Thread: Compass planes - are they still a thing?

I have a Stanley 113 that I bought years ago on a whim; it’s only been used in anger once. When I built my QLD Redgum benchtops I put a curved end on one; the initial shaping was done with a jigsaw then a block plane knocked off most of the saw marks. The final smoothing was done using the 113 but I found it a finicky beast; it tended to chatter on anything but the finest of settings. It wasn’t a fan of end grain at all.

I’ve yet to find a real use; it probably would work better on less demanding applications like gracefully curved table or chair legs.

edit! I should mention I have a good armament of spokeshaves!

The advantage of the compass plane over a spoke shave is the double iron. This came in handy when I made a curvy bathroom stool from Marri. That said, I sold mine to free up some cash for ceramic waterstones. Cheers, Zac

Sent from my SM-A115F using Tapatalk

I have two, or maybe three, they get used every time I do curved work, handy as.

If you do curved things then there is not a better hand tool to have .
Ive got a couple of Stanley 113 planes. One was a gift when I was 16 following Dad around UK buying furniture. I showed interest in a 113 laying in a pile covered in dust in a warehouse and the furniture seller picked it up and said "Here take it " He knew what he was doing I think . Dad took a few pieces of his furniture.
They don't just plane a curve like a spokeshave can. They true it to perfection . Ive used one on round tops for tables . Curved sections of stools . Making hollow radius dishes for guitar making. Real time savers . I make furniture every day all day and I only pull a 113 out once a year or two . But when I need it its makes money.
I don't use it with a straight ground blade . Its much better with a radius to the blade and a rub of wax or paraffin oil on the sole .

As has already been said, compass planes are the bees' knees when it comes to trueing a circle, inside or outside. They are a bit tricky to get the hang of, mine is a #20, which some say is a bit more robust & easier to get on with than the 113, but we still had a few difficult moments early in our relationship! I find setting the sole to a slightly tighter radius than the nominal radius of your workpiece (concave curves) or a little loose for convex curves & controlling the cut by the amount of pressure on the back of the plane works best for me. They are certainly prone to chatter with heavy cuts & especially with a not-too-sharp blade! Light finishing cuts & a very sharp blade are the order of the day.

Chief, you were stretching the friendship using it on blue-gum, that stuff gives the best of planes a hard time!

Unless you do a lot of circular work, I don't think it's a plane you should lust after. If a pro like Rob says he pulls his out a couple of times a year, it's a good indication of its necessity, a typical amateur would use one rarely unless they were heavily into round tables or making cart wheels. I've probably used mine in anger a couple of dozen times in the 30 plus years I've had it. I picked it up very cheaply, partly because the frog has been repaired. Many oldies have had broken frogs & many repairs are poorly-done - such planes will never work well, so be aware if buying an older plane. Fortunately mine was repaired by someone who knew what they were doing & everything is straight & true where it needs to be. By all means grab it if you come across a goodie at an irresistible price, but you can live very happily without a compass plane - spokeshaves can do nearly as good a job in many instances...

Cheers,

I have a #20 which works like a treat on curved pieces. I have also used #113 which is a pleasure to use. It is little lighter and smaller comparatively. These are much nicer to use then using a router with a flush trim bit. In comparison to the Spokeshave, you need bit of length to the work piece to use these but they do work much faster.

Legs of this table were rough cut on a bandsaw and then trued with a compass plane. You can just see it on the top left hand side on the bench in one of the photos.

Its rather interesting that they aren't made any more.

I suppose the whole hand tool movement still isn't big enough as a percentage of woodworkers to produce the esoteric objects.


I dont mind the spokeshaves, but you know me.....

Their still being made .

Hows the Price


Kunz #113 Circular Plane: Amazon.com.au: Home Improvement



Here is the completed listing US ebay prices for the 113

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fro...&LH_Complete=1

Originally Posted by auscab

Their still being made .

Hows the Price

OUCH!
I think I paid the staggering sum of $15 for my #20, so even taking inflation into account, it was a very good bargain!

The reviews/reports one reads of Kunz planes don't fill me with confidence, and the plastic sole-adjusting knob & thumbscrewed lever-cap drain it even further. If you must have a compass plane, the oldies are not only more likely to work for you, they cost far less....

Using thumbscrews on a Bailey type mechanism isn't a good idea imo, it reduces the effectiveness of the depth adjuster because you tend to over-tighten thumbscrews & apply more pressure than necessary. They also have a tendency to slew the blade assembly a little as it's tightened, which can be rather frustrating when you are trying to get a fine & even setting!

Cheers,