Reddit reviews Stanley 12-960 Contractor Grade Low Angle Plane

Here are the basics, I will edit if I think of any more essential tools, but you can go an awfully long way with these.

Hand Tools:

• Hand saw- I prefer Japanese style pull saws, meaning they cut on the pull stroke. My go to utility saw is a Vaughn bear saw, which is a robust package, with several types of interchangeable blades. There are countless types of saws, for different uses, but a fine toothed Japanese saw will get you by for most things.
  
  
• Combination square- A sliding ruler square, perfect for marking and layout. you will also want a speed square eventually, so you might as well get one.
  
  
• Tape measure- Start with a basic 25' tape, and get more as needed.
  
  
• Basic chisel set- Most of the entry grade chisels are pretty much the same, this Irwin set is a pretty good buy. to start with a set of 1/4", 1/2", and 1" are all you really need, but you can never have enough chisels.
  
  
• Block plane- A low angle block plane will get you a long ways breaking corners and trimming pieces. Stanley makes a great, affordable, option. As time goes by you will need a jack plane, but a block plane will do for now.
  
  
• Sharpening equipment- A fine diamond stone like this will get you a long way keeping your chisels and plane sharp. You should do research into sharpening methods as you use your tools more, and build a system that fits you.
  
  
• Hammer- A cheap smooth face hammer. Build a wooden mallet as a starter project.
  
  
• Clamps- You always need more clamps. Big clamps. Small clamps. Weird clamps. I like bar clamps. Harbour Freight has good deals on fair clamps, but don't expect too much out of them. To start with get a couple with ~8" throat, and a couple with ~18" throat.
  
  Power Tools:
  
  
• Cordless drill- If you're willing to spend the money for a good, reliable, tool I recommend Makita, but a Ryobi or Rigid will serve you well if you're just working on small projects. Everyone has their favourite cordless tool brand, and, for the most part, it really is just preference. I highly recommend adding an impact driver and circular saw to whichever system you choose.
  
  
• Circular Saw- If you want to work with plywood or larger sticks, you will want a circular saw, which is the most basic power saw. Most of the major tool companies make fine starter saws, Skil is the original, and is quite cheap, but there are plenty of others, browse a store and see what takes your fancy.
  
  
• Jig saw- A jig saw is used for cutting curves, and you will eventually need it if you build enough things. I prefer Bosch but there are cheaper options. See what feels right to you.
  
  
• Miter saw- You don't need this right away, but if you start doing more projects you will want one. I recommend going right to a sliding compound miter saw, like this Dewalt. You will never need more miter saw than that, and if you get a small one you will eventually end up buying a the real deal.
  
  
• Table saw- Again, you don't need this right away, but eventually you will feel you need the precision and ease that a table saw brings. The Rigid portable table saw is a great saw if you're working in tight quarters and need to pack up, but you'll appreciate the appreciate the stability of a cast iron topped cabinet saw if you have the cash and space for it.
  
  Misc:
  
  
• Drill bits- Get a cheap twist drill set that goes from 1/16" to 1/2" and a basic spade bit set. Later you will want a set of forstners and hole saws.
  
  
• Utility knife
  
  
• Driver bits
  

Alright I'll bite. Hand tool shop

Narex Chisels 48.99

stanley Jack plane 59.99

stanley Smoother 45.00

Stanley low angle Block plane 31.25

HF combo square 6.99

HF Mallet 5.99

Stanley jointer 150

Sharpening stone (water) 33

Panel saw 1 (cross) 19.50

Panel saw 2 (rip) 16.99

Marking gage 20

Dovetail saw 26.82

Vise 26.46

marking knife 9
Total cost so far: 500.97
shipping from ebay depends on where you are but shouldn't be more than $60 so we factor that in:
560.97

build your own bench (not going to take the time to go into details but it shouldn't cost more than $500 for materials
so now you have

999.03 left to get whever else you want (more marking gages? switch some of the above for better stuff? spoke shave? cabinet scraper? router plane? brace and bit?)

You could get better prices for the ebay stuff above if you were patient that's just what's out there right now. the above is more than enough to do 90% of handtool projects though. Just watch those compound curves ;)

1. No. In addition to the iron angles varying among planes (13.5 degree block plane, 23 degree scrub plane), the bevels on the irons (the blade parts) can actually be honed at different angles to better fit a particular wood or application. They also differ in width. Of course, specialty planes like rabbeting planes and nose planes have their own peculiarities.
   
2. Depends on the situation. If you're using it to mark out the shoulder cuts for a tenon, for example, you use the gauge to cut the fibers at the very edge of the cut. This means less tearout when you go at it with your saw or plane or chisel or what have you. In the case of marking a dovetail, if you're going all the way across you'd want it to be a pretty shallow mark so you can see it when you start chiseling but can sand it out for the part of the wood you leave behind.
   
3. That's fine for some situations. Note that your cutting edge is going to end up getting dull more quickly and that you lose a lot of accuracy that way. I tend to start with mallet strikes, then strike with my palm, and eventually I pair away the material by just pushing on the handle when I get it close.
   
4. I don't know who you think considers maple inferior. I certainly don't. The grain can run a bit if you're not paying attention to it, so some people might argue that it's a little harder to work with. It's also much harder to stain. Neither of those points make it inferior, just different. Where I live, it tends to be a bit more expensive, but I use it extensively, often paired with walnut for contrast.

Another option is a block plane. You shave away the corner until it looks good.

Ok, $100 isn't going to go very far, especially if you need everything, but here we go.

Whetstone - This is slightly better than the hardware store combination stones, but it's cheap, it's a water stone, and it's got a good grit combo.

Handsaw - Japanese style, cuts on a pull stroke, crosscut and rip teeth. I have this exact saw, still works pretty damn good after a dozen years of occasional use.

Beater chisels - Not the best steel, but a chisel is better than no chisel. You'll want at least 2 sets of chisels anyway - don't beat the hell out of your good set.

Block plane - Don't expect super high quality from Stanley anymore, but we've all got at least one of these little block planes somewhere.

And I'm $6 above the gift card budget. The chisels and plane will need some sharpening before use, but it's enough to get you started. You still need marking/measuring tools, a square, a work surface, clamps, vise, and obviously, some wood to sink your teeth into.