And what defects can you cure on your own?
Thanks,
Rob
Hand planes are not my thing, but there are certainly differences.
One difference is “trueness” of the plane’s sole. A cheap plane’s sole can be flattened to make it better. There are many webpages and videos on this subject.
Another difference is in the quality of the plane iron (blade). You can replace your iron with a quality aftermarket one.
But there are also functional features which may be missing on cheap planes. I own a Harbor Freight plane which works sort of OK. It has no chip breaker (cap iron), and no adjustment for the mouth opening. It might be possible to add a chip breaker but I’m not sure if it would fit.
The trueness of the sole is indeed the most important consideration, although technically it’s the co-planarity of the toe, the heel and the area in front of the mouth which matter most.
Another important attribute of a quality plane is that all contiguous surfaces like the frog and the casting are properly machined to ensure perfect contact with each other, which in turn leads to less “chatter” and a smoother cut. The iron likewise should sit with 100% contact against the frog.
Ideally, the sides should also be dead square to the sole. This is rarely if ever achieved by run- of- the- mill manufacturers like Stanley and Record, and never by Chinese cheapies.
The finest (and most expensive) planes the world has ever seen are those made by my friend Karl Holtey, now sadly retired. Absolutely unbelievable precision craftsmanship. http://www.holteyplanes.com/
Keep the blade sharp …
You can buy an old Stanley (the ones made prior to shipping the manufacture overseas), pre-1950, in an antique shop or online for $40-$50. As mentioned, try to buy one that you can hold and inspect, find a good flat surface, and check to see if the sole plate sits flat. Don’t worry about surface rust or stains: you can take that off with a piece of 400 grit paper and some water. The blade may or may not be any good, but you’ll probably want to repurpose it as a scraper and buy a new Hock blade and iron. They’re thicker and better steel than the original Stanley blades. You’ll also want to take the tool completely apart and clean all the gunk out from under the frog. Some people even wire brush the whole thing and put new japanning on it.
Stanley has tried to make a comeback with their tools, with mixed results. I have a block plane made by them, which is serviceable, but it’s not my favorite tool. Their chisels aren’t bad for a beginner, but they’re not great, either.
Or you can buy a good new plane like the ones made by Lie-Nielsen Toolworks. These are solid, well-built tools that will become heirlooms.
Wow…
I forgot how crappy my own tools were until I saw some of those planes at that site.
My best plane is a Stanley that I bought in a hardware store in Rio de Janeiro while visiting 25 years ago–it was dirt cheap and I have always thought it was cool to remember the funky store where I bought it. Got a bunch of Elmo chisels there too.
But it could not possibly compete with even the poorest factory second plane from Lie-Nielsen Toolworks.
They really are excellent. I have a #4 bench plane and a medium rabbet plane of theirs; also a dovetail saw. A guy in one of my classes a couple years ago had one of their 10" scrub planes, and he turned a piece of cherry into something that looked like glass. I bought the bench plane after struggling for a year with my old Stanley; worth every nickel. The rabbet plane is great for cleaning up the shoulders on a tenon. On the other hand, I have an old Stanley 51 spokeshave that kicks ass.
I use spokeshaves a lot but planes not so much. The planes I do own are usually very old and purchased at flea markets or garage sales. Better than new moderately priced planes. I usually replace the blades with the newer thicker blades and open up the mouth a little.
Another vote for 1950-ish tools.
Yes, there were crappy tools made then, too - but they didn’t last.
If it’s still around - and looks like it was used regularly - it’s probably a good tool.
(side note: the Kitchenaid product was originally made by Hobart as a home-sized addition to their (industry-standard) commercial mixers. I found an original Hobart mixer on ebay - it will outlive another 2 or 3 generations.)
Oh, no doubt. The old Stanley Sweetheart planes are really good if all the elements are there, and the spokeshaves and cabinet scrapers are also excellent. I think mine just had some uncorrectable problems. I tried to buy a replacement on eBay, but collectors swarm on these things for resale and my heart wasn’t in buying something I couldn’t check out myself.
Have any of you ever made a plane?
I haven’t, but I know that Hock Tools (and others, I’m sure) sells kits and plans for those who want to try.