Friends,
Today while mucking around at Lowes, I found in a lower cupboard a stack of new Stanley #4 planes. When I opened the box, it was actually a Bailey. The weight of it was better than some older #4s I saw just that afternoon at a used furniture shop. The iron seems a little thicker than Iremembered on most of the modern planes I’d looked at recently. It was only $39 so I bought it. In some of the catalogues I saw it go for $69.
It is not a LN, but with some work I think I can tune it up into a reasonable plane. It will take less work than some of some of the old rust buckets I saw at the Juncque shop today.
Frank
I have no financial connectons with Lowes.
Replies
OK, My review of the above.
The sole was not perfectly flat. It took about 20 minutes and a handfull of sandpaper to get it closer to perfect. I am not exactly a perfectionist about these things, but try to get close.
The frog was actually close to flat- 10 minutes with a mill file.
The edge on the chip breaker wasnt close to flat- 5 minutes or so with a file and stone.
The back of the cap was a disgraceful piece of casting. I gave up after about ten minutes.
The blade was sharp enough to cut hairs (dry) on the back of my hand out of the box. Still, I felt it could be improved on- 15 minutes with oilstones. I did not change the bevel from 30 to 25 degrees.
The opening of the frog was way too wide and the chipbreaker was set too far back for fine work.The adjustment was quite easy.
If you were Joe homeowner you'd probably use this for 1/2 hour out of the box and get frustrated. With a little elbow grease and time I am making very nice shavings and that lovely sweeshing sound as I go thru some nice pine.
It would be nice to have a bench full of LN or Clifton planes, but I think I can do fairly good work with this discount sweetie.If Stanley-Bailey had a group of machinists at the end of the line to tune these things up before shipping and they replaced the nasty plastic handles they wouldn't be loosing market share to the higher end tool guys.
Cheapskate Frank
Frank,
I'm with you. On Sunday I bought a Stanley low angle block plane over at Woodcraft. All my other planes were bought at the tag sale thing. I took it apart first to see what kind of shape it was in being brand new..sharp, but everything else needed adjutment, etc. Of course the guy that was waiting on me wanted to make sure i was aware i was not buying a top line plane... I'd love to have a bunch of LN's, but I enjoy just as much having my old cheapies that I know how to make hum.
IMO youre better off buying an ebay plane or flea market plane. You still get good metal, nice castings. And most likely its been fettled so only a touch up would suffice. I think others on knots have the same idea. flea markets and ebay stanleys are better then modern day planes albeit L-N, Cliftons and other fine plane makers. Ive heard of too many warped record planes and crappy castings from those planes under $100.
Im guessing the iron is pretty damn cheap and wont hold an edge.
Its probably good for carpenters to touch up and jobs that dont require machine set up, but for really demanding work there are better out there.
If i were to buy a newer affordable plane, id go Veritas.
But then again im not the most proficient with a plane yet, but i learn all the time.
Bill,
You hay be correct about the iron. I have a big project in the shop made of Cherry. I'll see how the iron holds up. I may just spring for the Hock blade. My main point is that these planes are perhaps quite serviceable despite the bad press.
Frank
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