Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Mar 28, 2002 07:09am | #1

   The higher price you pay for a top-drawer hand plane is worth it!  Do some research and find out which brands are closest to being "tuned" when they arrive at your doorstep (one of the current mags has a good article, but I'm spacing out on which one).

1. 
   Alan | Mar 30, 2002 12:17am | #4

   I have to disagree with Forest Girl.  Price is not the way to judge tool quality.  I own both a L-N smoother (a gift) and a brand x that I got at a yard sale for 5 dollars.  A new iron and a little tuning up and the 5 dollar plane worked just fine.  The L-N was better wthout any doubt:  it worked better, felt better and was easier to adjust (because of the bedrock design).  But the L-N was not so much better than the brand x to justify the tremendous difference in price.

   If you have the bucks, sure, buy a L-N (or go whole hog and buy one of the reproductions from St. James Bay for twice the price of the L-N).  You will not be disappointed.  But if dollars matter buy a Record or Stanley or some other Bailey style plane, change the iron, and maybe the cap-iron as well, for one of the premium irons now on the market, and you will not be disappointed with that plane either.  (Of course this assumes you have sharpened and honed the iron and have properly tuned the plane.)

   I replaced the iron and cap-iron on my Record jointer (#7) with the Clifton iron and cap-iron, and turned a Chevy into a Caddy.

   But if you just can't bring yourself to buy a common Stanley or Record, Clifton is now making planes in the bedrock design.  I don't own one, but all the reviews have been very positive--and they are about 25% cheaper than the L-N.  (Disclaimer:  I have no financial interest in Clifton.)

   Alan

1. 
   Biscardi | Mar 30, 2002 03:11am | #5

   I really don't know what I have. There is the Record low angle block plane, a $25 jointer marked Bailey- looks old, and Granddad's old smoother- unmarked except made in USA. They were not in good shape when I got them. I read Hack's book and tuned them up. They do everything I want.Last night I did some very figured walnut that came out nicely.

   To tell the truth, it is not that easy to tune a plane. Sharpening an iron takes some practice. You should not be discouraged if you can't get it right on the first try.

   Sure I'd love to have a closet full of L-N instead of he junk sale stuff I've got. However, You can make do with less- quite nicely.

   Frank

1. 
   Alan | Apr 05, 2002 06:58am | #7

   Frank,

   I think most of us have a story like that.  Mine is about a Craftsman (believe it or not) jack that I got from my father.  He told me he could never get it to work--at all!  When I got it home and looked at it the problems were obvious:  the iron was bent! and it had obviously never been tuned.  A new iron, some tweaking here and there and it works for me just fine--weeell, "just fine" might be a bit excessive.  But I ground the iron with an arc in it; I use it for a scrub plane--for that it does work just fine.

   Alan

2. 
   woodchuckwil | Mar 28, 2002 04:16pm | #2

      I was given a power plane,rarely use it. Just seems like a hand plane is easier to use, less mess (boy, those things throw out a lot of sawdust) and they're not that hard to set up and use.

3. 
   mwinkle | Mar 30, 2002 12:05am | #3

   consider looking for hand planes at auction or antique houses., flea markets or spring yard sales. Many times you can find excellent buys on older stanley bailey planes .  Recently I picked up two pre 1940 stanleys a 4 and 5 for less than $100.  With just a bit of  cleaning tuning and sharpening I have fine equipment.

4. 
   Biscardi | Mar 30, 2002 04:47am | #6

   Thou shall not lust after thy neighbors goods . . .

   Well, maybe just a little- nice set of planes- yawsuh!

   Frank

5. 
   PlaneWood | Apr 06, 2002 05:44am | #8

   An old Stanley Bailey #4-1/2 is a very good plane.   I got one for a steal on Ebay cause it looked horrible.  After restoring, it looks new and shaves like a dream.  Mine is type 11.  But, before you buy on Ebay, do a LOT of looking and reading.  Lots of junk there that can't be repaired or restored.  And be prepared to do furious bidding in the last seconds.

   PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy
   PlaneWood