Comments on: Reader Question: A Good, Cheap Bench Plane? http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 01:42:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Ted http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-672500 Ted Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:19:09 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-672500 I bought a Bailey/Stanley block plane. I did not have to tune it much. But the blade was soft as butter. It was only bearable on soft pine. I would have to sharpen it after any use on hardwood. Before trying a replacement blade. I decided to try and heat treat it myself. Got it red hot with a torch and dropped it in water. The results were pretty good. The heat treatment caused the blade to cup a little. So the first sharpening took some time to get the edge profile back. But the blade is very hard now. Maybe a little too hard. If I were to do it again I would drop the red hot blade into oil instead of water for a more balanced treatment. I bought a Bailey/Stanley block plane. I did not have to tune it much. But the blade was soft as butter. It was only bearable on soft pine. I would have to sharpen it after any use on hardwood. Before trying a replacement blade. I decided to try and heat treat it myself. Got it red hot with a torch and dropped it in water. The results were pretty good. The heat treatment caused the blade to cup a little. So the first sharpening took some time to get the edge profile back. But the blade is very hard now. Maybe a little too hard. If I were to do it again I would drop the red hot blade into oil instead of water for a more balanced treatment.

]]> By: Norm http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-672272 Norm Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:41:32 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-672272 aaron - The old bailey blades are fine if you can find a stanley sweetheart iron or prior. The only real stipulation is that they must be free of pitting and the back must not be warped (try to lap that iron!). The quality of those irons very quickly degraded after the sweethearts, so you must know the age of your plane. Here is a great source on dating your stanley/bailey planes: http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html With that said, the hock and LN irons/chip breakers are thicker and come in A2 and O1 treated. You get a superior chatter free cut with a great edge that lasts longer. Personally, I enjoy fixing up an old rusty plane and making it a solid user. If you factor in the amount of time it takes to get it fit for everyday use, you don't save any money (time=money after all), but its a labor of love, right? Definitely avoid the Groz, Buck Brothers, Grizzly and Anant planes. aaron - The old bailey blades are fine if you can find a stanley sweetheart iron or prior. The only real stipulation is that they must be free of pitting and the back must not be warped (try to lap that iron!). The quality of those irons very quickly degraded after the sweethearts, so you must know the age of your plane.

Here is a great source on dating your stanley/bailey planes:
http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html

With that said, the hock and LN irons/chip breakers are thicker and come in A2 and O1 treated. You get a superior chatter free cut with a great edge that lasts longer.

Personally, I enjoy fixing up an old rusty plane and making it a solid user. If you factor in the amount of time it takes to get it fit for everyday use, you don’t save any money (time=money after all), but its a labor of love, right?

Definitely avoid the Groz, Buck Brothers, Grizzly and Anant planes.

]]> By: Patrick http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-672269 Patrick Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:37:11 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-672269 Beginner woodworker myself, I picked up 3 Footprint (the British brand now India I think) from Sears online. I'm no stickler for perfection, but they are well constructed, variable angle planes, all around serviceable for my needs. And with a little tuning, I'm dead certain they'd be great planes. Not too expensive for the set either. But the minute my kid enters college, I'm blowing his inheritance or his mother's retirement fund on some LNs & Veritas planes. Beginner woodworker myself, I picked up 3 Footprint (the British brand now India I think) from Sears online. I’m no stickler for perfection, but they are well constructed, variable angle planes, all around serviceable for my needs. And with a little tuning, I’m dead certain they’d be great planes. Not too expensive for the set either.

But the minute my kid enters college, I’m blowing his inheritance or his mother’s retirement fund on some LNs & Veritas planes.

]]> By: aaron http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-671719 aaron Thu, 20 Nov 2008 02:16:50 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-671719 norm - i thought those old bailey blades were good? I'm also just getting into woodworking and just got a Bailey #5 off ebay (yet to arrive). I suppose I'll see first hand how it goes. The Stanley 220 block I got was ok - needs a bit of lapping to get the mouth planed, but the sides seem square to the sole... have only used it a bit though, so I can't say anything about how quickly the blade dulls. i don't mind spending a bit of time fiddling with it to get it right, since I dont have $200+ to spend on these fancy (beautiful though!) new planes from veritas, LN, etc. norm - i thought those old bailey blades were good?

I’m also just getting into woodworking and just got a Bailey #5 off ebay (yet to arrive). I suppose I’ll see first hand how it goes. The Stanley 220 block I got was ok - needs a bit of lapping to get the mouth planed, but the sides seem square to the sole… have only used it a bit though, so I can’t say anything about how quickly the blade dulls.

i don’t mind spending a bit of time fiddling with it to get it right, since I dont have $200+ to spend on these fancy (beautiful though!) new planes from veritas, LN, etc.

]]> By: Gary http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-671537 Gary Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:20:32 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-671537 Personally, I don’t think there is such a thing as a good, cheap plane. Not without investing hours in lapping the sole, potentially the bottom of the frog, maybe working on the adjuster and replacing the iron (Hock or LN) and maybe even the chip breaker. I have a few vintage planes, they all work well (Stanley Baileys – but Miller Falls are good too), but I spent hours fettling them. If you factor in time and parts, vintage planes are no longer cheap, IMHO. I’ve bought vintage tools from eBay. No planes though. I like to handle them. There is too much you can’t see in a pic, but maybe that’s just me. BT mentioned Veritas. These are the Lee Valley planes. All of my non-vintage are Veritas. I do lap and sharpen the irons, but the soles were dead flat on arrival. They aren’t as attractive as the LN planes and they do diverge from the classic Stanley designs, but that’s ok. They’re tools. They’re also cheaper than LN. But I do keep looking at the LNs. Some of those bronze models… Veritas doesn’t offer all of the models Stanley produced over the years, so I may pick up a vintage here and there – dado planes for example. But I hope they’re working on it. Hmm. An adjustable Veritas dado plane with various width irons. I’d buy that. I used a Groz a friend bought and was not impressed. I think you’d have to spend as much time fettling a Groz as a vintage plane, but that’s just my opinion based on one plane. Tuning a vintage plane would be good for a new neander. Learn how the tool functions and make it better. Personally, I don’t think there is such a thing as a good, cheap plane. Not without investing hours in lapping the sole, potentially the bottom of the frog, maybe working on the adjuster and replacing the iron (Hock or LN) and maybe even the chip breaker. I have a few vintage planes, they all work well (Stanley Baileys – but Miller Falls are good too), but I spent hours fettling them. If you factor in time and parts, vintage planes are no longer cheap, IMHO.

I’ve bought vintage tools from eBay. No planes though. I like to handle them. There is too much you can’t see in a pic, but maybe that’s just me.

BT mentioned Veritas. These are the Lee Valley planes. All of my non-vintage are Veritas. I do lap and sharpen the irons, but the soles were dead flat on arrival. They aren’t as attractive as the LN planes and they do diverge from the classic Stanley designs, but that’s ok. They’re tools. They’re also cheaper than LN. But I do keep looking at the LNs. Some of those bronze models…

Veritas doesn’t offer all of the models Stanley produced over the years, so I may pick up a vintage here and there – dado planes for example. But I hope they’re working on it. Hmm. An adjustable Veritas dado plane with various width irons. I’d buy that.

I used a Groz a friend bought and was not impressed. I think you’d have to spend as much time fettling a Groz as a vintage plane, but that’s just my opinion based on one plane.

Tuning a vintage plane would be good for a new neander. Learn how the tool functions and make it better.

]]> By: bobk http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-671494 bobk Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:33:36 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-671494 Estate sales and Auctions. Oftentimes, the "heirs" either don't know the value or simply aren't interested in anything to do with tools. Having said that, the prior mentioned caveats about asking questions and careful examination apply. bobk Estate sales and Auctions. Oftentimes, the “heirs” either don’t know the value or simply aren’t interested in anything to do with tools. Having said that, the prior mentioned caveats about asking questions and careful examination apply.

bobk

]]> By: Kris http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-671423 Kris Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:07:36 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-671423 The are lots of good articles about tuning and using planes at this index: http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDocs/Wood_How_To/INDEX_How_To.htm. There are several good books on the subject as well, I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Handplane-Book-Garrett-Hack/dp/1561581550/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227125177&sr=1-3. Good luck! The are lots of good articles about tuning and using planes at this index: http://www.cianperez.com/Wood/WoodDocs/Wood_How_To/INDEX_How_To.htm. There are several good books on the subject as well, I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/Handplane-Book-Garrett-Hack/dp/1561581550/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1227125177&sr=1-3. Good luck!

]]> By: Norm http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-671346 Norm Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:32:54 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-671346 Any decent bailey/stanley, millers fall or clifton plane found on ebay will serve you nicely. Just make sure you put a decent iron in the plane (buy a lie-neilsen or hock iron for best results). You will get the best of both worlds (cheap and a solid performer) Any decent bailey/stanley, millers fall or clifton plane found on ebay will serve you nicely. Just make sure you put a decent iron in the plane (buy a lie-neilsen or hock iron for best results). You will get the best of both worlds (cheap and a solid performer)

]]> By: BT http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-671342 BT Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:31:05 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-671342 Try a Groz. It's India manufacture based on the Stanley design but as the guy at woodcraft put it "nobody told them that they are supposed to make crap". You'll need to tune it before use (flatten the sole etc. ) but that's true of anything short of a Lie-Nielsen or Veritas. Try a Groz. It’s India manufacture based on the Stanley design but as the guy at woodcraft put it “nobody told them that they are supposed to make crap”. You’ll need to tune it before use (flatten the sole etc. ) but that’s true of anything short of a Lie-Nielsen or Veritas.

]]> By: Benjamen Johnson http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-671313 Benjamen Johnson Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:51:57 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-671313 I have a Stanley block plane and a Buck Bros Jack plane. I think I paid $20 for the Stanley and $40 for the Buck Bros. Both had to be sharpened right out of the package. After sharpening they worked pretty well but I was disappointed at how fast they dulled. It really made using either plane a pain. If this is a tool that you plan on using regularly, save yourself the frustration spend some money on a decent plane. You're not going to find one at home depot, you might have to go to a second hand tool place or a place like Rockler or WoodCraft, or buy something online Forget the fancy features and shiny metal. Go for a plane with flat sole and a good iron that'll hold a crisp edge for a while. I have a Stanley block plane and a Buck Bros Jack plane. I think I paid $20 for the Stanley and $40 for the Buck Bros.

Both had to be sharpened right out of the package. After sharpening they worked pretty well but I was disappointed at how fast they dulled. It really made using either plane a pain.

If this is a tool that you plan on using regularly, save yourself the frustration spend some money on a decent plane. You’re not going to find one at home depot, you might have to go to a second hand tool place or a place like Rockler or WoodCraft, or buy something online

Forget the fancy features and shiny metal. Go for a plane with flat sole and a good iron that’ll hold a crisp edge for a while.

]]> By: Jason http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-671306 Jason Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:43:21 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-671306 I have always found my old planes at swap meets and garage sales. Usually they require some work to get them back onto top shape, but with a little TLC and some elbow grease, I have built a nice little collection of great planes on a fairly small budget. Like the previous poster stated, just make sure you ask questions look carefully before buying. I have always found my old planes at swap meets and garage sales. Usually they require some work to get them back onto top shape, but with a little TLC and some elbow grease, I have built a nice little collection of great planes on a fairly small budget.
Like the previous poster stated, just make sure you ask questions look carefully before buying.

]]> By: Adrian http://toolmonger.com/2008/11/19/reader-question-a-good-cheap-bench-plane/#comment-671278 Adrian Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:18:13 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=15814#comment-671278 I'm just getting into woodworking and I bought my used #4 Stanley off ebay for $25. I've seen ones with Sweetheart blades in great condition go for about $30. Just make sure you ask questions and look carefully at the pictures. I’m just getting into woodworking and I bought my used #4 Stanley off ebay for $25. I’ve seen ones with Sweetheart blades in great condition go for about $30. Just make sure you ask questions and look carefully at the pictures.

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