Do I have to spend $300 to own a good wood plane? I'm trying my hand at making cbgs; I have 15 boxes, and I have 4 necks that are ready for some shaping. My goal is to make really nice looking necks (radiused, shaped, fretted, fret markers, etc). I'm prepared to spend a little money, but I don't want to be ridiculous about it. I'd like to make an informed decision if possible.
I don't know the difference between a $20 Stanley and $300 Lie-Nielson....
Any suggestions for someone that wants reasonably priced tools that will allow him to do good work?

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These are what I use. The neck shaping is done with the rasps and files.

RTL Guitar tools

Suggestion: Read the hand tool discussion blogs for buying hints but think about buying a "decent" plane at the local flea-market. It will be in, kinda, rough shape but the hand tool discussions online will guide your through cleaning, flattening the surfaces and sharpening the blade. You'll end up with a better tool than you expected for the money and, after you restore it, you'll understand it better than any "NEW" tool you could buy. After you've used it for a while, you can make decisions about trading up or not.

Also - rummage around the discussions here at CBGNation - you'll find links to a builder who has used a vegetable peeler to shape necks rather than a plane. All kinds of ways to approach this question...

Thanks Glenn, I'm on the move! Will read up on how to restore one of these hand planes. I'm looking at old stanley block planes now (9-1/4 and 9-1/2)...

Nothing wrong with a Stanley plane, just keep the blade sharp, it will work just fine.

Like the bench shot Rich

BUY A VINTAGE AMERICAN MADE STANLEY!!!!

what you need to do is search ebay for a "vintage Stanley 9 1/2" block plane...find one that someone has restored in the 50 dollar range...they are about 40 to 60 years old and cut better than anything you will buy in a store! ....there is a whole group of old men who restore them and sell them cheap...take advantage of this!..way better than the new ones made in China

if you buy the Stanley 9 1/4 it is just as good  as the 1/2 but does not have an adjustable mouth...they can be had for about 20 to 30 bucks!  the LieNielson are great...but yes they are 300 bucks,...get a vintage American one on ebay...look for a Vintage Crarfstman too!...they can be had for less than 40 bucks...they key is you want a "9 1/2" block plane...its not 9 inches, thats just the No,  it is all you will ever need!

to me it is the only shaping tool you really need besides a rasp, get a vintage one, spend time on ebay looking thru the restored vintage ones, they can be had cheap because most people do not want them....But you will cherish it if you take the time to find a good USA made one...plus it can be had really cheap!....50 to 60 bucks at most!..it will last several lifetimes...trust me on this. Watch this video and get right with Stanley!

Thanks for the tip! I'm looking at a 1950s no.4 Bailey smoothing plane for $59 right now. Are you familiar with this plane? Will look for the 9-1/2 too...

I went and looked, No thats a jack or 2 handed plane..It could be a great tool, but will mostly like be a large paper weight, unless you plan on making doors!

these below are just suggestions...you need to stay up one night and look through the gazzilion planes they have on ebay..

you need a "small Block plane"

Not a low profile ( unless you want to shave the box lid) or very thin shavings... 

also you don't want a 2 handed plane...thats for large areas of work

before you buy it now or bid....reference it on google and make sure it is not LOW ANGLE...otherwise you will not do much with it.....you need a small block plane, or hand plane!

check thru some of the 2nd name brands from the 50's ...like Sears, or others, you can get a plane for under 40 bucks like new....sharp and still in the box!

you need a one hand block plane...I will look and add a few ideas here

<p>http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-STANLEY-9-1-4-BLOCK-PLANE-...

here is an off brand,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-6-1-2-Stanley-Defiance-Block-Plane-...

with just one plane an old school 9 1/2 with the adjustable moth, you can build a guitar...or a house!....no other plane will you need to buy unless you want another plane.... a 9  1/4 is good if you are a new woodworker and don't want to figure out how to set it up...i like 9 and 1/4 cuz they are dime a dozen and work like a million bucks!...but if you have the time and money, get a real  9 1/2  it is all you ever need to build guitars. 

Hmmm...I'm looking at this one... it says it doesn't have "an adjustment lever" and that they're not sure if it needs one.... Does this look like a complete tool to you?

Stanley 9 1/2 on ebay

NO, don't buy that!...it looks like its been through hell and back...look for a great one....what you want is when the seller shows the bottom sole of the plane, one to be like new....Or at least well cared for

these look like a gems at a fair price,

I bet you could clean either one of these up and sharpen the blade and it would be a winner!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/STANLEY-NO-9-1-2-ADJUSTABLE-THROAT-BLOCK-PL...

or this I bet could be cleaned and work like a Stud Race horse, those marks on the bootm of the sole are just surface scuffs,

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Stanley-No-9-1-2-Block-Plane-Little...

Beetlejuice- So i bought the 9-1/2 you described as the "stud race horse" and I got the 9 1/4 also (the first one you suggested with a link). So, I'll have two nice little block planes to try out. Thanks for the guidance. 

Have you been to the site that Lane Martin mentioned? Pretty informative site! www.supertool.com ? I learned quite a bit just skimming the section on #9s .... 

Oh, and I just received your CD on cbg building the other day ... love the CD case!

I'm going to pick a nit here for a moment. The #4 is a smoothing plane. It's for putting the final finished surface on a piece of work. I use mine (a type 9, built around 1902-07) on all kinds of projects. The #5 is the jack plane (usually the first plane that touches the surface.)  Read every gory detail on this site: http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

Now, I totally agree with Beetlejuice that a vintage plane is the way to go. Sure, the Lie-Neilsen tools are great, but they come with that hefty price tag (way out of my range.) Use the above link to read about the years you want to look for. Bench planes (which could easily radius a fretboard) were best before WWII. Block planes (which will also be fine at that job as well as many smaller tasks) were good for a little longer. Usually, you can tell by the paint job (again, reference the site above.) I'd get the adjustable mouth on the block plane (either 9 1/2 or 16) as that lets you take a really fine shaving.

Patrick (yet again, the link above) sells vintage tools. If you drop him a line and tell him your budget and needs, he'll probably have one on hand.

Wow, thanks for the info on planes! I learn quite a bit every time I ask a question here at CBNation.

www.supertool.com is a treasure trove of hand plane info.... 

Thanks Lane!

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