Appreciation post: Finally used a hand plane for a tricky door fit

Had a door in a 1920s house that just wouldn't sit right. Could have shaved it with my belt sander, but that's messy. Decided to try my granddad's old Stanley No. 5 instead. Took about 20 minutes of careful passes, but the fit is perfect now. Anyone else reach for the old tools over the power ones for fine work?

3 comments

3 Comments

phoenix_lewis1mo ago

My old kitchen scale gets more use than my digital one now.

phoenix_lewis1mo ago

My grandpa's old block plane is my go-to for window sashes. That quiet scrape and the thin shaving coming off is just so much more satisfying than a screaming power tool. You get a real feel for the wood that a sander just can't match. What other old tools do you keep in regular rotation?

adams.uma1mo ago

You're totally right about getting a real feel for the wood. I used to think my old hand drill was just a backup, but it changed my mind on a tricky job last year. Trying to start a small screw in a tight corner, my power drill just wanted to jump and strip the head. Switched to the hand drill and the control was perfect. Now I reach for it first for any detailed work where I need to go slow.