Thread: Stanley planes for beginner? (type 19? bedrock?) + an introduction

Hi Rich

Welcome aboard.

I'm assuming that post 1907 is also better because the frog adjustment screw appeared?

One of the most important adjustments to be made in a plane is the size of the mouth. This control the thickness of the shaving, and hence the amount of potential tearout. The ideal smoother has a very small mouth (by contrast, a scrub plane, which is designed to remove vaste qualtities of timber as quickly as possible, has a very wide mouth). Bottom line: get a plane with frog adjustment screws. All those earlier models are really just collector planes.

have been watching some type 19 Stanleys for auction. They look in really good condition. 1948 - 1961 - is this era considered good quality?

The Type 19 planes are good planes, basically coming to the end of the era of well-finished iron production. Standards are beginning to slip but the finish is still OK. The handles are no longer Rosewood. They are "hardwood", whatever that means. Nothing wrong with these - they are very presentable if sanded and stained - but just not as nice as the "real thing". The other issue is the quality of the blade. Most are not as good as the earlier generation (this has been demonstrated in tests, not just my opinion).

also like the look of the bedrocks with the flat topped sides. Must be something good about that design if LN have adopted it - yes or no?

The Bedrocks advanced plane design, not simply because they made it possible to adjust the frog without first unscrewing it, but because the frog was redesigned to mate with the plane body in a way that provides the blade with better support over its length. This reduces the potential for chatter. Bedrocks are indeed first class planes and are the basis for not only the LN range but also Clifton and Veritas (although they introduce a few novelties of their own - very inspiring!). I had a pic of a smoother peeling off gossamer shavings somewhere here (I am not going to show it off again). This is a Bedrock #604 with a LN blade and chipbreaker. Every bit as good as a new LN. I don't think that they are over-hyped (as suggested by Patrick Leach) but they are costly. A well-tuned standard Stanley can do nearly as well for much less $$$.

Hope this helps.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thanks Derek (another night owl, I see ), much appreciated.

Yes, I saw that pic that you refer to!

Any thoughts my questions re resoration of planes?

- Rich

Richie:

The early 1948-50 Type 19s are still very good planes, and are almost equivalent to the late type 16s. In my opinion, the type 15s are both the best looking and well made bailey type planes Stanley ever made. Types 16 and after have belt sanded frogs and a few other poorer standards of finish (non-blued parts, shange in sole lengths (#2-4) etc). The early type 19s also still have rosewood handles, just with a heavier shellac finish. Post 1950 they get a rounded top to them, then are dropped in favour of black painted maple/hardwood, then even later, lightly stained. MIB Type 19s are also amazingly inexpensive.