#5 1/2 plane

[Blacky's Boy]

Hello all,

I'm curious about the #5 1/2.

Anyone have one?  

What are your thoughts about the blade width?

If I were to make my own bevel down jack plane (14"-15" sole) what would you recommend in the width of the iron, 1 7/8" or 2 3/8"?

If those were the options what would you recommend?

Oh wow, this is bad. I'm almost POSITIVE I had a 5 1/2 or maybe even a 605 1/2. But for the life of me I can't remember if I sold it or not. I'm almost positive I did sell it some time on the past. It's one of those planes I never really used. But I do know that I have (2) 606s and a KK 606
  Those, I use! (well, not all of them...)

[Peter Tremblay]

I have a LN 5 1/2.  I like it for the wider blade width for smoothing long grain cutting board pieces.  The wider blade makes it easy to stay on the full width of the part.  I've tried it for smoothing as well.  It does a good job but with the wide blade and hefty weight you need to have a Paul Bunyan physique.

Well I think you guys have talked me into making the Jack plane with a 1 7/8" iron.

But the jointer (22") I think I'll make with a 2 3/8" iron because I like jointing two boards together at a time and that extra width is nice when working with two 5/4 boards for a table top.

[Peter Tremblay]

Hi Peter

I believe that the only woodworkers who find a #5 1/2 useful are those that predominantly use machines for any surfacing tasks. It is too wide and too heavy to use as a jack plane. It makes a better panel plane for wide and already-flat surfaces. If you plan to build a jack plane, a woodie with a 2" (max) wide blade will be more useful. 

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thanks,

I'm building a jack and jointer.  Both will be steel and brass.
But I think I'll take your advice and make the Jack with a 1 7/8" blade.

[David Charlesworth]

I have always had small machinery and did almost all my work over 40 years with a 5 1/2.
When I started My teacher bought me a 7, 5 1/2 and 4 1/2.
The 7 and 4 1/2, 1970's UK Stanley, were so badly made that they would not work at all.
I tuned up the 5 1/2 after a couple of years and it has performed magnificently.  Hock blade of course!
5 1/2 & 7 are probably the most useful planes in my opinion.
Best wishes'
David Charlesworth

[bandit571]

Have always sized the planes I use to the task I am doing....

   
From a #3 size up to a #8 size.
  Have never had a #4-1/2....never found a use for one. 
 
All of these still use their OEM irons...and quite well, thank you very much.  
That Stanley #5-1/2 in the picture, is a type 17....works just fine..
 

   
Since the black paint on the handles was 1/2 gone (don't like painted ones, anyway)  I stripped the rest of the paint off the handles

   
Use it mainly as either a small jounter ( where a #6 or larger is too long)  or to flatten panel glue-ups...

[Peter Tremblay]

I have always had small machinery and did almost all my work over 40 years with a 5 1/2.
When I started My teacher bought me a 7, 5 1/2 and 4 1/2.
The 7 and 4 1/2, 1970's UK Stanley, were so badly made that they would not work at all.
I tuned up the 5 1/2 after a couple of years and it has performed magnificently.  Hock blade of course!
5 1/2 & 7 are probably the most useful planes in my opinion.
Best wishes'
David Charlesworth

Thank you very much, David!

I very much respect your opinion and input.

Unfortunately you have made the decision more difficult for me.

I thought my mind was made up.

If I hadn't said this early I'm building some infills.

A smoother with a 1 7/8" blade (50* pitch)
A jack: 1/78" or 2 3/8" blade (50* pitch)
A jointer with 2 3/8" blade (50* pitch)

[jppierson]

If you make your infill jack with the 1-7/8 its basically a 5-1/4 equivalent (1-3/4). The 2-3/8 would be the 5-1/2. I really like my 5-1/4 and given the steeper bed angle the plane will be harder to push so a narrower blade sort of makes up the difference in effort. Just saying, wouldn't want you to injure your beer drinking arm! Anyway, if two of the planes share the same size blade you still have the option of having different cambers and swaping blades when different lengths come into play. My take would be to have the smoother and jack share blade sizes. The two shorter planes get used much more often than the jointer.

[Derek Cohen]

.....  My take would be to have the smoother and jack share blade sizes.  The two shorter planes get used much more often than the jointer.

You are describing a Stanley #5


Regards from Perth

Derek

[bandit571]

You are describing a Stanley #5


Regards from Perth

Derek

 Stanley  #3 and the Stanley #5-1/4 shared the same width irons.   1-3/4" wide.    By the time one "dubs" the corners on a 2" wide iron, it would be down to 1-7/8" of USABLE width.    A Stanley #4 and a Stanley #5 shared the 2" wide irons.   Stanley 5-1/2 planes started out using 2-1/4" wide irons ( as did Union 5-A planes) before they were made using the 2-3/8" wide irons.    Stanley only had to make a few sizes, so doing away with the 2-1/4" wide made sense to them.  

Have had a #3 smooth plane, with a 50 degree frog...even sharp, it was a bear to push along...finally sold the thing.

For my  shop...switching irons is way over-rated...I switch planes, instead..  Less hassle, less time resetting a plane....just grab another out of the til.

[Jim Waldron]

I used a #5 1/2 with a straight edge (no camber) as a shooting board plane for a long while. It has the mass one wants without excessive length that becomes awkward to handle. I still use it as a foreplane to flatten the furrows plowed by the scrub plane on rough stock. (I'm currently using a Record T-5 on my shooting board. It has more mass than a Stanley #5, but less than a #6. The side handle more than makes up for the loss of mass, as it permits me to control the plane more precisely and is far more comfortable to use.)