Hey everyone! I just got my hands on a Stanley 2-8 and I'm curious about how to set up each type of hand plane (Smoothing, Jack, Fore, and Jointer) to ensure they perform their best. I've managed to get them to take a cut, but I'm looking for specific guidelines or tips to optimize them for their intended uses. Any advice would be appreciated!
1 Answer
Check out Peter Nicholson's book "Mechanical Exercises". It's a great resource since he really knew how to use planes back in the day. It’s available on Archive.org! Just a heads-up, while it offers a solid historical perspective, it may not be super practical for modern hobbyists unless you're going all-in on hand tools.
Absolutely! Nicholson's insights are invaluable. But keep in mind, some methods are best suited for industrial contexts, so adjust based on your own projects.