# Expensive or inexpensive planes



## allpurpose

Sadly enough I wasn't born into a family of wealth and never figured out that whole wealth thing anyway so I pretty much have to make do with what I can afford which is about $25-35 for a plane. I had to start over my entire tool collection last year after having lost everything I owned to bad luck and other things I neglect to mention, but I needed a few inexpensive planes and ended up with two Stanley planes and to be honest I don't even know if they're from Stanley or some Chinese company illegally using the Stanley name, but both work pretty good. 
The plane I have the most success with is by far the least expensive, a Stanley SB4 which is just a blade with a cast iron clip to hold it down (brain fart..I can't find the right name for it in my head right now) the only adjustment are two nuts on either side and that's pretty much it.

The other plane is a #4 knock off with deluxe plastic junk handle, it has all the parts typically associated with a Stanley plane, just looks cheap. 
You see, I get why some folks might want to own a vintage Stanley plane with the wooden parts, brass parts and so on. They're beautiful, but like anything else pretty isn't what gets the job done. Utility is usually the ticket at least in my mind. 
A disclaimer, when I first purchased these planes they were dull and not really even close to flat so I spent a lot of time fixing those issues and now my cheapo SB4 seems to cut straight, easy and with few parts to have to fiddle with so can anyone explain the real difference? Does it have more to do with preferences or is there something I'm missing here that should make me want to forgo food, rent and other expenses for a pretty and high priced plane? 
I'm not trying to be a jerk about it, but I just don't see the big difference. I know that typically you get what you pay for, but once in awhile it seems that the bargain product can perform just as well as the big name, big price product.


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## FrankC

Experience tells me two things, you get what you pay for and this thread may develop a life of its own.

In most tools it is the quality of the steel, how much of an edge can you put on it, how long does it hold that edge. How durable is it, how long will that plastic handle last, if you accidently drop the tool will the metal be cracked or damaged if t is too brittle or too soft.

With wise shopping there are bargains to be found on used tools, often cheaper than a new budget item so price does not always come into it.

However, the bottom line is are you satisfied with what you have and does it do the job to your standards, that is all that matters in the end.


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## Pineknot_86

Check out antique shops and flea markets. There is an antique shop in town that has several Stanley planes; none are the original Sweetheart series. I'm trying to figure out how to purchase a couple without SWMBO finding out.


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## pweller

For me, woodworking is all about the projects/results. The tools are just a means to an end, and the quality of the tool is determined only by the results you can get from it.

So, if a low-priced tool delivers the results you need, it is good. If a high-priced tool doesn't get results, then it's bad.

I've found the key is not the quality of the tools, but the skill of the person using it/setting it up.

I've got Sam Maloof's book, and you can see plenty of photos of his shop - it's nothing really lavish, but his quality and designs are exceptional.


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## Toolman50

I will wade off into deep water with this: Hand planes are being used much less than in the past. Carpenters use hand planes infrequently. Hobbyist and woodworkers with a full shop use their hand planes only when necessary, relying on their planer and jointer for most work. 
It takes a skilled woodworker to use a hand plane. They are among the most difficult hand tools to master well. 
I personally have 7 hand planes. I tend to use only 3. Since I have a planer and a jointer, I use my hand planes infrequently, but when needed, nothing works better. My hand planes are mostly Stanley brand. They have been adequate for everything I do. I've never paid the high price for the premium planes. 
I marvel at the old masters who used the hand plane and the molding planes for all their work. I say, "Thank God for power tools".


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## Jig_saw

You don't need expensive hand planes for good results. A decent plane with a flat sole and a finely tuned set-up in the hands of an expert can go a long way in producing fine surfaces than an expensive but badly tuned and sharpened plane.


As a hobby woodworker, I do all my planing by hand. In addition to my collection of inexpensive block planes, jack planes, rabbet planes, and a jointer plane, I have made my own wooden jack planes and rabbet planes for custom work. I don't need a power jointer or planer.


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## Oneal-Woodworking

Jig_saw said:


> You don't need expensive hand planes for good results. A decent plane with a flat sole and a finely tuned set-up in the hands of an expert can go a long way in producing fine surfaces than an expensive but badly tuned and sharpened plane.
> 
> 
> As a hobby woodworker, I do all my planing by hand. In addition to my collection of inexpensive block planes, jack planes, rabbet planes, and a jointer plane, I have made my own wooden jack planes and rabbet planes for custom work. I don't need a power jointer or planer.


 

Very well said Sir. :thumbsup:


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## allpurpose

I guess part of the advantage to the heftier plane would be less frequent adjustments. Today I was planing 2 x 4 edges and though the SB4 cuts just fine it needs pretty much constant adjustment or I end up with some strange angles. It seems that once I get in that comfortable groove where the wood is just slicing away with ease I'll forget and have to readjust and plane back out those strange angles.

I guess there's part of me that wants the high quality tools because back when I did body work a cheap dual action sander could ruin a paint job very quickly so I invested in the best I could lay my hands on. Maybe it's the false notion in my head thinking I can get away with cheap if it has fewer moving parts. Some lessons I just have to learn over and over and over. I really need to knock off this line of thinking someday. 
I never had to relearn this cheap vs quality lesson after my first wife. I became a believer about that one at a young age.


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## timetestedtools

Keep in mind, vintage Stanley's and other similar tools are not cheap tools, they are used expensive tools. Taking inflation into account, these tools were in line with LN and LV plane in their day. The real difference in today's world is resale value. If you buy a $15 flea market #4, and do the same thing you did with your cheap Stanley, it will be worth many times more. So yes they may work the same(although I'd disagree) there is more important inherent value in the vintage tool.


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## allpurpose

I can't argue with the value part. I might argue the usage of the term vintage vs just used, but they mean the same thing I suppose. It just sticks in my mind that maybe I should be sipping expensive wine while using it. I'm not sure about planing things drunk is such a great idea anyway. 
Regardless of terminology it's far easier to find the newer models as opposed to either digging around ebay and garage sales or whichever. It's too bad the quality didn't stay in the new models. The good news is with either one it's a good workout and cheaper than a gym membership.


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## allpurpose

Well since it pertains to what I'm doing, building a laminated 2X4 top I'm wondering if slicing off the rounded edge with the table saw then planing the rest smooth might just be the better option . I'm not opposed to planing things, but 20 some odd 2X4's on 4 or even 2 sides is a buttload of work and my arms and shoulders ain't getting any younger.. Any thoughts about it other than just do it?


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## allpurpose

Scratch the last question. I had not realized I bought the first few 2x4s in the bargain bin because of price.. I bought some much better lumber without such a curve on the corners and a lot fewer knots.. newer stuff is shaving down quick.. I think I paid an extra 15 cents per board..I can live with the 15 cents and as to the plane.. I moved the chip breaker back a bit on the other Stanley and it's cutting much smoother and I don't have to constantly readjust every other stroke..


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## BWSmith

Imagine a youngster sitting in a pile of wood shavings and curls.His attention is % equally split between examining this ever increasing pile of curiosity...and the master craftsman,wielding "his" father's instrument.And it's an instrument of sound that is filling the air.A sort of whishing sound,with just a hint of shearing thrown in as backup.

The symphony stops,the master speaks,just as quickly going back to the score...."it really is about the angle of the plane to the long axis of the board son"...."here,watch".

And with that very quick interjection,the music starts again.

I'm still making the exact same notes these very same instruments have been making for a long time.Dad would be past 100 if still alive,but his music lives on.The angle,as slight as it may be,to the long axis is very near the top on proper use of a hand plane.2ndly is NOT dragging the blade backwards on the return stroke.3rdly is NEVER set a plane down on its sole,it must be set on it's side,no exceptions.4thly the less fiddling with adj the better...setitforgetit.Which is why retracting blade to break #3 is foolish.5ly,understand backlash and it's effect on chatter wrt blade advancement and breaking #4.Number 6 would be when/why/how grooved soles make sense.7,is ergos.


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## BWSmith

In a really nice dictionary,tenor is right after tenon....just sayin.


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## allpurpose

I hadn't really done extensive planing until recently and was getting along just fine, but I've had a bit of time to work with these planes quite a bit of late and the thing that strikes me is the constant need to keep readjusting them. After about 40 or so strokes with either of these cheap planes I end up having to go back to change the angle, often direction from 85, 87, 89, 90, 92, 94 back to 90 degrees if I ever get to 90 when I do my attention is away from creating a slope I don't want. 
Well, it's quite a learning experience so I'm going to make the investment away from cheap. It might take awhile to replace all of the cheap, but I'll eventually get there and along the way hopefully gain some very valuable experience. 
Cheap has a place, but not so much with tools that are critical to the outcome of the job. 
As I mentioned somewhere on this forum I had to learn the 'cheap' lessons with body tools before I could produce a high quality paint job and now the same lessons in wood. A cheap sledge hammer is one thing..handle breaks, but it's mainly just pounding. Close tolerance is quite another thing. 
On the bright side, I have plenty of shavings to go in the garden and my arms are getting in much better shape....and I get to learn all over again.


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## allpurpose

*eBay find*

I don't usually engage in online auctions, but I did today and bought an old Stanley #4 that has some overspray paint on it which I have no problem with. Paint removal is pretty easy. 
I'm hoping that the sole is nice and flat along with the rest of everything else that needs to be flat.
Don't know if you can follow the link, but it's at http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=281983613088&alt=web
I got it for $36 + $15 to ship it..
Think it's worth what I paid? I'll find out soon enough I reckon.


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## gj13us

I'll just add this: Among the differences between hand tools and power tools are the end results of your work. I don't have experience with high end hand tools, but I'd bet that a high end plane won't work as well as a jointer, etc. So I think when we use hand tools we have to accept that no matter how accurate and precise the tool is, it's probably not going to produce perfect results time after time the same way a power tool can. As in the ironic case of "hand planed" hardwood flooring--where the installers work over the factory made flooring with hand planes after it's installed to create the rippled look of having been "hand planed" down at the ol' mill stream. 

Just my two cents on a different way to approach the work.


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## timetestedtools

Actually, I believe a well tuned hand plane will work better than a jointer. The rippled look of the hardwood flooring is meant to either simulate a worn floor, where the heartwood wears different, or a common practice of never finishing with a smoother and only going to a jack. These finishes can be simulated with machines, but machines tend to create a more consistent pattern. To really match vintage, you need to use hand tools.


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## sawdustfactory

A well tuned hand plane, whether it be a high end model like a Lie-Nielsen or Veritas, or an older Stanley, in the hands of a skilled user will give a far superior finish than a mechanical jointer. In fact, when you get good with a hand plane you achieve a finished product that has no need to be touched with sand paper and is finish ready. Rarely ever see that from a power jointer.


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## allpurpose

According to Paul Sellers and I agree the difference between tool and machine is how it's powered. Tools are man powered (or woman powered) vs machines that are motorized really intended for mass manufacturing. It just so happens that the industry that manufacturers the machines found that homeowners and individuals could afford them and were willing to purchase them quite often mistaking the difference between machines intended for mass manufacturing and tools intended for people who possess a certain skill set. It's not at all difficult to find a high quality chisel being used to stir paint and emergency rooms fill up with people who just seem to love chopping off fingers with machinery intended for mass manufacturing.


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## WesTex

I agree with timetestedtools & sawdustfactory. Properly tuned correctly chosen hand planes can indeed yield a better finish than even a spiral head power planer. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Belg

While I like all my planes vintage or not, the ones I have upgraded the cutting irons (Hock and/or Rob Cosman)in work much better for me. (less chatter I think) I recently got my first high end low angle plane and have to say its a dream to use. Once all the blades are honed and adjusted the operator determines the final results.


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## BWSmith

Ok...this one is so far out in left field,think nose bleed seats.

Abstract illustration on how "balance" effects hand planes.But you should try the experiment,as it costs nothing unless you are completely tool poor?

Take a 16oz,wooden handled,curved claw hammer.You'll also need a medium length screw driver.Hold the hammer normally but insert the screwdriver blade under your fingers in a way that the screwdriver handle is hanging out from the bttm of the hammer.

Now go find some hand nails and drive a few dz.You should instantly feel the stabilizer effect the screwdriver handle brings into the mix.

This is what old timers are referring to about a tools balance.Albeit exaggerated.

Now,when using a hand plane...
The skew angle and the way you grip the wooden handle,are the keys to unlock your planes,"balance".

Chatter,and constant fiddling only serve to distance yourself from finding balance.This is why some folks get lucky,finding hand planes enormously gratifying and others getting frustrated.

Find something easy to plane and develop the feel for your planes balance points.


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## Pirate

I have about 5 old Stanley, and Sargent, planes. I don't do real, real fine woodworking, and use power jointer, and planer for the work I do.
The only plane I have used in a few years, is my low angle block plane. That plane is a real "sweetheart" to use. 
Having a real sharp iron is key. Never had sharp irons, until I bought a Work Sharp.


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## holtzdreher

Had an old stanley with a plastic/Bakelite/whatever handle. It was about 15 inches long and it came with a carpenters tool chest I purchased at a yeard sale 30 years ago. I kept my capentry tools in that chest for when repairs were necessary around the house. Never used that plane until 4 yrs ago, when I had to replace am exterior door of a peculiar size. The door was only 74 x 28.5 inches. I found a door at a used building supply place and proceeded to cut it down close to size. My skill worm screw saw did a nice job, but the edge still needed work. Pulled out the stanley I had never used and was shaving up long tight shavings in no time. About three minutes work and the door was ready. It left the edges so smooth that I did not bother sanding them before painting. There is absolutely nothing like having the right tool for the job. Lost it in a fire. Been looking for another Somebody had one on our local craigs list but it was gone within an hour.


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## Toolman50

Many years ago I taught high school wood shop. Try training a group of 14-18 year olds on the hand plane. It's got moving parts and they are going to turn the knobs and get the machines out of adjustment before you can pass them all out. Kids want to cut deep, go fast, which is usually not the best way. Of all the hand tools in the shop, the hand plane is the most complex and requires the most training to use well. 
There are many long time woodworkers that still can't use a hand plane well.


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## Jrm Woodworks.

sawdustfactory said:


> A well tuned hand plane, whether it be a high end model like a Lie-Nielsen or Veritas, or an older Stanley, in the hands of a skilled user will give a far superior finish than a mechanical jointer. In fact, when you get good with a hand plane you achieve a finished product that has no need to be touched with sand paper and is finish ready. Rarely ever see that from a power jointer.


I totally disagree with that statement that will create a better finish than with jointer and planer. I have no clue what jointer or planer u are comparing to but certainly not mine. It is easily proven also, Look at it, at high magnification and look at the wood fibers. I Would go as far as to say they are comparable to equal on smoothness but even that doesnt matter all that much unless u are just putting wax or a oil on it and even then the finish wont be as good. As I have been building and finishing cabinets for years and other projects like exterior doors and such, wood higher than lets say sanded at 220 grit and above doesnt take penetrating stain well at all. The wood fibers are smushed down to much, Most every cabinet builder I talk to along with painters etc.. all say the same thing. I often after to come back with 120 grit so that it can take the stain better. Some cabinet builders i know use 80, and i mean by hand cause it cant take the stain. Many longtime furniture makers on youtube have also stated that, if its just a wax no big deal, but u need a more porous surface to let the oils or stains seep in, otherwise everything is just sitting on top of the surface which is not a great bond. You can use a gel stain fine, but that is about it. 

Now aside from smoothness hand planing most certainly will not produce a flatter surface than power tools, most commercial jointers u are talking a 6' plus bed on it that is gonna be way more efficient than any hand plane. If u are using a jointer its more than likely u are doing a glue up, and if u are doing a glue up there is no way you can compete with a jointer. Can you get it done with a hand plane yes perfectly fine, with a lot of work and time, something i can do in in under a couple min and will be so straight and flat that they form a suction almost. If you enjoy using hand planes and jointer planes by all means enjoy urself, I have a few and love using them, but i am not gonna delude myself into thinking that they work better than power tools.

Now to the issue i see brought up all the time about price of hand tools, I think people are complete fools to think that u need a lee nielsen or veritas hand plane to do fine woodworking. They are great tools and works of art and as a tool lover i want them all. But again I would be deluding myself to think that a 20 dollar hand plane cant produce the same results as that 400 dollar hand plane, sure I might have to do way more tuning to get it right, and sure I might have to sharpen it more often, but at the end of the day if the sole is flat and the blade is sharp and you can adjust the blade the result will be the same, getting there might be different but once it is set then plane till ur heart is content. The same on chisels I read forums oh that is garbage, oh the blades dont keep an edge same for plane irons. Well japanese plane irons and chisels are soft also, and they produce some of the finest work I have seen with those tools, with wood hand planes at that, and produce shavings so fine they are almost translucent. I have watched the hand planing competitions in japan and they are interesting to watch. But That is why I dont get into the my tool is better than urs so i automatically do better work than u mind set. If ur tools define ur woodworking skills then u are indeed not that skilled, If u are skilled the tool doesnt matter that much weather its 20.00 or 400 dollars. Not everyone is on the same budget, and i read woodworking forums where guys basically trash other guys for using like a woodriver hand plane, oh that is garbage compared to my lee nielsen etc.. Work with what u have, everyone on every budget should be able to enjoy the passion they have for woodworking. I see people especially some japanese woodworkers creating master pieces with what looks like all homemade hand tools. So I dont buy into that high end tools frame of mine that they are the only things u can use. I also do have a lot of high dollar tools but more often than not I find myself using a lot of my cheaper tools.


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## allpurpose

I just reread this post and realized I was coming from the point of poverty in 2016. I had lost everything I owned a bit before then and was starting from scratch. I have since pitched those junk planes in favor of much better made older planes. I wonder what made me think I could get by with junk just a few years ago when most all my tools from back before I lost everything were not cheap tools. I dunno..maybe I hadn't quite gotten over years of abusing my body with drugs and alcohol, but I've reacquired mostly decent tools. I still have a few junk tools hanging around, but most of them are growing mold and rusting away..I still use some of the cheap tools I own. My old cheap Stanley dowel jig is the only one I use. I have a few others I paid a lot more for, but just like the cheapo #59..


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## B Coll

allpurpose said:


> Sadly enough I wasn't born into a family of wealth and never figured out that whole wealth thing anyway so I pretty much have to make do with what I can afford which is about $25-35 for a plane. I had to start over my entire tool collection last year after having lost everything I owned to bad luck and other things I neglect to mention, but I needed a few inexpensive planes and ended up with two Stanley planes and to be honest I don't even know if they're from Stanley or some Chinese company illegally using the Stanley name, but both work pretty good.
> The plane I have the most success with is by far the least expensive, a Stanley SB4 which is just a blade with a cast iron clip to hold it down (brain fart..I can't find the right name for it in my head right now) the only adjustment are two nuts on either side and that's pretty much it.
> 
> The other plane is a #4 knock off with deluxe plastic junk handle, it has all the parts typically associated with a Stanley plane, just looks cheap.
> You see, I get why some folks might want to own a vintage Stanley plane with the wooden parts, brass parts and so on. They're beautiful, but like anything else pretty isn't what gets the job done. Utility is usually the ticket at least in my mind.
> A disclaimer, when I first purchased these planes they were dull and not really even close to flat so I spent a lot of time fixing those issues and now my cheapo SB4 seems to cut straight, easy and with few parts to have to fiddle with so can anyone explain the real difference? Does it have more to do with preferences or is there something I'm missing here that should make me want to forgo food, rent and other expenses for a pretty and high priced plane?
> I'm not trying to be a jerk about it, but I just don't see the big difference. I know that typically you get what you pay for, but once in awhile it seems that the bargain product can perform just as well as the big name, big price product.


I would take a well tuned, honed, sharp cheap plane over a dull, abused Lie Nielsen any day. That said, a well tuned, honed, and sharp Lie Nielsen is very, very nice. My favorite plane is a very old Stanley #4 that y grandfather used a metal punch to put his initials in the side. Not worth anything to anyone but be. But I also love my Lie Nelsen #42 shoulder plane as well. Like others have said I do not use some of my planes all that often having a jointer and a planer. My most frequently used are the shoulder plane for fitting tenons, and my Stanley blaock plane and low angle block plane that ZI use for tuning fittings.


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## AwesomeOpossum74

Lemme just resurrect this little thread. I think it's a good conversation.

I sort of fell into the Paul Sellers "get a Stanley brand Plane" rabbit hole. But I can't say I'm disappointed by the wisdom. I have about 6 or 7 Stanleys, mostly type 5 or 6 (type not size). I enjoy them, I understand them, and they understand me. Important to know that these planes are not the improved 50s/60s version that Paul Sellers talks about. The lever caps can come lose, and they don't have all the settings available in later models.

I also have a few Miller Falls planes (50s/60s), and a few 70s/80s Stanleys, as well as splurging on a Veritas #4. I have given the Millers Falls planes the same tune treatment as my other planes, and I almost get the same performance from them as my old Stanleys. My newer Stanleys work, but they don't have the proper feel, tend to dull, chatter, and lose their settings easily. My Veritas sits in it's box unused, because it just feels too heavy in my hands.

In short, I could get by with my Millers Falls, and my newer Stanleys. Given the choice, would I? No. I like my old Stanley planes. And I do sort of regret buying that expensive, "high quality" Veritas plane. I could have bought a lot of other tools for the price.



allpurpose said:


> I just reread this post and realized I was coming from the point of poverty in 2016. I had lost everything I owned a bit before then and was starting from scratch.


Yeah, but you picked up and kept going, rather than withering in your sorrow. I'd hope to be able to do the same. Kudos.


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## BigCountry79

I bought a new veritas when they first came out and never got good results. I also hated the Norris adjuster.

Once I went Stanley, I loved them and swore by them for 20 years...so much better than my veritas for 1/10 the price.

I lost all my Stanley's to a flood and it hurt. The Stanley prices had skyrocketed too, and I splurged on a lie nielsen 4 1/2...the difference was noticeable...and the premium price definitely has a noticeable impact in terms of performance...

I really didn't want this to be true but it was


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## DrRobert

There's a reason you like the old ones. Anything pre WWII are the one's worth having. It’s debatable among many, but as BigJim experienced, you put your hand on a premium plane and you will see a difference. Pretty hard to justify if you don’t use them often. Bedrocks are the the best planes Stanley ever made.

What‘s referred to as the "Stanley Downgrade" started in the 50's with the housing boom, the market shifted from professional carpenters to homeowners, and so did the quality of the product. The same thing with Craftsman and Black and Decker. Craftsman put out some really junky machines in the 60’s and 70’s. Now Stanley is a shell of what it used to be maybe except for tape measures.

I started out taking the “rustoration” route. Back then you could pick up a rough plane for $15-20, and it seemed to be the thing. I never even heard of Lie Nielsen or Veritas. There was no internet so where did you buy ww’ing tools?

I struggled a little with some of the planes eventually bought a #4 WoodRiver on sale for $100 and sold all my Stanley’s on EBay for 5x what I paid for them.

I have several LN planes the only bench plane being a 4 1/2 and I can’t tell an appreciable difference between it and WoodRiver. IMO the Veritas shoulder planes are superior to LN. Any LN block plane is a joy to use.


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## Pandday kuno

pweller said:


> For me, woodworking is all about the projects/results. The tools are just a means to an end, and the quality of the tool is determined only by the results you can get from it.
> 
> So, if a low-priced tool delivers the results you need, it is good. If a high-priced tool doesn't get results, then it's bad.
> 
> I've found the key is not the quality of the tools, but the skill of the person using it/setting it up.
> 
> I've got Sam Maloof's book, and you can see plenty of photos of his shop - it's nothing really lavish, but his quality and designs are exceptional.


One of the best woodworking advise... I bought Mastercraft handplaner Rabot #3 last weekend from FB Marketplace for $20..what attracted me was it was made in England and it was still in a box... it was used as the Iron had a deep chip.... It was still in its box and looks good, no rust... first thing I did was flatten the sole as advised in this forum about an hour of planing series of sandpaper, 80-120-220- 800 grit and it was flat front to back..... next the iron.... flatten the back and sharpen took another hour and a half... following day assemble all the pieces... putting in the frog... it was crooked no matter what I do... I put in the Iron, the chip breaker and the lever cap and no matter what I did , the Iron was crooked.... I thought England manufacturers will have better quality workmanship than made in China... I analyzed my situation and I saw the frog was crookedly seated on its base on the body.... so I leveled the uneven surface of the base of the frog which seats on the body after checking with the Engineer's square with sandpaper on a flat surface..... I filed the surface where the base of the frog is anchored as after measuring with a caliper there is a 0.25mm height difference.... I also enlarged the slit on both sides of the frog where the bolt anchors the frog to the body as there is no space for the bolt and washer to center the frog... spent another 2-3 hours figuring out and making little adjustments here and there... at 6:00 PM I assembled everything, bolted the frog into the body... it was straight and centered..... put in the iron ... put the clamp....waxed the sole with Meguiar's car wax.... tested the cheap plane..... Wow.....it was smooth........ I measured the ribbon with a caliper.... 0.11 mm..... Im happy with all the work I did on this cheap plane........ It was a challenge as I work in the Medical field for almost 40 years and reading from the good woodworking folks and doing the work myself brings so much satisfaction....


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