Hand Tools for $100

Planes
You’ll need a low-angle block plane for lots of stuff. For example, when you’ve glued up two pieces of wood and one edge is slightly proud of the other, a low-angle block plane is great for leveling the joint.

You’ll usually find two kinds of block planes for sale: one is your plain old block plane, the other is a low-angle block plane. Block planes have the blade set at about a 20-degree angle to the sole. The blade in the low-angles is set at 12 degrees. Low-angle planes will cut everything that a block plane will, and they work better on planing end grain and highly figured woods. So try to buy a low-angle version if you can.

You also want this tool to have an adjustable throat. The throat is the opening between the blade and plane body. It’s important that this is adjustable because the thinner the opening you can create, the less tearout you’ll get — especially in figured woods. To see if a block plane has an adjustable throat, unscrew the front knob on the plane and try to wiggle the piece of metal on the sole in front of the blade. If it moves, your throat is adjustable.

Another issue with used block planes is the blade itself. Look for one that’s not too rusty and has some life left in it. New block plane blades are about 4-1/2″ long. If yours is considerably smaller, you might be in for trouble. Replacement blades for some block planes can be tricky to find, especially for oddball brands. It’s safe to pass on block planes with stubby blades.

Now check the plane bottom for flatness. Hold your straightedge — edge on — against the sole of the plane and up to a light. If you can see some significant gaps between the ruler and sole, you could be in for a lot of work. Flatter is better.

Another nice feature in block planes is called “lateral adjustment.” This allows you to pivot the blade slightly to the left or right to get a perfectly square cut. Lateral adjustments aren’t the same on all planes so look for a lever on the back of the plane that moves the blade left or right.

Smoothing planes are useful for heavy-duty planing. If you have a rough-sawn edge on a board, a smoothing plane can dress it. You also can use it for the final smoothing of rough-sawn lumber. Most smoothing planes, especially those made by Stanley, will have a #4 on them. If you can’t find a #4 plane, a #3 or a #5 will also serve you well as a first all-purpose plane.

Many of the same rules for block planes apply to smoothing planes, except smoothing planes do not have adjustable throats. Instead they have adjustable frogs. The frog is the piece of metal that the blade sits on. By moving it forward you can close the throat. Look for a frog screw at the back of the plane. Planes without this screw are still somewhat adjustable, but it’s more of a pain to accomplish.

Scrapers
Scrapers are simply a piece of hardened metal that have a special burr on them. These useful tools work like supercharged sandpaper and can flatten tabletops and remove glue squeeze-out. I have yet to see a used one for sale. Buy a new one. You’ll also need to buy a mill bastard file and burnisher to sharpen your scraper. Mill bastard files will be marked as such. Burnishers look like a metal magic wand with a wooden handle.

Combination Squares
The combination square is a constant companion to the woodworker. It can lay out joints, draw lines parallel to the edge of a board, draw 45-degree miters and set up all your machinery. So be careful when you buy one. I usually look for a Starrett-brand square. They cost more ($25 used; $57 new), but they’re worth every penny. Other squares are serviceable if money is tight. Here’s what to look for.

First make sure your square is still square. Put the square against the edge of a piece of wood and mark a line. Now turn the square over and mark a second line very close to the first. If the lines are parallel, your square is square. Otherwise pass.

Make sure you can lock the blade down tightly. If you find one that passes all these tests, don’t think about it, buy it. Good squares are hard to find.

Marking Gauge
The marking gauge lays out mortises, tenons and dovetails. A pin on one end of the gauge marks the wood while the head determines where that mark is made.

Look for a marking gauge with a pin that hasn’t been ground out of existence. Some gauges have two pins. These are nice for laying out mortises and tenons. If you find one of these, consider it a bonus. Also, make sure you can lock the fence tightly on the beam.

Sliding Bevel Gauge
These handy contraptions are useful for transferring angles from one place to another. Say you need to set your table saw’s blade to a particular angle that matches a piece on your project. Adjust the bevel gauge to the angle on the project and lock the blade down. Now put the gauge against your table saw’s blade and tilt it until it fits perfectly against the bevel gauge.

There are two things to look for. First make sure the blade isn’t too rusted or warped. You want it to be as straight as possible. Second, make sure you can lock the blade down tightly so it won’t move if you bump it slightly.

Bargaining
Some people love to haggle; others won’t do it except when buying cars. I’m indifferent, but I can almost always get a better price one of two ways — without being rude. First, assume they’ll come down about 15 to 20 percent on most items, then offer that much. If a plane is $25, offer $20. They’ll almost always take it. Second, buy two or more items from the same dealer. Usually the price becomes more flexible. I once bought a $25 plane, a $25 combination square and an $8 bevel gauge for $40 — 31 percent off.

One more thing: prices at flea markets usually go down as it gets closer to quitting time. Sure the selection ain’t as good, but if you’re ready with cash, the dealer won’t have to pack up the item for his next show. You just might get lucky. PW

Chris Schwarz is a senior editor at Popular Woodworking.