#5 1/2 plane

[Peter Tremblay]

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?

[Alan S]

It is hard sometimes to tell what is the important feature, even as you use something a lot. I found myself using my Union 5 1/2 more than other jack planes for rough flattening jobs. I got a 605 1/2 and did not find myself using it at all. Ultimately I figured out that it was not the size of the plane itself, but that the Union knob and tote fit my hands better than any of my other planes. That was useful for me to know, but perhaps not what you need now.

If your goal is a workout, get the wider 5 1/2 size roughing plane. If you want to take off stock more efficiently, the #5 width is a lot more common for a reason.

[Bill_Houghton]

I owned a No. 6 before I owned a No.5-1/2; and the smaller size seemed redundant.  No. 5 when it works; No. 6 when I need more length or width.  The in-between just didn't serve a useful purpose.

Of course, if I happened to own a pristine No. 5-1/2, I'd tell you it was the most valuable plane you can own, right before I offered to sell mine to you...

[Derek Cohen]

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?

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

[Admiral]

Hello all,

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

Stanley came out with the 5 1/2 as a competitor to the infill panel plane; wider, heavier.  It is really a shorter #6 fore plane.  It's good for a lot of tasks, a bit harder to push around than a #5 due to its width, but that's not a real isssue, but you can flatten with it, smooth with it, shoot with it.  I sometimes use it when I would use a #6.  Frankly, a #6 is just as good, but it is a maligned plane principally due to Patrick's trashing of it in B&G, which I heartily disagree with.  All of this is relative.  If you have a #6, you don't need a #5 1/2 IMHO.  But I have both, and use both.

[wood-chips]

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.

[bandit571]

Let's see...I have a Millers Falls #11 ( same size as the Stanley #5-1/4), three #5 sized planes ( each set up a bit different, camber-wise) one Stanley #5-1/2, Type 17....A Stanley #6c, type 10, and a pair of #7s.....all get used according to what size job I am doing.  Sometimes, a #8, type 7 gets used...sometimes a Millers Falls No.8 ( Stanley #3 size) gets the call....have a few #4s set up a little different from each other. 

Just depends on the size of the job.  Right now, the #5-1/2 is down for a sharpening.    The #6c will take over, until the #5-1/2 is ready to go...

[jppierson]

Seems to me it would be darned convenient to have the 4-1/2, 5-1/2, and 6 due to the blades being the same. You could swap blades around of different cambers to meet the immediate need.

[Mike Brady]

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.

I use mine primarily with a toothed blade for flattening jobs such as my bench top, for example.

[Admiral]

Seems to me it would be darned convenient to have the 4-1/2, 5-1/2, and 6 due to the blades being the same.  You could swap blades around of different cambers to meet the immediate need.

You got to watch out which type of 5 1/2 you get, early versions for the first 40 years have slightly smaller irons at 2 1/4" versus 2 3/8" in the later versions which match up with the #6.  These smaller irons can be hard to find, at least last time I looked.