A few hand plane questions

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"CW" wrote

Indeed, yes. For further details please see my web site - Planing Notes - Plane Body Deflection.

Jeff G

[Pat]

Actually it's the 220H.

The whole point is this. Some people cannot afford a $200 plane, let alone a $100 plane. If that's the case, by a bargain plane and then learn to make it work. Aquire the skills, and then if warranted and you really want to keep woodworking, then look at investing in a good plane.

Is it a perfectly fine wood working plane, that's as good as any other.? No. I'd love to be able to own a couple of nice planes. But it's more than adequate for the projects I do.

Regardless of what level of quality you purchase, your still going to have to learn to give it (The Plane) some TLC. Based upon everything I have read, and my limited experience, this is the most important part of the equation.

What I have learned making this one work - will come in handy when I do purchase a better quality plane.

PM

[bridger]

taking a sad case plane and bringing it up to good running user status is a great way to get the basic education in plane mechanics, and you get a plane at the end of it. there are some planes that just aren't worth the trouble- the castings are too light, have too many voids,

*are* gonna crack on you if you look at them funny... there are the ones with folded sheetmetal bodies, the ones that are just a block of rust where was once a fine plane, woodies with big 'ol cracks in them.... But there are lots of planes out there that with some care and attention will make great users. in general I prefer to start with an older stanley or such. just better design than a new cheapie. but the bottom line is what it does to the wood when you're done with it....

another think to thing about- you can make a plane for *any* application from the ground up, in a wood body. another whole side of the plane story...

[patriarch]

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

The first handplanes in my shop were purloined from my father's toolbox. A Stanley Handyman #4, and a Handyman block plane, of similar style. The block plane had/has a big chunk broken out of the part the sits in your palm when using it. Adds to the charm, and doesn't really detract when using it.

I cleaned up those planes, flattened the soles and sides, and used them for many of my first projects, when I 'moved up' from carpentry types of projects three or four years ago. They went to my oldest son, when he wanted to do some carpentry/homeowner projects, a couple of years ago. I saw them yesterday evening. They need de-rusting and retuning. Which they will get, because, after all, we stole them from Dad's toolbox...

Dad saw me using a LN block plane last year, when I was building my mother's coffin, and commented that he was proud of my tendency to purchase 'heirloom quality tools'. I bought him a LV block plane for a Christmas present. He asked me if he could keep it in my shop.

I built a couple of Krenov-style handplanes last winter. I'd been futzing around with trying to build a wooden-bodied scrub style plane, for some dumb reason. One of the good friends who often drops by the house/shop asked if I could build him a smoothing plane, in that style. And he sent over a load of maple and cherry 'for the wood racks', in appreciation. It was one of the more satisfying projects I've done. About a #5 in size, Hock blade, following the College of the Redwoods plan/model. Rock maple body, with cocobolo base and jatoba wedge. The one I made for my bench is the same size, with jatoba base and wedge. Parts for two or three more bodies are in the 'project box' on the shelf. Still no scrub plane...

The accountant sees it as an expense. My wife sees it as therapy. I see it as life.

Patriarch

[AArDvarK]

ahh... you paid too much:

[Pat]

Hi Alex,

No, and I'll tell you why..

That's Amazon.com, not Amazon.ca "which doesn't sell tools". As a result, you have to factor in the exchange rate CDN to US. Last time I checked it was $1.40 CDN to $1.00 US. That get's you to $28 bucks. Let's not forget about shipping fee's. Then add in Federal Goods and Services Tax of 7%, and then the Provincial Sales Tax of 8%. Then of course I would have to pay "Duty" cause it will pass over the border etc.

Footprint Tools manufacturing plant is just outside of Toronto "They actually have a website". i.e. Canadian Made tool.

As for the claim in the Amazon advertisement. The bed angle wasn't even close to 21 degrees. I checked mine with a protractor and 25 degrees was being conservative. It's not being marketed "up here" as a low angle block plane, and the company doesn't claim it's a low angle block plane either. Nor do they make any claims about ability to plane end-grain.

The base ground for accuracy. I spent an hour on mine "and I started lapping with 220 grit paper" before switching to my stones, and the base is still not even close to perfect.

Finger and Thumb grooves on the sides don't exist on mine or even in the picture Amazon is showing you.

Plastic Knob - that's the only part of their advertisement that is accurate.

And it's an ugly looking knob too..

Maybe I should have bought the Stanley - at least it looks like a plane... {Smile}...

[AArDvarK]

So sorry I didn't know you are in Canada... anyway the 220H shown here on "our" amazon does not show finger-digs on the sides and does show the plastic knob. I wouldn't buy the thing. I would buy their #5 though, but I'd rather have the Stanley 5 1/2 for width.

What is the bed angle... the place / bevel where the back of the blade rests against the mouth [throat]?

Anyway, with all the plight [#3-noun] you have with this plane, you STILL have entirely the proper attitude of a real craftsman. Okay? It is what it takes to turn "nothing" into an actual "something". Don't let go of it.

Alex California P. S. ... "noooooob" here. Just collecting tools so I can start learning.

[Australopithecus scobis]

I'll take this opportunity to thank you for your website. I have learned a great deal from you. Thank you.

[AArDvarK]

It is REALLY an awesome site, an entire school posted for free. I really appreciate that! Alex