I am an enthusiastic beginner with wood work and tools. The internet is a great resource for information.
I had access to a couple of old hardwood church pews. I decided to recycle them into a dinning table.
Then decided I would go old school and hand plane the table top. I remembered Dad had what I thought was an old Stanley No 4. My brothers and I used to plane; branches, nails, concrete, anything with it when we were kids.
Dad dragged it out for me and it ended up being an old Australian made Carter No 4 1/2.