Thread: So what are people's thoughts on buying a damaged plane?

This is the only fixer-upper worth bothering with on E-bay that I would consider:

type 12 no. 5

I have a generic search query that gives me around 600 hits; normally I just look at the recent listings but in this case I went through the lot. There are quite a few good pre-war Stanleys out there but they are all either restored and priced accordingly; or not restored and overpriced. Similar story with Records; the one you are looking at I personally would ignore because it's too new; I only look at pre '56 Records (these are the ones that have the rounded top frog; not the ogee shouldered one).

You really have to research the plane type studies to work out what's what and take all descriptions with a pinch of salt; such as this almost blatant misrepresentation here .

There is also the ultimate frankenplane No.7 for sale; Stanley pre-1902 base casting, Record frog, Carter blade, Turner front knob and a post WW2 Stanley lever cap...

If you can afford them there are quite a few GOOD planes for sale which can be used straight away; but they are priced accordingly. Look for sellers such as the Tool Exchange, Possumchair and Evan West.

Looking further afield, this no 6 ends tonight on eBay. Including £30 postage from the UK it comes in at just under $90. It looks new and I've been trying to date it from the pics. It says the handles are Rosewood but I don't know if they are original for the plane or if in fact they are stained beech which would mean a date after 1956. At least they are not plastic which would be after 1998. (Edit: I have just read that no centre rib line means pre 1963).

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Someone's done a nice job on this plane. The bed has been repainted and you can see the marks on the sides and sole left from previous rust and stains, which indicates a restoration job. Obviously a plane that's been kept in good condition it's whole life is preferable, but that said if $90 is not a big deal and you want a full set of Records, you could do worse than this one.

I don't buy planes on eBay personally, too many problems that can be hidden in photos and it's very rare to get a good price when you factor in shipping. If you live in a decent sized city I wouldn't anticipate having too much trouble finding stuff locally. Just need patience.

So stoked. I bought the no. 6 plane. Can't wait to get it.

Very happy with my 6, 51/2, 5, 41/2, 4 & 3 Record planes. Now to get that elusive no 7. Also means I now have a Stanley 41/2 to sell.

A 6 is a bit of an orphan size to many of us, but there are & have been others who think it's the bees' Knees. My take is that it suffers from an identity crisis - it's a bit hefty for a jack plane, and a bit short for a jointer. I had one for a while, but when I got my hands on a good #7 (which happens to be pre-WW2 Record) the #6 languished, and I eventually swapped it for something much more useful (a lovely Disston D-8 in near-mint condition).

I reckon you've got a pretty good 'starter' set there, perhaps you could do with a scrub plane of some sort (easy to convert an old #4 to make a very servicible scrub), if you intend cleaning up a fair amount of rough stock by hand, and a good jointer would also earn its keep if that were your plan. My advice would be to get stuck in and give what you've got a good workout for a year or three. After a bit, you'll most likely find you favour a couple and others get little or no use, and you'll have a far better idea of what other planes might suit your work style. The possibilities are practically endless, the trick is to be self-critical & keep asking yourself "do I really need that?" .....

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

I reckon you've got a pretty good 'starter' set there, perhaps you could do with a scrub plane of some sort (easy to convert an old #4 to make a very servicible scrub),

Hi Ian
I hope that comment was tongue in cheek.

and this is not the place to argue the merits of the #6. -- which by the bye is close to my preferred plane.

Not for the OP or IanW, but as a "starter set" I suggest
#4-1/2 or #4 set up as a smoother
#5 with two blades -- one highly cambered for use as a scrub, the other set-up for jointing when the #6 is too big a plane
#6

Is a #6 twice as good at a #3?

Regards from Perth

Derek

if being used as a blunt object no, as you need two hands to wield it


if being used as a shooter, I'd rate it as 3x as good


and if we're talking binary, it's 10x as good

Originally Posted by ian

Hi Ian
I hope that comment was tongue in cheek.

Ian, I wasn't suggesting he vandalise his current #4, if that's what you mean! A scrub plane is a very simple instrument, & a job just about any old clunker can do surprisingly well if you open its mouth & put a goodly curve on the blade.

Originally Posted by ian

.....and this is not the place to argue the merits of the #6. -- which by the bye is close to my preferred plane.....

To quote myself: "A 6 is a bit of an orphan size to many of us, but there are & have been others who think it's the bees' Knees." You have just illustrated my point nicely. It seems to be a plane you either love or leave.

I think it also emphasises the difficulty of making recommendations for someone else. Until you have used a few different examples/sizes, you simply can't know what suits your hands/arm strength/type of work. A person who ends up making mostly boxes or similar small pieces would have little or no use for a #7, but as someone who often makes furniture, starting with rough stock, it's one of the most-used planes in my arsenal. Once you have got a reasonable amount of experience under your belt, you have a pretty good idea what works for you & what doesn't. I reckon it's a rite of passage that anyone who gets serious about hand work is bound to go through. It doesn't preclude you from changing your mind down the track - you might become a devotee of bevel-up planes or decide high-angle bevel-downs suit you best. There are just so many different combinations & permutations it's bewildering to an old hand, let alone the newbie!

I reckon anything more than one plane is a 'starter set'. Mine was a block plane (a 110, which doesn't get much more basic!) and a #5. The #5 came out of the Tasmanian factory, shortly after Stanley took it over, but by good fortune it was a decent user and served me very well. I sure got to know the strengths & weaknesses of a #5 during the 10 years or so before I got a few others to keep it company, and was also in a much better position to appreciate what advantages they offered. It was still quite a few more years before I shed the misapprehension that I 'needed' every numbered bench plane (plus quite a few others!), so as my fiscal situation improved, I started hitting the used-plane market hard (Lie-Nielsen & Veritas planes were still a ways off at this stage, and anyway, my finances hadn't improved that much! ) I'm a slow learner so it took me a few more years to realise that most of the 'new' planes I was acquiring sat unused in the cupboard, while 3 or 4 workhorses were out getting blunted every day. So I made a ruthless cull, and got myself back to a much smaller number, I can even fit them all in my tool cupboard, now! .

My current 'set' of planes suits me admirably, but I doubt many others would keep the same stable - it really is a personal thing. I could live happily with what I have for the rest of my days, but that doesn't stop me from exchanging some for a better example, or making a new specialty plane for the fun of it (got two in the works as we speak). This is a hobby, after all, which to me means having fun and keeping a spirit of enquiry, so while it's prudent to solicit advice from those who've gone before us, I think the best way to learn is to get stuck in & make things. You'll soon find out which tools work for you & which don't.....

Cheers,

Ian, I should have been a little more careful with my comment.

What I meant to imply was that a run of planes from #3 to #6, including the half sizes #4-1/2 and #5-1/2, is a very very impressive "starter" set.
and hence the hope that you were speaking tongue-in-cheek.



and more for newbies, that you can get by with far fewer planes

Originally Posted by ian

..... but as a "starter set" I suggest
#4-1/2 or #4 set up as a smoother
#5 with two blades -- one highly cambered for use as a scrub, the other set-up for jointing when the #6 is too big a plane
#6

Isn't that a little extravagant, Ian?

Why not replace the #4/#4½ smoother with a third #5 iron sharpened virtually straight?

My "go-too" smoother is actually a #5; I find that the extra sole length helps compensate for my lack of technique.


Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by derekcohen

Is a #6 twice as good at a #3?
.....

Definitely, Derek, especially if you do not have #3 sized fingers.


Cheers

Graeme