Reply To: Sharpening plane iron: several newbie questions

I’m glad you got some nice shavings now. That moment when you realize you finally learned how to plane is fantastic. I guess that’s why we are all so eager to help people that are struggling. We want to share that joy.

As for making a new bench, just go out there and buy some wood. Once started, your confidence will grow. And it doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s a workbench, not a piece of furniture. For wood species, I can recommend Douglas fir (also called Oregon). It is only slightly more expensive than spruce (Picea abies) but better quality. Don’t buy it in a hardware store (“tool shop”), but go to a lumberyard instead for a good price.

cheers,
Stijn