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Had to pick between a manual plane or a power planer for my first real job
Back in 2004 I was building a set of library shelves for a school in Portland (about 40 linear feet of oak). I had this old Stanley #5 my dad gave me and a cheap Ryobi power planer. I went with the manual plane because I was scared of taking off too much with the power one. Took me 3 extra days but the joints came out dead flat. Still have that Stanley actually (though I replaced the blade twice). Has anyone else had a project where going old school was the better call even if it took way longer?
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murray.robert3mo ago
Wait, you replaced the blade on a Stanley #5 twice? Those old Stanley irons were made from decent steel, they usually last forever if you sharpen them right instead of grinding them down. I guess if you're using it every day for years it makes sense, but I've had my grandpa's #4 for 15 years and I've only sharpened it maybe three times total.
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emmaking3mo ago
Bet the real difference is how much pitch was in the wood you were planing.
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theajohnson3mo ago
The Stanley #5 is a beast for edge jointing on long boards like that. I used one on a maple countertop last year and it took forever but zero tearout. Power planers are great for rough stock removal but they can chatter on figured grain real bad.
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