Looking to buy a good quality low cost block plane any suggestions

[marksrob]

Looking to buy a good quality low cost block plane any suggestions

[Thomas Kendrick]

[Conan the Librarian]

When you go to buy your $99 drillpress, I'd suggest you buy whatever they have at Canadian Tire.

Oh, you said a *good* block plane ... sorry. An older used Stanley #60-1/2 is a good place to start. You should be able to pick one up for $40-50. Or you could support a different Canuckistani bidness and buy one of the Lee Valley block planes. They are outstanding, but they will run you almost $100 US. Still that's cheaper in the long run than buying a Buck Bros., then a new Stanley and then a good older Stanley (when the first two turn out to be crap).

Chuck Vance

[patrick conroy]

I have the Stanely. Completely unfetteled (sp?). I'd call it unacceptable as it comes out of the box. Perhaps if fetteled and the iron replaced...

But I'm thinking the money would have been best spent on a Lee Valley or L/N...

[Bob Davis]

Block planes are not very pricey, no matter what brand you buy.

Knight Tools

$115 Lee Valley $99 Lee Nielsen $95

Bob

[Bill Rogers]

Flea market. I've gotten some in airly bad shape [rust and appearance that is, not badly pitted or chipped blade] and cleaned them up in a morning.

Bill.

[Tom Veatch]

As Chuck mentioned - an older model Stanley 60 1/2. I have one that you'd have to fight me for. Tuned and Scary Sharp, it'll plane curlies off end grain so fine you can read a newspaper through the shavings.

Tom Veatch Wichita, KS USA

[alexy]

1) Don't use "good quality" and "low cost" in the same sentence; they are seldom compatible. ;-) 2) Flea markets for a used one (lower risk with a block plane than a more expensive bench plane, and can be improved with a Hock iron. 3) Build your own, Krenov-style.

[Jamie]

In the Grizzly catelog, they sell a low price block plane (under the "Shop Fox" brand name) for $14.95.

I have no experience with "Shop Fox" products, but hope others in this newsgroup can comment on their value.

Thanks

[Lawrence Wasserman]

Without getting into a comparison with LV or LN, I have a new style Stanley low angle block plane, model 12-960, and I find it works just as well as my old Stanley 60 1/2.

[Andy Dingley]

Lee Valley, the low angle block with the adjustable mouth.

Sell children as necessary.

[RonB]

Shop Fox and Grizzly are close cousins. For example, the Shop Fox machinery is very similar to Grizzly except for color and the fact they are retailed outside of the Grizzly direct order system (at a higher retail price). Grizzly also offers other Shop Fox tools and accessories through their catalogue and their outlets.

In addition to a 1023S cabinet saw, I own a few smaller SF tools and accessories. The saw is great and no complaints on other items. The saw also uses a Shop Fox Classic fence that is a Beismeier look-alike and solid as a rock. At the price you have seen, it is probably worth a try.

Ron

[Newbie Woodworker]

I have the Lee Valley low-angle adjustable (which, if you look around, isn't very expensive at all). I would highly recommend you spend the $100 for it. It's worked great for me although out of the box, the iron was not ground square to the sides.

[patriarch]

[e-mail] (Lawrence Wasserman) wrote in news:rmALc.50$ [e-mail]:

... but not nearly as well as either the LV or the LN.

$55 for the Stanley. $99 for the LV. $135 for the LN. I use the Stanley for stuff that just isn't all that critical - softwoods, trim and base, plywood trimming. And that's the one I loan when my kid comes borrowing tools.

IF I only had one, which would probably be the frugal thing to do, it would likely be the LV.

Patriarch

[Conan the Librarian]

Does the iron hold an edge as well as the old plane? That's my biggest gripe with the newer Stanleys (well, there are more problems than that, but those relate to the bench planes).

Anyhow, if it works for you, that's great. Personally, I wouldn't buy *any* new Stanley bench or block plane on a dare. BTDT, got a paperweight out of the deal.

Chuck Vance

[bridger]

last time I bought a new stanley plane was about 12 or 15 years ago. I was working out of town and discovered that I had left my block plane behind. went to the toyc^c^ool store and bought the best one they had. low angle stanley made in england. it's fine.

[patriarch]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I bought the same one about 3 years ago.

$55 + two hours of fussing with it, and it still isn't nearly as good as the Veritas, right out of the wrapper. The blade doesn't stay sharp as long. It won't stay as tightly (finely) adjusted. And it doesn't have the same feel in your hand as the Veritas.

That said, it hasn't been banished to the nether regions of tool hell, as the Record #4 has been. THAT is a $75 boat anchor/mistake that won't be repeated. Funny, the Records at the Adult Ed shop worked just fine.

Did you ever have a tool you were too embarrassed to even give away? As in, 'I wouldn't wish that on anyone?'

Patriarch

[Frank]

Lei-Neilsen. You will never be unhappy with it and you will need only one in this lifetime. Why get adequate unless you don't mind your work being merely adequate. Devils advocate "any well tuned plane will work well" , reality: the L-N will need about 7 minutes of tuning out of the box. As for Lee valley, if you use a tool 3 times a day 5 days a week for the next 10-30 years really whats an extra $75, for a tool thats'a pleasure to use. but dont worry the L-N really is a good tool, it's not jewelry.

[bridger]

never having had a veritas in my hand (I don't think there were any veritas planes at the time I bought that one) I can't make a comparison. I did spend some time fettling, but it wasn't too bad... it was a while ago, I don't remember exactly how long it took. it sounds like there was some decline in stanley's quality during the interval between our purchases.

"... Here, man, this is for you. no,, no.. don't look at it too closely. you can have it, I got a better one that actually works. just get that thing out of my shop...."

[J. Clarke]

FWIW, I got a Stanley G12-060 about ten years back. Never gonna do that again. Friggin thing was trying to be a skew plane. It's OK now but far too much work for the reward.