Thread: Advice please:- Apron / Block Plane

Have a look at McJing - Search results for: 'block plane'

Forum member Jim Carrol also sells Luban block planes.
cwsonline.com.au

Timber Bits: Timberbits - Pen Turning & Woodworking

Timbecon: https://www.timbecon.com.au/planing/...s/block-planes

BTW - you generally get what you pay for.

I have two from McJings and they have given me no problems, work very well and I think they are good value for the money.

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

I have two from McJings and they have given me no problems, work very well and I think they are good value for the money.

Awesome Chris thank you.
Do you remember which ones you bought?


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I've got a low angle block plane and my son and a neighbors father a standard angle block plane, all from McJings. All very happy. The Luban planes are the one's to go for. If you want an apron plane perhaps you should look at the bronze planes, they're considerably lighter than the block planes. Max and his wife are great people to deal with.

I've got a Luban V2 low angle block plane - no problems with it. The sole was flat against a granite surface plate and the blade didn't take long to ready. It can take very fine shavings from pine end grain, so no complaints.

Originally Posted by Alkahestic

I've got a Luban V2 low angle block plane - no problems with it. The sole was flat against a granite surface plate and the blade didn't take long to ready. It can take very fine shavings from pine end grain, so no complaints.

Replicates my experience.

I have an adjustable mouth block plane, a rebate block plane and a bronze #1 bench plane. All have been and are excellent - minimal fettling needed - really just reassuring me that soles and beds were flat. Blades are particularly good - made from a Chinese copy of O1 steel, I think. My blades required less work than far more expensive blades from North America.

My view is that Luban gives you 90% of the quality of Lie Nielsen and Veritas at half the price. Blades are at least as good, PMV11 excepted.

I have never used an apron plane so cant comment on those but if you want a block plane then a low angle with adjustable mouth is the best all rounder. I got mine from McJings a few years back and its pretty good. I have a couple of old stanley blocks that work ok but the low angle really is better for fine work.
Regards
John

I bought the Veritas apron plane. From memory about 180 bucks (which is a bit).

It is disarmingly small at first sight, almost seems like a toy. I actually regretted it at first as I bought without handling.

But having plucked it out of a drawer, I now use all the time. The combination of a low-angle bed, and a blade ground to a low angle means it really is an end-grain and chamfer slicer. It also skews very easily.

Another advantage if it's diminutive size is that it is dead easy to flatten and sharpen both the sole and the blade. The blade is, though, wide enough to not difficult to sharpen particularly at a low angle (with a relatively large bevel).

I've found it also retains its edge for a long time precisely because of the way you tend to use it (a quick few swipes to perfect something or break a sharp edge).

The advantage of it is that although the sole is too small to register off, well, anything, the control you get from such a small plane is amazing.

You could have a lot of fun & make your own....

PP a.jpg Palm.jpg

Since I made the first one of these my Veritas apron plane has been languishing in the cupboard. Probably not the best introduction to making infills, though, the small size makes it more fiddly than working on a larger model. However, material cost aren't huge, so you can afford to make a few mistakes...

Cheers,

Originally Posted by MattB2085

Awesome Chris thank you.
Do you remember which ones you bought?


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My error, they are the small block planes.