Thread: Groz planes

Or you could look on it as an inexpensive skew.

Just re-grind your blade to a matching angle and problem solvered......

Cheers,

groz has been around for a pretty long time making low end planes for the export market. they also make some beter quality stuff, but I don't see much of it here in the usa. I will say that I seem to be perceiving a slow improvement in quality from groz- if they keep this up in another couple of decades perhaps we'll be seeing useable planes from them

G'Day!

Groz and new version of Stanley are only one fresh planes in our Ukrainian big tools&materials malls (shops).
These are overpriced when you take it and saw their bad quality. The Groz price id near 80 in US$ but on the local flea market I can buy old USSR's iron made planes near 6-8 US$.

Hi. New guy.

Found this forum when searching for info on these. The narrative has been as I expected. Since they're a low priced tool, they get dogged but I believe some of it is unfair.

I don't think these are suitable beginner planes (since they require knowledge of planes and a good bit of tuning), but they are perfectly serviceable for people looking for a working block plane and willing to invest some time lapping and sharpening. The make shavings that look no different than my other, much pricier planes but it did require a 4 hour investment of work.

To the guy in the Ukraine stuck paying $80 for them, I wouldn't pay that but when they're on sale at Woodcraft for $18 and you know how to lap a sole and sharpen an iron, definitely go for it. They work just dandy. Obviously not for the 'brass and rosewood' crowd, but fine for people who buy tools to use and aren't concerned with the internal ego stuff associated with owning 'premier' brands.

Cripes, people, if you're just getting into planes get yourself a wedged wooden plane (especially in Europe where they cost a couple of euros at the markets). You flatten it with some sandpaper in a minute or two, sharpen the blade, tap in the wedge and get started!

I love, but rarely use, my Stanleys but they aren't the only or ultimate plane and you deffinitely don't need to start with a badly made knock off. (Unless fettling is your hobby

taking a plane like this and fettling into a user can be a good way to learn what makes a plane tick. but where I live, at least I can pick up an old stanley for less money than a new groz.

Originally Posted by MakingChips

Hi. New guy.

Found this forum when searching for info on these. The narrative has been as I expected. Since they're a low priced tool, they get dogged but I believe some of it is unfair.

I don't think these are suitable beginner planes (since they require knowledge of planes and a good bit of tuning), but they are perfectly serviceable for people looking for a working block plane and willing to invest some time lapping and sharpening. The make shavings that look no different than my other, much pricier planes but it did require a 4 hour investment of work.

To the guy in the Ukraine stuck paying $80 for them, I wouldn't pay that but when they're on sale at Woodcraft for $18 and you know how to lap a sole and sharpen an iron, definitely go for it. They work just dandy. Obviously not for the 'brass and rosewood' crowd, but fine for people who buy tools to use and aren't concerned with the internal ego stuff associated with owning 'premier' brands.

Originally Posted by bridger

taking a plane like this and fettling into a user can be a good way to learn what makes a plane tick. but where I live, at least I can pick up an old stanley for less money than a new groz.

Yeah that's understandable. If you live in a place where these are really expensive (like that poor guy stuck paying $80 yowza ) or live in an area rich with high quality classics found cheap at garage sales for dirt cheap, the economics might not break in their favor.

Where I live (and many others), they can be had for like $15 at Woodcraft. With a little elbow grease, they'll cut translucent shavings that may as well have come off a Veritas.

I do my best to avoid the 'forum tool wars' since there is no winning, but I fancy myself a pretty savvy consumer, not very susceptible to marketing ########, don't make purchases based on ego, not a placebo-responder as far as the influence 'brand lore' has over consumer sentiment.

As a working tool, these are a pretty decent option. If my son wanted a block plane, I wouldn't hesitate to tell him to buy one of these and fettle it up. The outcome is better than a lot of other options people suggest.

Originally Posted by Berlin

Cripes, people, if you're just getting into planes get yourself a wedged wooden plane (especially in Europe where they cost a couple of euros at the markets). You flatten it with some sandpaper in a minute or two, sharpen the blade, tap in the wedge and get started!

I love, but rarely use, my Stanleys but they aren't the only or ultimate plane and you deffinitely don't need to start with a badly made knock off. (Unless fettling is your hobby

i take your point and fettling a wooden plane would seem easier, certainly nicer to work on than sanding away at steel!..but ime not quite as easy as just flattening the bottom, quite often its the mouth that has been enlarged or worn/chipped away in some fashion...still fixable though although a little time consuming and maybe a little fiddley for some ppl, i usually chisel and/or router out a section just in front of the mouth where it needs it and replace with a new piece that makes the mouth tight

cheers
chippy

Originally Posted by orraloon

Editor and James,
Good on you for having a go. A good way to get experience and you will have a plane for knock about work. Perhaps even a reasonable worker. I have not tried one myself but suspect that a new stanley out of the box would not be a whole lot better. Has anyone got a new stanley that can comment.
Regards
John

Hi orraloon,

Last year, I bought a Stanley-Bailey jack hand plane No 5 G12-005 from Amazon UK, including delivery for a total of $AUD 109.56.

I have problems understanding it, I did ask for helps here https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/s...please-133469/

On Brent's recommendations, I got all four (4) DVDs by Mr. David Charlesworth; then 800 grit, 1200 grit and 8000 grit Japanese waterstones and Stanley jig also from Amazon. I did follow the plane blade sharpening instructions in the DVD to the letter, I understand that as newbie I certainly cannot achieve the edge that Mr. Charlesworth can. But overall, I can see that the blade was sharper.

But still I cannot take fine shaving with it.

I took everything apart, put them back together again, it just got worse. But I kept adjusting the frog, the blade etc, finally on soft woods, I can take sort of constant savings (in the terms of thickness), but still not fine shavings.

The more I read, and trying this plane, I realise now that the problem is with controlling the blade protrusion, it is extremely hard to get the blade parallel to the mouth, after tighening the lever cap screw the blade sort of shifted it positions.

That is the main problem. But I still use it for rough removal. I have a bit of recycle pines at home.)

( I have recently purchased a Lie-Nielsen number 4 bronze body, A2 blade. The precision and easy of blade control on this plane is truely for beginner. I am thinking of getting the Lie-Nielsen number 5 to replace my Amazon Stanley one. )

While trying out No 5 G12-005 plane, I got three more Stanley planes from Amazon: a block plane, a very small bull-nose and #78.

I am happy with the block plane. The small bull-nose hurts my palm after a while. The #78 (from Amazon) -- please don't ever buy it, it is pathetic. The fence swings like a sea-saw, the blade gets pushed back after awhile, and I have managed to destroy the cap screw already.

The Stanley planes I bought from Amazon do not turn out as I have imagined. But luckily they were not expensive; this is a normal learning curve I guess.

I have some Veritas saws and other stuff. From now on, I will just stick to Lie-Nielsen or Veritas planes. And stay away from Amazon when it comes to planes.

Best regards.

...behai.