Thread: Hand planes

I bought a new #5 a couple of years ago when I first started getting back into this hobby.

I don't think I'd bother buying a new Stanley again.

I got a 1950's English #4 on ebay a couple of months' ago for $60 which still had it's original box, all the Japanning was intact and there was no pitting on the sole at all.

As others have pointed out, the difference in quality between the old and the new planes is chalk and cheese.

My new #5 is a much thinner casting and of course there's the plaso handles.

I finally got around to tuning the #4 this weekend. Took about 4 hours by the tme I'd done the scary sharp thing with the blade and spent a few hours planning a piece of sandpaper, but it was worth it.

It now produces beautifully thin shavings almost effortlessly.

I've put a straight edge on the #5 and I don't think I could stand the amount of time I'd have to spend to get its sole flat.

Keep up the good work with the smokes Col.

I gave up six years ago, best thing I ever did

Cheers
Craig

Block planes. Some of them have an adjustement at the front that lowers the front of the base plate. Is this to help shaping outside curves?

Richard

I spent some time on my #6 yesterday. The sole is very badly worn in an area at the front, along the lefthand side for about an inch and a half. This is interesting because the #4 I have has exactly the same worn area. Both of these planes belonged to my Grandfather so I wonder if there was some peculiarity in the way he used a handplane that caused them to wear like this?

Sherlock Holmes could tell someone's line of business and physical characteristics by looking at the soles of their shoes. Maybe the same logic could be applied to this problem.

Daddles

The reason for the adjustable front on some block planes (such as a Stanley #60 1/2, #65, #18 - but not #110 or #220) is to create an adjustable mouth. Although the screw appears to raise and lower the metal section, it in fact permits it to slide forward and backward.

The idea (which works very well) is that you "open the mouth" to increase the thickness of the shaving (when you want to take a heavier cut), or "close the mouth" (as close as possible) when you want to take the finest smoothing shaving.

Regards from Perth

Derek

SilentC

I wonder if your grandfather was left handed (or used a plane left handed)? I imagine that the extra wear could have come from skewing the plane to cut on boards narrower than the width of the plane.

Regards from Perth

Sherlock

Sherlock,

I'm pretty sure he was right-handed BUT it occurs to me that the wear is actually on the right hand side when the plane is sitting handle side up! When I'm inspecting it after lapping, it's on my left. An ironically Watson-like mistake...

So you may still be on the nail.

Originally posted by derekcohen
Daddles

The idea (which works very well) is that you "open the mouth" to increase the thickness of the shaving (when you want to take a heavier cut), or "close the mouth" (as close as possible) when you want to take the finest smoothing shaving.

Regards from Perth

Derek

So it's worth paying the extra for it then?

Richard

Absolutely!!!

With one exception. This is the Lie Nielson Bronze Low Angle Block Plane (#102). NO adjustable mouth (but it has a very small one). It costs new (in Oz) $200. It is small but very heavy for its size. Bloody fantastic plane.

My other favourite is the Stanley #65 Knuckle Joint (L-o-n-g out of production), from eBay. I use it with a Hock blade. It is a low angle blade with adjustable mouth. I can slice endgrain in jarrah as if it were longgrain. A modern equivalent is the Stanley #60 1/2. If you can afford it, get the LN 60 1/2.

Note that the ideal is to get TWO block planes, one for endgrain (a low angle blade is best here), and one for small work with long grain (a standard angle blade is best here). A standard angle (20 degrees) will not easily cut endgrain, and a low angle (12 degrees) will tear out long grain.

My standard angle is the Stanley #18 Knucklehead Block Plane (also long out of production). There is a modern equivalent available.

Regards from Perth

Derek