They can't be paying what the rest of us are.
The last five minutes of this was the best content you’ve created Rex. Some of the most sensible comments about expensive/premium tools and learning the craft. It was obviously heart felt and very diplomatically put. One question about the high angle of this plane though, you say it can reduce tear out, but isn’t that what a low angle plane is meant to prevent?
Both this high angle plane and a low angle plane can achieve a similar effect. Remember that with a low-angle plane the blade is flipped over, so instead of the angle of the cut being determined by the angle of the plane, it is also controlled by the angle of the bevel on the iron. So to match the 50 degree angle of this high-angle plane, you could use a low angle plane (at 12 degrees) together with a bevel of 38 degrees to achieve a 50 degree cut angle. If you put a bevel of 33 degrees on the low-angle plane, you would have a cut similar to a 45 degree plane. The low-angle plane gives you more flexibility in the cutting angle, but getting the bevel wrong can really mess up how the plane performs. The high-angle plane is a little easier to sharpen because the cut angle is locked in at 50 degrees, and the bevel angle can vary quite a bit and it will still cut.
A higher angled pitch makes the plane act more like a scraper. A scraper will give you no tear-out as there is no "lift" to the shaving being removed. A lower angled plane (less than 45* pitch) increases tear-out because the shaving is pulled up farther ahead of the blade. Most low angle planes also have no chip breaker, the single most effective plane accessory to reduce tear-out. Low angle planes were designed for end grain work as the lower angle slices better and you don't really need to worry about tear-out. The modern hype about low angle planes is just marketing wank (though having to buy an extra blade to change angles rather than a new frog is quite nice to be fair). The old rule still applies; high angle for tricky grain, low angle for end grain. (High angle is >45*, low angle is
Well said man. Learning by doing. It happens less and less. I have had many hobbies where I get lost in the peripherals. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Always learning I love this video, and as so many others have said, that last few minutes, how maybe buying your way out of experience will backfire eventually
At 36:00 you perfectly summarized my love of my Shopsmith tools. What a lot of people look down at as “Too much time to change-over” I’ve always have seen as quality time with the tools I love. This was an excellent video! Scott
He should have contacted LN and let them replace that plane. I've got 11 LN planes and they all worked straight out of the box. They hold an edge like no other plane I've owned. It was good to hear you explain things about real life in woodworking, especially to the beginners. Thanks for the efforts you put into your videos.
Hello Rex! The story you told about the experience you gained when trying to learn to handle the plane was exactly my story. I understand perfectly that the search for the control and correct use of the tool was my great master. This video has a great lesson and is therefore one of my favorites. Thanks again.
Really needed to hear those last five minutes. I've just started out and only been woodworking since August and I can't for the life of me make straight cuts lol. But hearing about the necessity of the struggle and how you wouldn't trade those moments of learning makes me want to keep going. Keep it up!
You're hands down the best woodworking creator on youtube for all of us interested in this wondeful hobby, or a profession. Down to earth, detailed, smart, humble and honest. Keep going and don't change.
I have, almost exclusively, Stanley and I thought they were collectible. In the end it's the quality of that knife and the tool's ability to hold it properly. As far as the knife goes, it pays to love sharpening a quality edge! Also, many people to whom I show the collection, especially the jointer, have no idea what it's for! Many folks who work with wood can't imagine using anything but an electric planer but I bet they don't know how to sharpen it!. You're a rare artisan, Rex! Good job!
I'm approximately 3 minutes into the video and already Rex has it wrong. He gets to the box and refers to it as "The Ark of the Covenant" and opens it. While looking at it!!! Has Indiana Jones taught us nothing???? You don't look directly at the Ark when it's open!!! Just kidding Rex. Love your work. Please keep up the great content.
Fantastic and very honest conclusion to the video. To summarise (in my interpretation): In the same way that money alone can’t buy you happiness, you can’t buy your way out of learning and, sometimes, learning the hard way is the best way or the only way.
One suggestion: Any time tightness is backed off on something tight, you should tighten back up to the desired amount. What this means is, if you need to loosen something, loosen it more than you need and then tighten it back to where desired. It will hold its setting better. This applies to guitar tuning, auto parts to resist vibration, and even the plane at 8:05.
even before reading the guitar tuner part i tought "this guy must play guitar" been using this technique for years and it helps a lot specially with low quality tuners that have a lot of play.
Dear Rex, I couldn’t agree more with you about the reward gained from struggling with poorly functioning tools. I, like you inherited a collection of hand-me-down tools from both my father and father-in-law. None of it worked well. Saws chopped their way through wood, not smoothly cutting it. Planes were like wielding a tomahawk at wood, not producing smooth swarf. I didn’t let that get the better of me and mostly through the advent of RUclips videos, I was able to get an idea of how to condition these tools. When I got some files and a properly designed saw clamp, I turned a crappy blade into one that smoothly cut and with amazing speed. This was a fantastic moment because for the first time in my life, I had in my hands a saw that I enjoyed using. The next step was to turn my hand to reconditioning planes. I started with a large sanding board and turned an irregular sole and sides into perfectly flat and perpendicular surfaces. Sharpening the blades was another skill to hurdle and finally working with an errant chip-breaker to stop it from binding full of chips stopping planing with chips filling the gap between the blade and chip-breaker. I now get whisper thin shavings from most of my planes, including wooden block planes and my saws rip through wood in excellent time but produce nice straight lines. All of this I achieved through persistence, some native intuition in problem solving but mostly by soaking up knowledge meted out by fantastic people like yourself. Thank you. To answer the question: Do I need to buy expensive “perfect” tools? The real joy is turning something that is well built into something that works beautifully. The antique stores occasionally have wonderful old tools that have fallen into disrepair. Try them and hone your skills in reconditioning them and you will be amply rewarded. Happy woodworking.
I used to get yelled at if I ever placed a plane with the blade down on the bench during my apprenticeship. I got flash backs every time you did it in this video.
I have never understood where this silly idea came from. The blade laying on the wood is much less apt to be damaged than if the blade is exposed. After all, you put the plane on the wood to cut so how can that cause damage?
@@sleim754 When you sharpen a plane blade you are aiming for a razor edge with no burr (round over) going in either direction/side of the cutting edge. when you place the cutting edge on a surface you risk the creation of a burr, same can occur if you draw the plane backwards across the timber. This is what I was taught, this is what I have taught my apprentices. It probably has mild consequences, but I feel it's good practice to help maintain the cutting edge you have spent the time to achieve.
@@sleim754 might be true if you're using your plane solely in your workshop. In reality you don't always have a clean wooden surface to place your plane, so most people I know made it a habit to put it on it's side.
They say a true intermediate is precisely aware of how much they still need to learn to be a master. Rex your honesty and willingness to admit you are not a master is what makes me believe you when you say you will be a great woodworker one day. I will alway be a fan because of your approach and appreciation. Here here my good man.
This may be the single best teaching video on both the philosophy and the practical details of a high angle plane. Rex, you are a gifted teacher and communicator. Thanks
Your ending describes woodworking perfectly. It’s not all about what you produce but how you use the tool to produce it. I’m one of those people that doesn’t stain or paint my projects. I believe that the raw finish of wood is more beautiful than any finish I can apply so I leave the staining and paint for people that I make something for.
I learned how to wield tools after years of having to fix failing parts of my loft apartment. I went from barely able to hit a nail correctly to rehanging drywall, rebuilding shoddy construction, and making ladders and tables all because I had to stumble through the process of learning to build. You’re never more confident in your skills than you are when you know you can figure your way out of a mess.
Thanks to this video i finally got my father's old stanley #5 working. Needs sharpening and restoration still but it works. Hasn't been used in 40 years.
Started my apprenticeship at twenty two. You can’t buy experience out of a box. You must be taught, you must read, you must try and fail, you must listen and learn, you must watch your master. Most of all, you must do your homework.
True, my first plane (a Veritas) I actually read the manual about four times on different days and watched a lot of videos (I can actually name the parts of a plane w/o saying "doohickey and thingumabob). Did the same for honing. It really helped a lot. I do think getting a nice new plane was helpful b/c it's nice to have at least some basic experience before you can really troubleshoot vintage. I didn't want to be frustrated by a plane right off the bat. Now I think I can shop for some good used planes. I tied to learn some basic woodworking decades ago and ran into a dead-end b/c I didn't know where to get information. For instance, I got so intimidated by a job site table saw I bought that I ended up just giving it away. What you can learn off of you-tube for free from these generous teachers really is the fulfillment of what the what the internet should be about.
Your end video points are exactly correct and translate across all mediums. All too often people obsess over the quality of materials, especially when starting out. "My painting would be better if I had a nicer brushes or nicer paints". Instead of materials; focus on creating every day and you will get better. Amazing artists can make wonderful things out of ballpoint BIC pens.
I'm 67 years old now but I still remember one of the first things my wood working teacher said to the class on the first day during tool introduction.. This is his words. DONT PLACE THE PLANE FACE DOWN ONTO A BENCH! YOU COULD SIT IT ON SOMETHING METALIC AND DAMAGE THE BLADE. This is good advice that i have always followed. it is very easy to have a momentary laps of concentration and . . . resharpen the blade. love the video and will look for more.
I agree i never place it upright on the bench with the blade out, also learned early on in life. Very good video for setting up your planes explained very well.
Totally disagree, why knock the blade out of square. And since when does a stationary cutting edge designed to shave wood when resting still get dull? They taught school kids this because they trashed the cutting edges by being rough, so they recommended the laying on the side technique.
probably the most honest video about planes on the internet. I see too many wood working channels really push the high end planes on beginners. I know they had me day dreaming about owning one too, but that price tag was too much to swallow. I am sure I am not the only one.
Comments: Talking about how he put the plane on the table wrong Me: *an intellectual knowing planes are too big to fit on tables* Also me: *wondering why he has a frog in his plane*
Everyone who likes to work with hand tools should listen to your final statement. Happily, I learned this way by necessity and am passing what I know onto my son in the same way. Not many tools more satisfying to use than a well set up hand plane - or more frustrating when not :)
I like “the doofus on the internet”. That’s why I am a patron. But I got a great laugh out of that line. Still chuckling. Personally, I rather enjoy struggling with the tools, especially the restoration and setup of hand planes. There is great satisfaction out ending up with a tool that works well.
This is the first video I've seen of yours. You speak like you have the knowledge of a master craftsman and you are very humble. Pleasure to watch your video.
@@45rpm. if you looked at planes on amazon that's all it takes - Amazon talks to Google - Google talks to RUclips.... Google also reads your Gmail and talks to all the others
I own Stanley and Lie Nielsen hand planes and enjoy the use of a well tuned plane. I recently attended a woodworking school where a 4 1/2 smoothing plane was recommended. I purchased a Wood River plane and have been very pleased with the quality and workmanship. It has many of the fine qualities of the Lie Nielsen at a fraction of the cost. I would recommend it.
Rex, thank you so much for one of your greatest videos that teaches such a huge lesson about handplanes! I think it is an excellent idea to undertake solving a practical problem from real life in front of the camera, while taking the opportunity to convey your knowledge and experiences on the topic in their relevant natural context. Keep up the good work!
Good words at the end. Know your tools, know how they work or are supposed to work, and know how to fix and make them work. That's an important part of working with hand tools. It's no different than needing to know how power tools work and how to maintain them.
Rex, I certainly agree with you that learning how to “fettle” your tools is an essential part of hand tool wood working. I get a lot of satisfaction in taking an old No. 4 and getting it it to do what a $350 Lie Nielsen will do. That doesn’t stop me lusting after shiny things though 😉
No old Stanley is ever going to do what that Lie Nielsen can do. Close, but not exactly. The question remains, is it close enough? And like Rex pointed out except at the very high end yeah the old bomber tools will get you most of the way there. Which is as far as most of us really need to go.
@@bsdnfraje I never bought an overpriced old Stanley plane. The most I ever paid for one was $20 for a 606 Bedrock. I've bought them for as cheap as twenty five cents. The average is somewhere around five to ten dollars.
@@bsdnfraje if I had every other tool I ever wanted I wouldn't mind getting a Lie Nielsen plane then. I still have a ways to go before I'm in that position.
This video got you another subscriber, cause of the story about the old plane and knowing the tools. I don't care if you make horrible stuff, I like to follow people who are right in the head.
Nice tip with checking the gap. I often having issues with shavings getting jammed between the 2. Id also try to see if they could send a replacement cap.
@@justinsane332 yeah that stiff lever cap was definitely bad press for Lie Nielsen. You never know which of your tools are going to end up in a RUclips video. Mistakes happen. But what sets a good company apart from a bad one is what they do to fix mistakes.
@@1pcfred for sure, but having dealt with their service department myself, I can attest to the fact that this is something they would take care of immediately, without charge, if contacted. Basically as long as it wasn't abuse or negligence this company will fix it. Most repairs we do on our own, but having that piece of mind that they will take care of you for the life of the tool (this is important, as your tool outlives you, the next generation is also Protected)
@@justinsane332 After a week's work of ownership I dropped my low angle block plane and bent the adjustment screw, they sent a new one free of charge even after I told them I dropped it. So yeah, I think they would take care of it.
One of your very best presentations on hand planes. The last few minutes on learning tools as an important element of the craft is absolutely true. I spend at lot of time working with my tools, sometimes more than working with the wood, and get enjoyment equal to working a wood project.
When I went to BMW automatic transmission school we were told to use toothpaste to free up valves in the valve body. A little toothpaste ought to free up that lever without removing a lot of metal.
I was thinking along the same lines. Something like a lapping compound would be perfect for loosening up that lever. I don't know if it would get in by the pin part of the hinge and cause problems.
This is where I use the travel-size tubes I get at my dentist's, where they hesitate and do a quick eye-roll because I always insist on the original formula no-frills Crest.
Rex, your words at the end of this video make so much sense. If you call yourself a woodworker you must know and understand the tools you use. Being able to operate a tool "right out of the box" is not what any woodworker needs. In fact just the opposite. Get to know your tools, take them apart and put them back together again. That's how you become a better woodworker. Thanks for this video and all your other ones. Happy New Year 2023!
My brother would've wrapped the inner box into a duck-tape armored casting and packed that box full of styrofoam... I've had a rougher time opening a birthday present with boots in it. ;o)
I enjoyed the whole video, but the most impactful part was towards the end where Rex explains the way that the struggle to understand how it worked and how this led to improving his understanding has stayed with him and to some extent formed his approach to the craft of woodworking. This shines through in his informative and engaging videos.
Howdy Rex!! I've been hankering for a touch more from your "Forged in Wood" series. I appreciate ALL your content and hard work, just wondering if the series was retired? Keep up the amazing work!!
Rex, THANK YOU! I just got into the woodworking and am still struggling with my old vintage Stanley. I'm on the verge of buying LN plane, and you just showed that I don't need the extra feature of LN. You're the man!
Being a plane with a high angle frog, the advance on the blade is a little harder to control. But with some time on the plane that should become a none factor soon. Also, some people try to set a very close chip breaker and very closed mouth at the same time. Doing both will choke the plane and cause poor, intermittent cuts. Finally, my bench plane set is made up of both Stanley Bedrock (all restored myself) and Lie-Nielsen. Across the set the Bedrocks were inferior, to the point I didn’t want to use them . . . . until I replaced the original blade and chip breaker set with Hock sets. Now there doesn’t seem to be a difference.
I have found that one of the more satisfying parts of making fine things is using and understanding fine tools. So yes, the tool is part of the craft. Thanks for the informative video.
think ive used a plane once in my life, my dad was a woodworker and fiberglass wizard. i enjoyed watching your video none the less! makes me miss my dad so much more.
I tried SO hard to get a cheap $20 smoother from the big box store working well. I tried for weeks. I'd flattened it by lapping, toyed with every setting I could, and every time I would get grabby awful cuts. I'd ease in from no cut, a bit of sawdust, to big grabby tear out. I pushed so hard I moved my bench across the floor. There was no in between! I'd given up, but got it out a year later for another reason. I took it apart and finally figured out the problem after putting it back together so many times... The frog had a single machine burr that held it off the bed. When the blade finally caught, the frog would rock forward and nose dive the blade! A single swipe with a file and I was taking gossamer shavings in seconds.
Cool story bro. The mechanically adept are sensitive to that sort of thing. Planes are how they are because that's how they have to be. Any bit out of whack and they just don't do what they're supposed to. The iron bedding in on the frog is critical for operation. The frog bedding on the plane body is crucial too. Everything needs to be solid. Otherwise it flaps in the breeze. Sounds like you didn't have a plane, you had a toggle.
I'm a programmer and have always been encouraged to spend time 'sharpening your tools' - and agree that is the root of your craft. If you had to deal with the same problem more than a few times, spend time and find the way to never have that issue again. In the end it lets you spend your quality time on the things that matter. Love your videos, going to go and take a closer look at a plane that was my granddad's and get it nicely set up again!
Thank you Rex, you have re-ignited my interest in wood work. Being more of a metal machinist, also self taught. I totally agree with you when it comes to learning your craft. Restoring and rebuilding my machine tool collection has made me a much better machinist. Thanks again
Rex, I've been following your channel for about a year and i just want to say all of your content is fantastic, anytime I see someone struggling with planes or budget wood working i always try to send them your way. Your closing remarks of this video about your first plane and learning it inside and out were like a snapshot of my own experience. My first plane was a No. 5 Stanley-Bailey from my great grandfather who i never knew via a hand down from my dad. and it only mostly works because of your videos. I now have 4 planes and three of them are functional. I just keep refining keep looking for how do i improve, I really enjoy the way you go after problems.Thank you for your awesome content, Keep it up.
I was always taught to set the plane on the table on it's side, so the blade isn't against the bench and whatever detritus is down there....? Thoughts??
You and the rest of us who learned a trade and did woodwork at school before that. Any idiot who sits a plane down on its face has no business handling a Lei Neilsen or any other plane to be honest. It takes just one piece of metal swarf on the bench from a previous project to destroy all the effort of sharpening the blade to a razor edge. It’s the first thing your taught when picking up a plane, it should be laying on its side when you pick it up and it should be put back laying on its side. As with so much of youtube these days - it’s the blind leading the blind. 🙄
Paul Frederick Metal swarf has a way of finding its way into the wood fibres - it can be a small as a bit of galvanising that came off a flat head clout nail when you pulled it out of a piece of wood with a claw hammer. Something heavy gets dropped on top of it unseen and before you know it that little shard of metal is imbedded into your work bench. You really would have to machine your bench down every other day to get to new wood if you want to make a habit of putting a plane down on its face. It’s just not done by any tradesman, it’s something you learn in first year wood work at high school & certainly in an apprenticeship. Those who know, (I’m not the only one) remember their training. I’m not the first to comment. There’s things like no jewellery or loose clothing around machinery that spins, no long loose hair and so on. It’s the safety and good practice basics that get taught early & tend to stick with you through life. I get it that these days few wood workers own hand planes, they pick up a rotary hand plane in preference. It would be nice to see the old school lessons not lost is all. People do like to share knowledge & skills on RUclips & having a monetised channel is all the rage for “passive income streams”, so I’m not knocking it. I do see a lot of the blind leading the blind however, where the need to constantly produce content sometimes has people with zero experience “having a go” and showing others how they do something when frequently it’s not “best practice”. This is probably one of those times. Good knowledge on setting up the plane just a lack of experience or teaching on best practice in handling one. Non of us are too old to learn. Heck, I’m so old I’ve forgotten more than I know these days. 😉
@@ianmoone2359 tradies are dumb and nothing they teach kids in high school is worth spit. I think the real issue here is you just don't know how to sharpen. Because if you did then sharpening an edge would not be a big deal to you. Zinc embedded in wood, really? Damaging a carbon steel blade? I think you're going to have to produce some evidence before I believe that's going on. USB microscopes are cheap now. Maybe if you saw what's going on at the edges of tools you'd be more knowledgeable? Go check out some of my man David W's videos here. He'll get you the skinny on tool sharpening. He made a video the other day where he honed a plane iron on a cheap India stone and buffed it. Thing cut like a laser. Edge had a polish on it superior to what you can get off a 12,000 grit Shapton glass. Which is like a $150 stone. He's used thousand dollar natural Japanese stones too. He really has a thing for this one Washita stone he's got. It's kind of cute. But he proved that you don't even need that. You do need to know what you're doing though. Search david w unicorn edge here. You'll find him.
I totally agree with your closing statements. Knowing how fix your tools as they wear is a woodworking skill that will save you time and frustration. Sending it to a guy on the internet isn’t always going to be an option to get your repairs done. I do appreciate that you were able to do this for him. I enjoyed the content, the review of the plane that maybe you wouldn’t normally put on your channel unless a viewer sent it to you, and review of plane repair and use fundamentals.
I have always looked at premium tools as for someone who is going to use it every day. a mechanic should spend the money on nice wrenches and other tools because they have to use them every day. but a person who fixes something on their car a couple times a month is served just fine by a set of craftsman or other lower brand tools.
This is the single most informative video for planes I've ever seen. What a treat to have the tool components removed, examined, explained, reassembled, and tuned. Wow. Rex you are amazing.
Rex: talking about how he said the plane was leaving scratches and getting tearout Me: wait that shouldn't happen Me: also realizes my plane was 20$ from HarborFreight
Haha, sucker! I payed $17 for mine at Home Depot! In all honesty, I am actually pleasantly surprised by how well it performs, entirely because of the direction and instruction of Rex and Mr. Sellers. I still need to *hone* my sharpening skills (pun very much intended), but even with my own shortcomings it exceeds my inexperienced expectations.
Thank you for saying all of that. Learning a craft IS truly about experience. Its about learning from everything you do, every success and every failure. A very wise man once said that without failure, you do not improve. I think we have forgotten that. Thank you again for reminding us.
35:05 I’m not sure I agree with that being their motivation. They make a premium product to promote reliable and repeatable results. As I’m sure you know from seeing hundreds of planes, the price also goes towards precision milling of bodies and blades made of higher quality alloys. I don’t believe the expectation this day and age should be to buy a plane that then requires an hour or two flattening and honing just to get it to work properly (not to mention the ongoing tinkering due to loose set screws and sloppy fittings). Maybe if you were buying tools 50 years ago or look for the cheapest thing made overseas that’s your baseline, but there are better options today. I have a full time job and am just getting into woodworking. My skills are novice at best. But I will pay more to buy a few premium planes that will last a lifetime (and my kid’s lifetime) vs dozens of janky planes that require all kinds of attention. I want to spend my spare time woodworking, not working on my tools. I also want a baseline for how a plane SHOULD perform. I’ll be adding in enough user error that I don’t need to amplify that with a mediocre tool. Respect for how you had to learn the hard way; you had to figure out how to make an inferior tool do its intended job. However, I don’t think that’s a necessity for gaining an understanding for how a tool should function. Maybe later in life I’ll have time to acquire and restore older or cheaper planes to yield a results similar to that of a LN or LV, but that’s not where I’m at right now
Just would like to say a small thing, this is the first woodworking channel i've come across, and seeing his shop is very intresting. I am a welder, and he is a woodworker, we have the same kind of design, of course, benches and tables and whatnot, but the thing that made me think, was his entire shop is wooden, even the vice handle, and clamps. My entire shop is metal, the benches and tables, vice, all the tools, i guess we surround ourself with what we do and that just really showed through to me watching this
Goodie7415 hit the bullseye. And the last six minutes are why your subscribers are growing at the rate they are. Well done, Rex. Thank your for your wisdom.
first lesson in the vocational school is put the plane on its side so that the chisel does not make contact with your worktop.Nice video further. Cauwenbergh Rudy Belgum Europe
Rex, The last several minutes of this video should be a requirement for all new and intermediate wood workers to watch. It was that good and honestly the absolute best advice I have ever heard about why one should put in the time to truly learn a craft from the ground up. Any craft. Great video. Great advice and thank you for your honesty and humbleness.
A myth. Setting a plane down on its side is something they used to tell school kids to do; otherwise they would trash the cutting edge by setting it sole down and possibly dragging it, dulling the blade. A more knowledgeable woodworker knows to set the plane down gently on its sole. If you lay it on its side, the tiniest bump will readjust your blade out of square.
@SciGuy I was taught that it was ok (not great) to set the jack plane on the face. But do not set the finishing planes down on the face. If I did I spent the rest of the day sharpening every tool the shop.
Every time he dumped all of the planes down on the sole without drawing back the blade I shuddered. It is a bad habit even if the blade was pulled. So much for good habits? Also, his technique as he used the plane was really rough ass. I expected more from him, breaking the basic rules?
Excellent final meditation. I've been buying planes off eBay lately (estate sales and consignment stores not giving me what I needed fast enough), but my budget didn't allow me to buy a Stanley Bailey Type 11-15 bench plane unless it had been abused or neglected. But once I've restored them, made sure the sole is flat, sharpened the irons, and set them up (all thanks to Paul Sellers and you), they will be MY tools.
one video, so well done I will subscribe. I get planes from wherever I can. I re-do the lacquering, nickel plating, brass polishing, sharpening. I don't use them much, but I enjoy making a work of art out of a tool I can still use.
Great video. I'm not a woodworker and I'll most likely never own a plane, but I enjoyed watching this video for some reason. And I agree: Knowing your tools is important. The rest is just practice through repetition.
It was an honor to have you troubleshoot my plane. Thank you, Rex! I will take your suggestions to heart.
Trusty, I got a Lie-Neilsen #4, in cast iron. I, too, had to adjust the frog forward a good bit. Don't feel bad, it took me a while to figure that out, as well.
It really was a lot of fun. I enjoy the high-end tools even if I don't really need them.
Trusty Rusty, here's a couple more videos from Rob Cosman that you might find valuable to learn more about how this type of plane works and how to tune it to your needs. 👍🏻
ruclips.net/p/PLqUOljnY0d9eW9evOCMDmtmV3ntlVvprT
I was like, "Quit saying my name Rex"
Cool video idea.
I've never touched a hand plane in my life, yet I just watched a 36 minute video about adjusting one with full attention. 10/10 presentation
Honestly, I think these days, youtube videos like yours or Paul Sellers is the Digital Age equivalent of hand tool woodworking apprenticeships. All the knowledge and different experiences of woodworkers around the world at our fingertips. All we have to do is grab a plane, a few chisels, some wood and follow along "one-on-one", with personal or video shown(like making the low and high benches) projects as out "homework" with growth and individual styles happening along the way.
Videos by folks like you are completely invaluable and will continue to be for years to come.
I completely agree. I am self-taught in the school of trial and error, isolated from the few who could give me any advice. These videos have helped me refine my skills over the ones I picked up on in my teens and twenties.
Yeah! Just imagine the efficiency and overall knowledge gain thanks to the internet!
The main advantages of an apprenticeship over RUclips being better access to tools and a experience person to help find the flaws in your technique and tell you how to fix any mistakes.
Gareth Baus indeed! But imagine the scalability 1:1 vs. 1:1000s of apprentices. And an experienced teacher knows all the frequently made mistakes and can explain them in advance.
@@Sadowsky46 I am not saying RUclips isn't a better system, I am primarily describing why you want to seek out an in person teacher if at all possible.
I am 'Paul Sellers taught'. I am 'James Wright' taught. I am 'Rex Figures it Out' taught. There are probably others. Restoring a plane is the best education one could get. Totally agree.
"might end up being a kinda short video"
*Looks at the time code*
*grabs popcorn*
Yeah, that didn't work out as planned!
@@RexKrueger You mean, "As planed!"
Yuk yuk
@@awboyer126 Take my like
it could be edited down to a 5 minute video. but then you don't get all the extra fun stuff.
worth the watch though,...Sweetheart will you get me some more popcorn, This short video isnt?
Rex, I am 78 and have been using a Craftsman no. 5 plane for over forty years. I learned more about setting up the plane in this video then I have learned by just experimenting and using the plane for years. I do know how to sharpen plane irons and chisels. But the actual set up has always been a mystery. You cleared up most of the mystery. Thanks for this great tutorial. And yes I still do some woodworking.
I happen to think the "doofus on the internet" is an amazing teacher. Thank you, Rex. I got so much out of this video.
I'm delighted that it was helpful! I was afraid it was too long.
Yeah, I concur! Rex I don't know if you have read Nick Offerman's stuff on woodworking, but he says a humble learning based attitude is the best way for all of us to get better at the craft.
what video? it's not even on yet.
I totally agree with Amy. I have learned alot from you Rex. Especially the way you think, the way you simplify an issue so it is understandable and the solutions you come up with. You have a great woodworker/handtools channel. Greetings from Denmark 🇩🇰
This doofus is a first source site when I have an issue I need to research. I can usually find somthing that helps me think in the right direction even if the exact answer cannot be found.
I bought a cheap Silverline plane from Amazon a year ago. After taking it apart almost a hundred times and refining refering to your videos it it starts to become a decent Tool. So thanx Rex from Germany.
Amen to your closing remarks. A friend of mine is a professionally trained luthier, and he is way less of a snob about his planes (modern-day Stanleys even *shudder*) than many hobbyists. It all comes down to knowing how to use your tools and how to keep them in good working order I guess.
As a luthier myself, I second that. While it's easier to get good results with premium tools, if the setup is good, then you can do just fine with almost anything (within reason).
Pretty sure I'm staying with the two grizzlys, the ones from your plane plans bundle and a couple from Paul Sellers and James Wright. Oh, and I either got incredibly lucky or there's been a twist in the universe but I got a $3.00 chinese spokeshave to function pretty well as backup for the one you made. Thanks Hoss.
Well, I'm a hobbyist myself, but I don't own any planes yet... But, for me, if they work they're good to me. 😬
I agree! I use two planes made by Faithfull. I've applied what I learned from Rex to set them up and use them correctly. I am very happy with the results even after using a far more expensive plane on a course recently. I am a hobbyist of course. Still, I like using tools that work. Mine do.
I have a thing for trading tools around... as much as the wood-craft itself... I've restored and even built a few round-tops (guitars), but hardly consider myself a level of "craftsman" on those instruments... I have a couple hand-held box-planes, about a 20 inch jointer, and a couple Baileys... ALL of those planes were restored (aggravatingly) by me years before RUclips was a thing... BUT I lucked out with a "wood-shop" course in high school and a few available teachers to slap me up-side of my head and show me where I was wrong.... (lolz)
I have plenty of other planes, but those listed are "The regulars" in my shop... I also restore and rebuild power tools... Including a table-saw I put on a mobile cart because the table was "dead"... My brother's already asked "Dibs" on it, though...
I think building a repertoire of gear you can build, improvise, troubleshoot and fix is VERY MUCH the craft. Do right for your tools, and they'll do right for you... Even a great driver doesn't need a Ferrari or Mazeratti to be a great driver... That's not to say any gear-head worth his salt wouldn't jump on the chance to drive one. ;o)
Q: How do you spot a hand tool woodworker?
A: They’re the ones with the hairless forearms.
TheIrishman46 I test my pocket knives like that
Broke Fisherman I feel like that would be more dangerous that shaving your hair with hand tools like planes
Soriyu I mean it might be more dangerous(I am not sure I don’t use wood working tools. However, you can infer that he takes the blade out fist to test. And I wasn’t saying it more or less dangerous I was pointing out that many other people test sharp stuff like that.
How do you spot a CNC woodworker? They're the ones with the fingerless hands.
Rex ran out of hair on his head testing planes.
Hey Rex I really enjoyed this video, even more than I enjoy you videos usually, the story you told at the end of the video made me want to go to the flea market and find planes and tools to restore.
I'm 17 years old and this is my Third year of doing Woodworking, I used to go to a woodworking class but now I do it on my own in the garden, I'm right now in the process of building my first workbench. Your videos have always inspired me, thank you rex.
your way ahead of me there lol I'm 18 and I haven't made anything that wasn't in the shop
You both have a little more experience than me, in hand tool wood working. Although, I have quite a bit more cabinetry experience. I've been building and installing high-end custom cabinetry since 1983. It has mostly been sheet goods with solid doors and fillers. I have always used a block plane to fine tune the scribing of the filler but just bought my first #4 smoothing plane. I am just about finished building a low Roman bench. I am 98% retired so I hope to catch up with you kids soon
Me: doesn't even know what a plane is. Also me: let's figure out how to fix a plane
As a sparky. I can relate.
@@_ohmz_electric idk what a sparky is, but I took woodshop my freshman year so I know whats up
@@Glados1080 electrician in slang if you still want to know
@@suiseikyo I arc n' spark too, but for the purpose of joining metals.
@@Glados1080 You don't have mandatory wood working classes during elementary school in the US?
Rex doesn't realize that he's the journeyman and we're the apprentices. Humility is such a good quality.
He very clearly states towreds the end of the video that he hasn't completely mastered hand plane usage despite being fairly capable with one which makes it very clear he considers himself to be roughly equivalent journeyman level for this particular aspect of woodworking, and this is probably an accurate evaluation doesn't mean he can't teach others as he improves his technique.
this teacher wants to read my bit at the top teacher wants to go back to a teacher who knows what he knows.
"That struggle is the craft." The blacksmith agrees with the woodwright. Well said.
This video made me get out my old plane and try it out! Thanks!
The last five minutes of this video are absolute gold, and applicable to every discipline, not just woodworking.
When I interview for a new job, people ask me in a variety of ways, "Are you an expert?" I always answer, "You bet! Best you'll ever see!" because that's what they want and need to hear. But really, I'm ok. There are people who have pushed the rock up the hill higher than I have, and people who I have surpassed. The journey is the point, and once you stop pushing, the rock is going to slide back down.
"The struggle is built into our craft." Very true. My experience has been that the internet has created the illusion of leveling the playing field, whereas in many cases what you really have is the blind leading the deaf. Not always, but enough to confuse, or even discourage a beginner. Nice, balanced video - good for you!
teacher could learn a few tricks and be a better teacher.
I drooled over the Lee Nielsen planes looking at their catalog back in the days. Pricey yes. But so gorgeous! I imagine, can only imagine since I don’t have one, the satisfaction of working the wood with piece of art in your hand must be quite something.
Learned a lot from this video. Thank you!
Have to apply these lessons to my Record planes. Now only if I can afford some wood ☹️
Sometimes you have to be creative acquiring wood. You do not always have to buy wood. Do what Mathias Wandel does and look in dumpsters of big apartment complexes. They're always throwing old furniture out. Which is sometimes made of wood. Or wood like products. I did the pallet thing before it was big too. Before I was on the Internet really.
Thank you for the advice on wood sourcing. I frequent flea markets & thrift stores as well for old ugly furniture that nobody wants. Your idea of disgarded furniture is better 👍
@@ticklefish4898 the way wood costs these days you have to get it wherever you can. Furniture makers have an in for getting wood too. They can't be paying what the rest of us are.
The last five minutes of this was the best content you’ve created Rex. Some of the most sensible comments about expensive/premium tools and learning the craft. It was obviously heart felt and very diplomatically put. One question about the high angle of this plane though, you say it can reduce tear out, but isn’t that what a low angle plane is meant to prevent?
Both this high angle plane and a low angle plane can achieve a similar effect. Remember that with a low-angle plane the blade is flipped over, so instead of the angle of the cut being determined by the angle of the plane, it is also controlled by the angle of the bevel on the iron. So to match the 50 degree angle of this high-angle plane, you could use a low angle plane (at 12 degrees) together with a bevel of 38 degrees to achieve a 50 degree cut angle. If you put a bevel of 33 degrees on the low-angle plane, you would have a cut similar to a 45 degree plane. The low-angle plane gives you more flexibility in the cutting angle, but getting the bevel wrong can really mess up how the plane performs. The high-angle plane is a little easier to sharpen because the cut angle is locked in at 50 degrees, and the bevel angle can vary quite a bit and it will still cut.
A higher angled pitch makes the plane act more like a scraper. A scraper will give you no tear-out as there is no "lift" to the shaving being removed. A lower angled plane (less than 45* pitch) increases tear-out because the shaving is pulled up farther ahead of the blade. Most low angle planes also have no chip breaker, the single most effective plane accessory to reduce tear-out. Low angle planes were designed for end grain work as the lower angle slices better and you don't really need to worry about tear-out. The modern hype about low angle planes is just marketing wank (though having to buy an extra blade to change angles rather than a new frog is quite nice to be fair). The old rule still applies; high angle for tricky grain, low angle for end grain. (High angle is >45*, low angle is
It is the tale of diminishing returns. 10% gets you 90% of the way there. To get that extra little bit tends to cost a disproportionate amount.
Well said man. Learning by doing. It happens less and less. I have had many hobbies where I get lost in the peripherals. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Always learning I love this video, and as so many others have said, that last few minutes, how maybe buying your way out of experience will backfire eventually
At 36:00 you perfectly summarized my love of my Shopsmith tools. What a lot of people look down at as “Too much time to change-over” I’ve always have seen as quality time with the tools I love. This was an excellent video! Scott
He should have contacted LN and let them replace that plane. I've got 11 LN planes and they all worked straight out of the box. They hold an edge like no other plane I've owned. It was good to hear you explain things about real life in woodworking, especially to the beginners. Thanks for the efforts you put into your videos.
The last 5 minutes of this video are some of the best content I've ever seen about learning a craft, any craft.
Hello Rex! The story you told about the experience you gained when trying to learn to handle the plane was exactly my story. I understand perfectly that the search for the control and correct use of the tool was my great master. This video has a great lesson and is therefore one of my favorites. Thanks again.
Really needed to hear those last five minutes. I've just started out and only been woodworking since August and I can't for the life of me make straight cuts lol. But hearing about the necessity of the struggle and how you wouldn't trade those moments of learning makes me want to keep going. Keep it up!
You're hands down the best woodworking creator on youtube for all of us interested in this wondeful hobby, or a profession. Down to earth, detailed, smart, humble and honest. Keep going and don't change.
Thank you!!!!
teecher could do better and make it better for us students.
I have, almost exclusively, Stanley and I thought they were collectible. In the end it's the quality of that knife and the tool's ability to hold it properly. As far as the knife goes, it pays to love sharpening a quality edge! Also, many people to whom I show the collection, especially the jointer, have no idea what it's for! Many folks who work with wood can't imagine using anything but an electric planer but I bet they don't know how to sharpen it!. You're a rare artisan, Rex! Good job!
I'm approximately 3 minutes into the video and already Rex has it wrong. He gets to the box and refers to it as "The Ark of the Covenant" and opens it. While looking at it!!! Has Indiana Jones taught us nothing???? You don't look directly at the Ark when it's open!!!
Just kidding Rex. Love your work. Please keep up the great content.
For real though, I was thinking the same thing. Like "Bruh, are you trying to get me to keep my eyes closed the whole video?"
You can look if you are pure of spirit. Rex clearly is.
Fantastic and very honest conclusion to the video. To summarise (in my interpretation): In the same way that money alone can’t buy you happiness, you can’t buy your way out of learning and, sometimes, learning the hard way is the best way or the only way.
One suggestion: Any time tightness is backed off on something tight, you should tighten back up to the desired amount. What this means is, if you need to loosen something, loosen it more than you need and then tighten it back to where desired. It will hold its setting better. This applies to guitar tuning, auto parts to resist vibration, and even the plane at 8:05.
even before reading the guitar tuner part i tought "this guy must play guitar" been using this technique for years and it helps a lot specially with low quality tuners that have a lot of play.
I know nothing about woodwork, or planes, just an absolute joy to watch someone doing something they love, keep it up!
Dear Rex, I couldn’t agree more with you about the reward gained from struggling with poorly functioning tools. I, like you inherited a collection of hand-me-down tools from both my father and father-in-law. None of it worked well. Saws chopped their way through wood, not smoothly cutting it. Planes were like wielding a tomahawk at wood, not producing smooth swarf.
I didn’t let that get the better of me and mostly through the advent of RUclips videos, I was able to get an idea of how to condition these tools. When I got some files and a properly designed saw clamp, I turned a crappy blade into one that smoothly cut and with amazing speed. This was a fantastic moment because for the first time in my life, I had in my hands a saw that I enjoyed using.
The next step was to turn my hand to reconditioning planes. I started with a large sanding board and turned an irregular sole and sides into perfectly flat and perpendicular surfaces. Sharpening the blades was another skill to hurdle and finally working with an errant chip-breaker to stop it from binding full of chips stopping planing with chips filling the gap between the blade and chip-breaker.
I now get whisper thin shavings from most of my planes, including wooden block planes and my saws rip through wood in excellent time but produce nice straight lines.
All of this I achieved through persistence, some native intuition in problem solving but mostly by soaking up knowledge meted out by fantastic people like yourself. Thank you.
To answer the question: Do I need to buy expensive “perfect” tools? The real joy is turning something that is well built into something that works beautifully. The antique stores occasionally have wonderful old tools that have fallen into disrepair. Try them and hone your skills in reconditioning them and you will be amply rewarded. Happy woodworking.
i know absolutely nothing about woodworking but i watched the whole thing. super relaxing and almost peaceful to watch him care for the tool
I used to get yelled at if I ever placed a plane with the blade down on the bench during my apprenticeship. I got flash backs every time you did it in this video.
I have never understood where this silly idea came from. The blade laying on the wood is much less apt to be damaged than if the blade is exposed. After all, you put the plane on the wood to cut so how can that cause damage?
@@sleim754 When you sharpen a plane blade you are aiming for a razor edge with no burr (round over) going in either direction/side of the cutting edge. when you place the cutting edge on a surface you risk the creation of a burr, same can occur if you draw the plane backwards across the timber.
This is what I was taught, this is what I have taught my apprentices.
It probably has mild consequences, but I feel it's good practice to help maintain the cutting edge you have spent the time to achieve.
Made me wince each time. Haha.
@@sleim754 might be true if you're using your plane solely in your workshop. In reality you don't always have a clean wooden surface to place your plane, so most people I know made it a habit to put it on it's side.
Me too. I’d be absolutely crucified if I did that. I’m not even allowed to breathe on some chisels heh heh
They say a true intermediate is precisely aware of how much they still need to learn to be a master. Rex your honesty and willingness to admit you are not a master is what makes me believe you when you say you will be a great woodworker one day. I will alway be a fan because of your approach and appreciation. Here here my good man.
Great work Rex. You are an extremely rare combination of engaging, informative, funny, and practical all at the same time. Great work. Thanks.
This may be the single best teaching video on both the philosophy and the practical details of a high angle plane. Rex, you are a gifted teacher and communicator. Thanks
I don't do woodwork but I suddenly feel the need to buy a bronze plane simply because to me it's a beautiful piece of art. Great video.
One of the best examples of what the internet should be used for is this video... You deserve a pat on the back Rex, BRAVO!!!
Why am I watching this, idk. But I'm 29 minutes in and I can't stop watching.
Legend
Me too, I watched the whole thing . I'm grateful haha
@Dial Square great statement!
Your ending describes woodworking perfectly. It’s not all about what you produce but how you use the tool to produce it.
I’m one of those people that doesn’t stain or paint my projects. I believe that the raw finish of wood is more beautiful than any finish I can apply so I leave the staining and paint for people that I make something for.
You are one of the most honest, thoughtful and insightful guys on the internet. This helped me a lot; thanks
he left lots out to make the smoothing plane run better i know been there and and done it.
This is a paramount class of video. I'm super impressed by the care and attention, with the absence of judgemental comments. Well done, both gentlmen.
I learned how to wield tools after years of having to fix failing parts of my loft apartment. I went from barely able to hit a nail correctly to rehanging drywall, rebuilding shoddy construction, and making ladders and tables all because I had to stumble through the process of learning to build. You’re never more confident in your skills than you are when you know you can figure your way out of a mess.
JGD Awww, baby want a bottle? My ability to take care of myself bother you? Poor thing..
Cool, sounds like a war zone 😂
Thanks to this video i finally got my father's old stanley #5 working. Needs sharpening and restoration still but it works. Hasn't been used in 40 years.
Started my apprenticeship at twenty two.
You can’t buy experience out of a box.
You must be taught, you must read, you must try and fail, you must listen and learn, you must watch your master.
Most of all, you must do your homework.
True, my first plane (a Veritas) I actually read the manual about four times on different days and watched a lot of videos (I can actually name the parts of a plane w/o saying "doohickey and thingumabob). Did the same for honing. It really helped a lot. I do think getting a nice new plane was helpful b/c it's nice to have at least some basic experience before you can really troubleshoot vintage. I didn't want to be frustrated by a plane right off the bat. Now I think I can shop for some good used planes.
I tied to learn some basic woodworking decades ago and ran into a dead-end b/c I didn't know where to get information. For instance, I got so intimidated by a job site table saw I bought that I ended up just giving it away. What you can learn off of you-tube for free from these generous teachers really is the fulfillment of what the what the internet should be about.
Your end video points are exactly correct and translate across all mediums. All too often people obsess over the quality of materials, especially when starting out. "My painting would be better if I had a nicer brushes or nicer paints". Instead of materials; focus on creating every day and you will get better. Amazing artists can make wonderful things out of ballpoint BIC pens.
I'm 67 years old now but I still remember one of the first things my wood working teacher said to the class on the first day during tool introduction.. This is his words. DONT PLACE THE PLANE FACE DOWN ONTO A BENCH! YOU COULD SIT IT ON SOMETHING METALIC AND DAMAGE THE BLADE. This is good advice that i have always followed. it is very easy to have a momentary laps of concentration and . . . resharpen the blade.
love the video and will look for more.
I agree i never place it upright on the bench with the blade out, also learned early on in life. Very good video for setting up your planes explained very well.
Totally agree. Those multiple micro slappings on the wood would blunt the blade even without metallic surface.
never mind planing long thin pieces of wood not supported. Am I the only one who is cringing?
Well...I taught for 31 years and I would reem out the student that placed his plane on the side.
Totally disagree, why knock the blade out of square. And since when does a stationary cutting edge designed to shave wood when resting still get dull? They taught school kids this because they trashed the cutting edges by being rough, so they recommended the laying on the side technique.
probably the most honest video about planes on the internet. I see too many wood working channels really push the high end planes on beginners. I know they had me day dreaming about owning one too, but that price tag was too much to swallow. I am sure I am not the only one.
Comments: Talking about how he put the plane on the table wrong
Me: *an intellectual knowing planes are too big to fit on tables*
Also me: *wondering why he has a frog in his plane*
This is beautiful
I'm tired of these mfing frogs on this mfing plane?
Because everyone knows there should be snakes on a plane.
phrog
I cringe every time he sets the plane face down on the bench. What the heck! Wanna bang your nice edge on a flat, hard surface?
Everyone who likes to work with hand tools should listen to your final statement. Happily, I learned this way by necessity and am passing what I know onto my son in the same way. Not many tools more satisfying to use than a well set up hand plane - or more frustrating when not :)
I like “the doofus on the internet”. That’s why I am a patron. But I got a great laugh out of that line. Still chuckling.
Personally, I rather enjoy struggling with the tools, especially the restoration and setup of hand planes. There is great satisfaction out ending up with a tool that works well.
This is the first video I've seen of yours. You speak like you have the knowledge of a master craftsman and you are very humble. Pleasure to watch your video.
This is a strange place for the algorithm to take me.
Bro his bags under his eyes really bothers me
I own a Stanley but I never told the algorithm that :/
The algorithm knows I like random things
@@45rpm. if you looked at planes on amazon that's all it takes - Amazon talks to Google - Google talks to RUclips.... Google also reads your Gmail and talks to all the others
I argue that it is strange that you have not found this channel sooner.
I own Stanley and Lie Nielsen hand planes and enjoy the use of a well tuned plane. I recently attended a woodworking school where a 4 1/2 smoothing plane was recommended. I purchased a Wood River plane and have been very pleased with the quality and workmanship. It has many of the fine qualities of the Lie Nielsen at a fraction of the cost. I would recommend it.
Rex, thank you so much for one of your greatest videos that teaches such a huge lesson about handplanes!
I think it is an excellent idea to undertake solving a practical problem from real life in front of the camera, while taking the opportunity to convey your knowledge and experiences on the topic in their relevant natural context. Keep up the good work!
Good words at the end. Know your tools, know how they work or are supposed to work, and know how to fix and make them work. That's an important part of working with hand tools. It's no different than needing to know how power tools work and how to maintain them.
Rex, I certainly agree with you that learning how to “fettle” your tools is an essential part of hand tool wood working. I get a lot of satisfaction in taking an old No. 4 and getting it it to do what a $350 Lie Nielsen will do. That doesn’t stop me lusting after shiny things though 😉
No old Stanley is ever going to do what that Lie Nielsen can do. Close, but not exactly. The question remains, is it close enough? And like Rex pointed out except at the very high end yeah the old bomber tools will get you most of the way there. Which is as far as most of us really need to go.
@@1pcfred So true! Even an overpriced old Stanley cant empty a wallet nearly as fast!
@@bsdnfraje I never bought an overpriced old Stanley plane. The most I ever paid for one was $20 for a 606 Bedrock. I've bought them for as cheap as twenty five cents. The average is somewhere around five to ten dollars.
@@1pcfred Yes, thank you, i knewi was correct. But your corroboration is appreciated.
@@bsdnfraje if I had every other tool I ever wanted I wouldn't mind getting a Lie Nielsen plane then. I still have a ways to go before I'm in that position.
This video got you another subscriber, cause of the story about the old plane and knowing the tools. I don't care if you make horrible stuff, I like to follow people who are right in the head.
Nice tip with checking the gap. I often having issues with shavings getting jammed between the 2. Id also try to see if they could send a replacement cap.
They would, or they would fix his free.
@@justinsane332 yeah that stiff lever cap was definitely bad press for Lie Nielsen. You never know which of your tools are going to end up in a RUclips video. Mistakes happen. But what sets a good company apart from a bad one is what they do to fix mistakes.
@@1pcfred for sure, but having dealt with their service department myself, I can attest to the fact that this is something they would take care of immediately, without charge, if contacted. Basically as long as it wasn't abuse or negligence this company will fix it. Most repairs we do on our own, but having that piece of mind that they will take care of you for the life of the tool (this is important, as your tool outlives you, the next generation is also Protected)
@@justinsane332 After a week's work of ownership I dropped my low angle block plane and bent the adjustment screw, they sent a new one free of charge even after I told them I dropped it. So yeah, I think they would take care of it.
@@Superevilfrog dropping isnt abuse, but indeed, thats why we pay for these things. its worth it!
One of your very best presentations on hand planes. The last few minutes on learning tools as an important element of the craft is absolutely true. I spend at lot of time working with my tools, sometimes more than working with the wood, and get enjoyment equal to working a wood project.
When I went to BMW automatic transmission school we were told to use toothpaste to free up valves in the valve body. A little toothpaste ought to free up that lever without removing a lot of metal.
I was thinking along the same lines. Something like a lapping compound would be perfect for loosening up that lever. I don't know if it would get in by the pin part of the hinge and cause problems.
Great tip!
This is where I use the travel-size tubes I get at my dentist's, where they hesitate and do a quick eye-roll because I always insist on the original formula no-frills Crest.
And there was me would have looke to remove the lever and lap it...
@@alskjflaksjdflakjdf no ,..you were correct i had same issue and thaty how i fixed it ,..lapping compound,..worked perfectly
Rex, your words at the end of this video make so much sense. If you call yourself a woodworker you must know and understand the tools you use. Being able to operate a tool "right out of the box" is not what any woodworker needs. In fact just the opposite. Get to know your tools, take them apart and put them back together again. That's how you become a better woodworker. Thanks for this video and all your other ones. Happy New Year 2023!
Sweet Fancy Moses! Lie-Nielsen didn't pack the plane THAT securely when they sent it to him!
You gotta give the man credit; it got to me in one piece!
My brother would've wrapped the inner box into a duck-tape armored casting and packed that box full of styrofoam... I've had a rougher time opening a birthday present with boots in it. ;o)
I enjoyed the whole video, but the most impactful part was towards the end where Rex explains the way that the struggle to understand how it worked and how this led to improving his understanding has stayed with him and to some extent formed his approach to the craft of woodworking. This shines through in his informative and engaging videos.
Howdy Rex!! I've been hankering for a touch more from your "Forged in Wood" series. I appreciate ALL your content and hard work, just wondering if the series was retired? Keep up the amazing work!!
Rex, THANK YOU! I just got into the woodworking and am still struggling with my old vintage Stanley. I'm on the verge of buying LN plane, and you just showed that I don't need the extra feature of LN. You're the man!
Being a plane with a high angle frog, the advance on the blade is a little harder to control. But with some time on the plane that should become a none factor soon.
Also, some people try to set a very close chip breaker and very closed mouth at the same time. Doing both will choke the plane and cause poor, intermittent cuts.
Finally, my bench plane set is made up of both Stanley Bedrock (all restored myself) and Lie-Nielsen. Across the set the Bedrocks were inferior, to the point I didn’t want to use them . . . . until I replaced the original blade and chip breaker set with Hock sets. Now there doesn’t seem to be a difference.
I have found that one of the more satisfying parts of making fine things is using and understanding fine tools. So yes, the tool is part of the craft. Thanks for the informative video.
Putting the chip breaker "Close to the Edge" is something to say "Yes" too.
That was such a great joke! Yours is no disgrace.
think ive used a plane once in my life, my dad was a woodworker and fiberglass wizard. i enjoyed watching your video none the less! makes me miss my dad so much more.
I tried SO hard to get a cheap $20 smoother from the big box store working well. I tried for weeks. I'd flattened it by lapping, toyed with every setting I could, and every time I would get grabby awful cuts. I'd ease in from no cut, a bit of sawdust, to big grabby tear out. I pushed so hard I moved my bench across the floor. There was no in between!
I'd given up, but got it out a year later for another reason. I took it apart and finally figured out the problem after putting it back together so many times...
The frog had a single machine burr that held it off the bed. When the blade finally caught, the frog would rock forward and nose dive the blade! A single swipe with a file and I was taking gossamer shavings in seconds.
Cool story bro. The mechanically adept are sensitive to that sort of thing. Planes are how they are because that's how they have to be. Any bit out of whack and they just don't do what they're supposed to. The iron bedding in on the frog is critical for operation. The frog bedding on the plane body is crucial too. Everything needs to be solid. Otherwise it flaps in the breeze. Sounds like you didn't have a plane, you had a toggle.
@@1pcfred Hmm maybe I can use this stuck toggle to do some planing with.
I'm a programmer and have always been encouraged to spend time 'sharpening your tools' - and agree that is the root of your craft. If you had to deal with the same problem more than a few times, spend time and find the way to never have that issue again. In the end it lets you spend your quality time on the things that matter.
Love your videos, going to go and take a closer look at a plane that was my granddad's and get it nicely set up again!
When you buy a graphics card, but it ends up being a plane.
Thank you Rex, you have re-ignited my interest in wood work.
Being more of a metal machinist, also self taught. I totally agree with you when it comes to learning your craft. Restoring and rebuilding my machine tool collection has made me a much better machinist.
Thanks again
Sooo.... do you use these on your head to make it perfectly round because damn is that impressive
Rex, I've been following your channel for about a year and i just want to say all of your content is fantastic, anytime I see someone struggling with planes or budget wood working i always try to send them your way. Your closing remarks of this video about your first plane and learning it inside and out were like a snapshot of my own experience. My first plane was a No. 5 Stanley-Bailey from my great grandfather who i never knew via a hand down from my dad. and it only mostly works because of your videos. I now have 4 planes and three of them are functional. I just keep refining keep looking for how do i improve, I really enjoy the way you go after problems.Thank you for your awesome content, Keep it up.
Sounds like you just need to work the "newness" out of it. In my shop, the problem is solved by just using old stuff thats nice and loose!
Similar to women, I guess....
[Insert hooker gag]
Wow out of all the channels on wood working that I watch.Your channel hands down is one of the best.
I was always taught to set the plane on the table on it's side, so the blade isn't against the bench and whatever detritus is down there....? Thoughts??
You and the rest of us who learned a trade and did woodwork at school before that.
Any idiot who sits a plane down on its face has no business handling a Lei Neilsen or any other plane to be honest.
It takes just one piece of metal swarf on the bench from a previous project to destroy all the effort of sharpening the blade to a razor edge.
It’s the first thing your taught when picking up a plane, it should be laying on its side when you pick it up and it should be put back laying on its side.
As with so much of youtube these days - it’s the blind leading the blind. 🙄
@@ianmoone2359 you could always clean your bench sometimes.
Paul Frederick Metal swarf has a way of finding its way into the wood fibres - it can be a small as a bit of galvanising that came off a flat head clout nail when you pulled it out of a piece of wood with a claw hammer.
Something heavy gets dropped on top of it unseen and before you know it that little shard of metal is imbedded into your work bench.
You really would have to machine your bench down every other day to get to new wood if you want to make a habit of putting a plane down on its face.
It’s just not done by any tradesman, it’s something you learn in first year wood work at high school & certainly in an apprenticeship.
Those who know, (I’m not the only one) remember their training. I’m not the first to comment.
There’s things like no jewellery or loose clothing around machinery that spins, no long loose hair and so on.
It’s the safety and good practice basics that get taught early & tend to stick with you through life.
I get it that these days few wood workers own hand planes, they pick up a rotary hand plane in preference.
It would be nice to see the old school lessons not lost is all.
People do like to share knowledge & skills on RUclips & having a monetised channel is all the rage for “passive income streams”, so I’m not knocking it.
I do see a lot of the blind leading the blind however, where the need to constantly produce content sometimes has people with zero experience “having a go” and showing others how they do something when frequently it’s not “best practice”.
This is probably one of those times.
Good knowledge on setting up the plane just a lack of experience or teaching on best practice in handling one.
Non of us are too old to learn.
Heck, I’m so old I’ve forgotten more than I know these days. 😉
@@ianmoone2359 tradies are dumb and nothing they teach kids in high school is worth spit. I think the real issue here is you just don't know how to sharpen. Because if you did then sharpening an edge would not be a big deal to you. Zinc embedded in wood, really? Damaging a carbon steel blade? I think you're going to have to produce some evidence before I believe that's going on. USB microscopes are cheap now. Maybe if you saw what's going on at the edges of tools you'd be more knowledgeable? Go check out some of my man David W's videos here. He'll get you the skinny on tool sharpening. He made a video the other day where he honed a plane iron on a cheap India stone and buffed it. Thing cut like a laser. Edge had a polish on it superior to what you can get off a 12,000 grit Shapton glass. Which is like a $150 stone. He's used thousand dollar natural Japanese stones too. He really has a thing for this one Washita stone he's got. It's kind of cute. But he proved that you don't even need that. You do need to know what you're doing though. Search david w unicorn edge here. You'll find him.
I totally agree with your closing statements. Knowing how fix your tools as they wear is a woodworking skill that will save you time and frustration. Sending it to a guy on the internet isn’t always going to be an option to get your repairs done. I do appreciate that you were able to do this for him. I enjoyed the content, the review of the plane that maybe you wouldn’t normally put on your channel unless a viewer sent it to you, and review of plane repair and use fundamentals.
I have always looked at premium tools as for someone who is going to use it every day. a mechanic should spend the money on nice wrenches and other tools because they have to use them every day. but a person who fixes something on their car a couple times a month is served just fine by a set of craftsman or other lower brand tools.
This is the single most informative video for planes I've ever seen. What a treat to have the tool components removed, examined, explained, reassembled, and tuned. Wow. Rex you are amazing.
Rex: talking about how he said the plane was leaving scratches and getting tearout
Me: wait that shouldn't happen
Me: also realizes my plane was 20$ from HarborFreight
Haha, sucker! I payed $17 for mine at Home Depot! In all honesty, I am actually pleasantly surprised by how well it performs, entirely because of the direction and instruction of Rex and Mr. Sellers. I still need to *hone* my sharpening skills (pun very much intended), but even with my own shortcomings it exceeds my inexperienced expectations.
Thank you for saying all of that. Learning a craft IS truly about experience. Its about learning from everything you do, every success and every failure. A very wise man once said that without failure, you do not improve. I think we have forgotten that. Thank you again for reminding us.
35:05 I’m not sure I agree with that being their motivation. They make a premium product to promote reliable and repeatable results. As I’m sure you know from seeing hundreds of planes, the price also goes towards precision milling of bodies and blades made of higher quality alloys. I don’t believe the expectation this day and age should be to buy a plane that then requires an hour or two flattening and honing just to get it to work properly (not to mention the ongoing tinkering due to loose set screws and sloppy fittings). Maybe if you were buying tools 50 years ago or look for the cheapest thing made overseas that’s your baseline, but there are better options today.
I have a full time job and am just getting into woodworking. My skills are novice at best. But I will pay more to buy a few premium planes that will last a lifetime (and my kid’s lifetime) vs dozens of janky planes that require all kinds of attention. I want to spend my spare time woodworking, not working on my tools. I also want a baseline for how a plane SHOULD perform. I’ll be adding in enough user error that I don’t need to amplify that with a mediocre tool. Respect for how you had to learn the hard way; you had to figure out how to make an inferior tool do its intended job. However, I don’t think that’s a necessity for gaining an understanding for how a tool should function. Maybe later in life I’ll have time to acquire and restore older or cheaper planes to yield a results similar to that of a LN or LV, but that’s not where I’m at right now
I dont know anything about woodworking but I really enjoyed how passionate you are for your craft and your ability to translate that to the audience.
RUclips: I recommend you watch this..
Me: but i dont even woodwor **click**
Me: well it is 4am so..
Maybe RUclips is trying to tell you something....
I think they are
So refreshing to find someone who is open minded and honest about where they're coming from. Subscribed.
“This might be a short video”
*36 minutes later-*
Just would like to say a small thing, this is the first woodworking channel i've come across, and seeing his shop is very intresting. I am a welder, and he is a woodworker, we have the same kind of design, of course, benches and tables and whatnot, but the thing that made me think, was his entire shop is wooden, even the vice handle, and clamps. My entire shop is metal, the benches and tables, vice, all the tools, i guess we surround ourself with what we do and that just really showed through to me watching this
Why is this recommended to me? That’s not a plane is it? A plane can fly right? I’m so dumb 😂
A plane can mean different things
Goodie7415 hit the bullseye. And the last six minutes are why your subscribers are growing at the rate they are. Well done, Rex. Thank your for your wisdom.
first lesson in the vocational school is put the plane on its side so that the chisel does not make contact with your worktop.Nice video further. Cauwenbergh Rudy Belgum Europe
That's what my grandfather taught me when I was little.
ruclips.net/video/GOlLVtz3RCI/видео.html
LOL 7th grade shop teacher, but yeah... 😱
Rex,
The last several minutes of this video should be a requirement for all new and intermediate wood workers to watch. It was that good and honestly the absolute best advice I have ever heard about why one should put in the time to truly learn a craft from the ground up. Any craft. Great video. Great advice and thank you for your honesty and humbleness.
I was taught to set a plane down on its side, not on the blade.
Yes, sir! I'm really disappointed with that in the video.
It drove me nuts , he must have skipped lesson one
A myth. Setting a plane down on its side is something they used to tell school kids to do; otherwise they would trash the cutting edge by setting it sole down and possibly dragging it, dulling the blade. A more knowledgeable woodworker knows to set the plane down gently on its sole. If you lay it on its side, the tiniest bump will readjust your blade out of square.
@SciGuy I was taught that it was ok (not great) to set the jack plane on the face. But do not set the finishing planes down on the face. If I did I spent the rest of the day sharpening every tool the shop.
Rex I,ve been an english chippy for over 50 years and your epelogue just about nailed it. Good stuff
Every time he dumped all of the planes down on the sole without drawing back the blade I shuddered. It is a bad habit even if the blade was pulled. So much for good habits? Also, his technique as he used the plane was really rough ass. I expected more from him, breaking the basic rules?
Excellent final meditation. I've been buying planes off eBay lately (estate sales and consignment stores not giving me what I needed fast enough), but my budget didn't allow me to buy a Stanley Bailey Type 11-15 bench plane unless it had been abused or neglected. But once I've restored them, made sure the sole is flat, sharpened the irons, and set them up (all thanks to Paul Sellers and you), they will be MY tools.
one video, so well done I will subscribe. I get planes from wherever I can. I re-do the lacquering, nickel plating, brass polishing, sharpening. I don't use them much, but I enjoy making a work of art out of a tool I can still use.
I love all our videos... and this one is great too, but the last 2 minutes are the key to LIFE and your message is gold.
Great video. I'm not a woodworker and I'll most likely never own a plane, but I enjoyed watching this video for some reason.
And I agree: Knowing your tools is important. The rest is just practice through repetition.