Interesting that no one has commented on the new stanley planes yet.With all the talk about LN,LV,WR and the boutique planes I figured there would be at least a small note. Any one tried them out yet?
Chris
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Replies
They just showed up in my local Woodcraft flyer.
Chris,
The new Stanleys just showed up at the local Woodcraft. First I picked up the block plane. It felt like a brick -- too heavy -- too wide -- just plain uncomfortable. Then I moved to the smoother. The mechanism for lateral movement and for blade depth was terrible. Too much play. The castings are very rough, and it looks like no attempt was made to smooth it. That kept the lateral movement mechanism from working easily.
Given my choice between them and the Wood River, I'd easily go with the Wood River. Neither comes close to even trying to compete with Lie Nielsen. Quality control is a major issue with both. If either is serious, and I doubt they are, they need to move out smartly to focus on quality control.
I am not sure that one could fettle one of the new Stanleys well enough to get it to be a user. The Wood Rivers are fettle-able, but some would require a lot of work.
Lie Nielsen and Lee Valley have nothing to worry about from Wood River and Stanley, IMHO.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Thats interesting but to be expected I guess. We havent gotten any in yet so I havent had a chance to see one but I did have marginal hope they would be worth something.
Chris
Chris,
A guy came in last night, and asked to buy two Wood River planes. Then he looked at the new Stanleys, and asked my opinion. I told him that I would put three planes side by side, and he should try to use the mechanism for raising/lowering the blade and for moving the blade from side to side. He tried all three and said that the Lie Nielsen was great, the Wood River was a distant second, and the Stanley was an even more distant third. I told him that I agreed with his assessment. He bought the Lie Nielsen, and then asked about sets of chisels. I said we should do the same experiment. I gave him a set of Wood River, a set of Pfeil, and a set of Lie Nielsens. He looked, felt, held, and looked at me and said. "I'll take the Lie Nielsens". I told him that is what I have. He thanked me for pointing out differences. I told him that I didn't point anything out. I just put things side by side for him to check. He laughed. I felt good. Things like that are the reason that I am still working 11 hours a week. It just feels great to see someone else realize what quality is without being told.
If I get more info, I'll let you know. But to me, things are pretty obvious. I do wish that Woodcraft would also carry Lee Valley.
Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
I've done just that a few times and quality does always win out. Even without telling them which one is the "better" one!
Chris
Chris,
As ex Gov. Palin would say, "you betcha!"
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
I think I am correct in saying that Lee Valley is the only retailer of their hand planes.
H,
I am not an expert on that. I have not seen Lee Valley planes sold by people other than Lee Valley, but I haven't checked to see if they do sell through some others. Lie Nielsen sells through others such as Woodcraft. Lie Nielsen has ceased doing the wood show circuit, and are now doing their own shows. Lee Valley is still doing the circuit. You could get on the Lee Valley website, and call their technical help number and ask if they sell through others. If the person who answers doesn't know, he or she will find out and get back to you. Lee Valley service is top notch, as is Lie Nielsen. I have now tried a number of Lee Valley planes and most of the Lie Nielsens. Both companies are EXCELLENT IMHO. You'll do well with either. Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot. .
I'll be making my 2nd annual pilgrimage to the Woodcraft Store in Spokane WA next week... Any good sales going on at woodcraft?
We've been crossing the boarder and making a loop through Spokane for years, and only last year did I discover the Woodcraft there. Great store, great people. The only separated me from about $90 of my hard earned cash, a nice little LN Apron plane (My favorite block plane).
Given that LN is US we don't pay duty when returning to Canada, a good dollar exchange, and the fact I have to mail order LN in Canada... I may just pick up a few small things.
Buster,
Glad you like the Woodcraft store. You did good in only spending $90 on the last trip. You asked about specials this weekend. I know that at the local Woodcraft, there is a pretty good sale this Friday and Saturday. I don't know the details, but I think it might be 15% off of most stuff. I don't know if it is local or across all Woodcraft stores. You could look up http://www.woodcraft.com and see if it says anything about this weekend. Also, you could call the store and ask them if they are having a big sale this weekend.
Best of luck.MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
The Woodcraft stores are just so 'Woodworky' if you know what I mean. They seemed to be aimed at the hobbyist. Lee Valley stores are cool, they have a whole section you can send your wife to (gardening), but the one here in Calgary is about an eighth of the size as the woodcraft store. I suspect that woodcraft could do very well up here...Buster
Buster,
I think Lee Valley did a very wise thing by diversifying. It makes the overall company more robust. I am concerned about the future of fine woodworking. Fewer and fewer people are getting into it. In the US, they dont teach "shop" in the high schools anymore (except at a few places). It used to be that all boys learned about tools. WHere else are they going to start to learn?What about you? Do you see more, less or the same interest in woodworking among the younger generation. I see almost none. That's too bad. MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Hmmm... I believe I'm of the younger generation Mel! At leats compared to you... :)
Woodworking requires time, money and space. Resources many young adults do not have.
I have a few mor ethoughts on this... but they'll have to wait until I have some more time.
Hey not all is lost. At my daughters grad I noticed a StopSaw crate outside the shop door.I think some schools are less short sighted, due to lack of trades. I am trying to get my 2 daughter 17 and 18 to take a intro to the trades course. they are exposed to all the basic trades for a semester. and if you chose to take a journeyman program they credit you with some time. They are starting a bridging program for women in the trades also, guess some Blue Suit decided he may not get a plumber in 10 years>>>>
If they don't decide to pursue a trade at least they can do simple home repair, with out calling Daddy.and I have a ton of old Stanley's for them to use.Regards
Here in Calgary I took some classes at some local high school. The first had a shop well equipped with basic hand tools, and power tools. More than enough for the 10 of us to do 'fine' woodwork. The next barely had a working machine, and the third had brand new stationary machines... apparently donated to the school. BUT the school focused on home building.Personally I think the industrial arts, and home economics class should teach the kids the basics. How to change a light switch, and how to cook a meatloaf... These are pretty basic skills, that a homeowner should know.
Hey Cowtown.. Had a few good nights on Electric Ave. I think i remember???I had a phone survey about a month ago from WCB/ Occupational heath, since I'm a small business owner. answered all the questions and at the end the nice lady asked for comments.My suggestion was basic OSA was taught in high school, She said that was the best suggestion she had heard. To many kids fresh out of school get injured and have no idea what a good job site may be like.Go Riders
Mel,
I wish you worked at the woodcraft close to where I live.
Scott,
Where do you live? Which is the nearest Woodcraft?
Are you anywhere near Virginia?
I looked up your profile but it didn't say.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
I think your assessment of these planes is spot on. A friend and fellow woodworker recently decided to purchase 3 Wood River planes. He brought them over for some help in fettling them, as I have restored many planes (old Stanleys) in my day.The jack plane is un-repairable. The bed is all cocked sideways, as it was milled incorrectly.The #4 worked ok out of the box after alot of work on the iron. It'll do with some fettling.The block plane works about as well as a $7 blue star plane I have from 40 years ago. It needs quite a bit of work with a file to get the iron to seat properly without wobbling a bit, and gouging the wood on one side.My thoughts after spending 3 hours helping him were that LN and LV have absolutely nothing to be concerned about. My concern is that anyone buying these tools who would be unfortunate enough to get a poorly made one might give up hand tool use completely, thinking that they just weren't cut out for it. That would be a shame, especially if it's a youngster.
Prunus,
I fully agree with you. LN and LV are the way to go.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
The point that I was making really wasn't that LN or LV are the way to go. Some people, especially hobbyists, just can't afford them, especially in these tough times. It's a shame that a once proud American traditional name for quality tools like Stanley can't seem to get their act together. It's as if, in my opinion, not one single engineer with any woodworking skills works for Stanley. If there was at least ONE, he/she would cry foul at the end of the assembly line. For $150 to $200, a new woodworker with limited abilities should be able to purchase a plane, sharpen the iron, and get to work. With the Stanley's and the Wood River's, you just can't count on being able to do that.I started out with pre-war used Stanley's. I purchased them one at a time, and tuned each one until it worked perfectly for me before moving on to the next purchase. After 10 years, I had a darned good user set of mixed and matched Stanley bench planes from different era's, and some were Bedrock's. I didn't pay more than $100.00 for any of them, with the exception of a Bedrock 607.Today's new woodworker could learn alot from the experience of tuning a plane, and learning what differences truly make a difference in the performance of the plane, all the while spending between $25 and $50 (maximum) for quality used planes (each).
Prunus,
What you did is what I did. Get a number of Stanleys and some woodies, and learn how to fettle them, and to use them. Wonderful furniture can be made with them. I doubt the furniture made with LNs and LVs would be noticeably better. I am to the point where I can afford some Lie Nielsens. I like them better than the old Stanleys for two reasons. One is that I can buy them, use them for years and sell them for what I bought them for. So they are free, in terms of life cycle cost. Second, with their stouter irons and chipbreakers, they really are more fun to use. But if old stanleys is what a person can afford, then that is what they should go with. Even if they can afford LNs, I'd still recommend starting with old Stanleys that need to be fettled. Then when you get an LN or an LV, you can appreciate the difference. Have fun,
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
I always thought that my old Bedrocks were going to be the only planes I ever needed. Truth be told, they would have served me terrifically for the rest of my life, and beyond. However, I made the mistake of trying someone else's Lie Nielsen low angle jack, and then his smoothing plane. I never would have believed that there would have been that big of a difference, but for me, there was. So, I took advantage of the rediculous market for Bedrock planes on ebay, and traded up to a pretty functional set of LN bench planes that I figure will last me forever.But, now I've been eyeing up those beautiful Marcou's. When the economy improves...........
"The point that I was making really wasn't that LN or LV are the way to go. Some people, especially hobbyists, just can't afford them, especially in these tough times."
One thing to think about, and is not often mentioned on net forums, is that it is very highly unlikely that anyone posting to the boards can't afford a LV or a LN. Unless you are going out to the woods and felling saplings with an axe to make green-stick chairs ala Roy Underhill (not that there's anything wrong with that - I've tried it, and it's a lot harder than it looks!), just the lumber for your first piece of furniture is going to cost at least as much as a bronze LN #4.
I do see this quite often on Knots, SawMill Creek, Woodnet, etc..., and I'm sometimes left scratching my head over the assertion that "(Insert company that makes decent products here) sure does make nice stuff, but it's unaffordable". The reality is, of course, that the vast majority of those posting these thoughts have a boatload of portable power tools, a shop, a full bevy of stationary tools, and wood rack that would make George Nakashima green with envy.
What I wonder is why anyone thinks that a handplane should be really cheap, or any hand tool for that matter? Is it because they've been so conditioned by cheap 'n crappy, just-barely-functional plastic "hand tools" at the local Lowes that the price of something made by one of the smaller companies to high quality standard is shocking? Or is it that they somehow make judgements about what something should cost based on the apparent amount of raw materials that went into it (i.e., my table saw weighs 400 lbs., and it cost $2000. Therefore, a 5 lb. handplane should cost 5/400*$2000 = $25?
I ask this because I can't ever recall someone posting something like "Freud router bits sure are nice, but they're unaffordable" (not that such a thead doesn't exist, but I can assure everyone reading this that they're not common). Or even "I make all of my furniture out of pallet wood, because pine is just too darned expensive"
I submit that it's just as ridiculous as I've made it out to be to insist that one should be able to get a block plane that works smoothly and adjusts nicely out-of-the-box for $50. Why? Just because someone wants to pay $50? I'd certainly like that to work on gasoline prices, or food at the grocery store, or...
Food for thought, I'll get off of my soapbox now. ;-)
David,
What I wonder is why anyone thinks that a handplane should be really cheap, or any hand tool for that matter?
Simple: I paid $500 for that planer why should spend $400 for that dinky hunk of iron with a blade? For cryin out loud it doesn't even have a motor!
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 7/6/2009 10:36 pm ET by KiddervilleAcres
I'll second your observation.
That said, if the hand plane were made in anywhere near the volume that the planer is made, it could be made a lot less expensively at the same high quality.
Total WAG here, but DeWalt probably does something like 1000x the volume that LN or LV does...
"Simple: I paid $500 for that planer why should spend $400 for that dinky hunk of iron with a blade? For cryin out loud it doesn't even have a motor!"
Bob - I strongly suspect (and what I was alluding to) is that what you wrote is right on the money. It's illogical, which is particularly apparent to those of us that really know what hand tools are capable of, but I suspect it's very common. For whatever odd reason, folks apply a different criteria to hand tools in general and high quality hand tools in particular than they do for other woodworking tools with cords, and the materials necessary to make things in their shop.
In fact, now that I think about it, I don't recall seeing too many threads to the effect of "$600 for a planer?!?!, That's obscene! I should be able to get one of those for $200!"
I agree with you that for many people high quality tools are a better value than cheap tools. I think that your argument is missing that many people have multiple needs/wants on their list of future tools.
I think that the decision tree is something like "Should I purchase a LN plane, or a cheaper plane, that I will have to invest some time getting in perfect condition, and an additional tool that I also need for my next project?"
I am extremely fortunate that I have a a considerable amount of money available for woodworking but I still find myself making trade-offs. A good example is that I purchased a Minimax combo machine instead of a Felder. I used the money I saved to purchase the basic shop tools for one of my other houses.
Ok, ok. First off, I'm just a hobbiest in this "trade", VERY SMALL BUDGET. I do have a few older hand planes around the shop ( including a Stanley "Liberty Bell" plane) and some other older tools. I had to save up just to buy a bench top drill press ( and a Harbor Freight one, at that!) so buy a big $$$ tool is not an "option". I re-use, recycle, and reclaim all kinds of wood. A few years back, someone asked me IF I could make some stuff out of a batch of old, straight-grained, pine floor boards. He GAVE away the boards for free! I finally milled the last few "sticks" this spring. If I need a "special tool" like a profile plane, I'll make one out of scrap( beech) wood I have on hand, grab an old, worn-out file and grind the "profile" for the plane. Buy a taper jig? Nope. I'll just hand-plane the tapers myself and take less time than setting up the jig. It's NOT the amount of CASH in wood working that counts, it's the SKILL used that does. Now, I'll get off of my "soap-box" for now. NEXT!
I'm right there where with you whitedog. If having a plane bed with .001" tolerence of flatness is so important, how in the world did the craftsmen get by with those old wooden beech planes back in the 1700's?http://www.mvflaim.com
" If having a plane bed with .001" tolerence of flatness is so important, how in the world did the craftsmen get by with those old wooden beech planes back in the 1700's?"
You're quite right that having a flat sole on a plane, while beneficial, isn't all that critical, at least within reason. But I will assure you that wooden bench planes, if properly made and tuned, are every bit as precise as metal ones. The reason that we perceive them as crude is that the existing examples have had the snot used (and abused) out of them, and 150 years of wet/dry cycles have shrunk and distorted the stock.
But as a some-time tool collector, I've seen plenty of examples of wooden planes that for one reason or another weren't used (perhaps due to the death of the owner, possibly because of crappy or stuck iron). It was obvious that these planes were made very precisely, and the soles were flat and the mouths were tight.
I do agree with your assessment on value. I personally have replaced all my old Stanley planes with mostly LN (and a couple LV) planes in the last 8 years or so. My statement of affordability was in keeping the the typical thought process for purchasing either the Wood River or newer Stanley planes in the first place. If money wasn't the obstacle, then these newer, cheaper planes wouldn't exist in the first place.Stanley claims in their marketing rhetoric that their new line of woodworking planes are up to snuff and ready to go to work. It sounds, at least from the few who have experienced them, that they in fact are not.I know from personal experience that the Wood River plane quality is also a hit or miss proposition.The obvious value is easy to see in spending $300 on a new LN smoother, and never needing to buy one again. Some folks just don't seem to get it, though.
Just out of curiosity, why did you replace your old Stanley's?
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Truly, there was nothing wrong with any of them. They served me well at my bench for nearly 10 years after I tuned them all. I was at a colleague's shop and he had a few of the Lie Nielsen planes, and I got my first opportunity to try them. I was quite impressed. After a little mental deliberation, I decided to take advantage of the silly prices that Bedrock's were selling for on ebay (about 8 or 9 years ago. The LN's were a noticeable upgrade in performance, and I liked the fact that they were made from ductile iron that couldn't break. I'd already cracked a corner off of a 605 1/2 by dropping it.Please don't get me wrong. The old bedrock planes were more than adequate to fulfill my woodworking needs (and I earn my living woodworking), but I guess I just liked the LN's better. I used all the money from the sales of the stanley planes to purchase the original LN's that I bought, and I have been adding a new plane here and there as I see the need.I hope that I answered your question. It was more of a "want" than a "need". I'm very happy with my decision.
Oh yes you did and thanks for taking the time. Especially your comment, The LN's were a noticeable upgrade in performance.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Does anybody here ever just mark a board, plane to the mark, clean up the face and move on, or is every single board worked an exercise in navel gazing, self-doubt, buyer's remorse, or self-flagellation about a tool purchase gone wrong?
Edited 7/9/2009 2:09 pm ET by Plancher_Fasciitis
Hi Charles
Regards from Perth
Derek
Hi Jeff.
It's back.....and it LIVES!!!Boiler
>Does anybody here ever just mark a board, plane to the mark, clean up the face and move on, or is every single board worked an exercise in navel gazing, self-doubt, buyer's remorse, or self-flagellation about a tool purchase gone wrong?<I do, but I like to pause for a moment of prayer before planing out the planer marks out of a board. I like to pause, reflect, and prepare myself for a transcendental experience. Some days the emotions of it all are just too much to take - it's almost like falling in love with your favorite high school cheerleader sweetheart all over again.
Good 'un.
What might you be transcending during that experience?
Before I use any plane other than my scrub or jack, I must bow three times to the scrap box and pray to not expand said population. I have to add that my scrap box is specially constructed from lumber harvested from the pews of a 500 year old place of worship specially aged during those years with suds bewed in what was the kitchen of that establishment.
The good news is you are savoring the moment on the rare occasion something actually gets built and squeezing every ounce of information about the usage as can be sqeezed for lively inter-net discussion after the piece took too long to make.
The bad news is if you fart around too long collecting information you forget to run and turn the ribs on the B-B-Q grill and you cremate some otherwise good pork.Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
Well, if good pork gets ruined then fisticuffs are called for no doubt.
I'm about to go out to the shop and take a swipe at a Red Oak board. I think if it doesn't go all that great I'll stop for the day and read a tool catalog and see if I can figure out what brand of plane will work perfectly every time I pick it up. I'm pretty sure that the answer to all my problems is in the stack of tool catalogs I keep in the bathroom.
Just ask on a forum which is best as I'm sure "someone" has read all the catalogs.. tested and come to that conclusion already. It'll save time that could be used to cut the grass. :>)
Have a good day B-B-Q man... Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
We did Neely's yesterday for my 48th B-Day. Pretty good. Better than the last time I went. Those guys have a show on the Food Network now. Good folks.
Probably changed management in that case. I have missed out of my weekly Que for a couple of weeks as I was finishing up on a desk-hutch attempting to beat the heat which has not really been that bad so far which is a nice surprise. But it's done as of a few days ago so I am hitting a B-B-Q joint tomorrow late afternoon before a Georgia WW Guild meeting in the evening. Two weeks is about as long of a period cold turkey (pork in this case) as I can make it without going into heavy withdrawal pains.
Happy 48th... whoa, I have a 62nd coming up in October. Love the fall weather. Also... hope the new arrival is faring well. Gerber is probably missing the boat by not offering BBQ flavor in baby food for southern kids and that's a shame. But then again it won't be long before she steps up to the counter and orders a plate of the real deal. ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..
Regards and see ya around...Sarge..
Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia
It has been incredibly hot here. We had a rain yesterday morning and temps in the mid-90s. Humidity was unreal. I hit a shag bag full of golf balls and I could literally wring my socks out. Not a dry stitch of clothing anywhere.
A plane takes skill to use. Skill that is difficult to understand without actually seeing a well tuned plane in action. So many of us are self taught, and have little face to face contact with outher woodworkers. Throw in the fact that many readily available planes are not suitable for fine work, and typically lead to frustration and bad experiences.It doesn't surprise me that people question the value of a hand plane under these circumstances.
Buster,
Along those same lines the cost of experiencing those finely tuned planes may put a blunt edge on ones enthusiasm to purchase one? But then agin how else can we self taught planers experience what sharp really is?
Your observation may be another reason why some folks can't justify spending the money for a high end plane. Another paradox of life.
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
This is an excellent point!
I started serious woodworking about a year and a half ago. I am stationed in Germany and don't have a dedicated shop. I do have a decent sized garage that my motorcycles, a car and some left over space that accomodates my woodworking interest. This small space has taught me the value of working with hand tools. I don't have room for lots of dedicated power tools. So, no jointer, no planer, etc. I was always fascinated with hand planes and here is my experience: I bought used ones on the internet through Ebay Germany, US, and UK. I have a couple of Ulmias, a Record, three Stanleys, a Craftsman, and one Lie-Nielsen. The Lie-Nielsen is a router plane and it is the only one I bought new. The rest are all used. I took the time to read and peruse this website and others learning the basics of handplanes. I then took the time to tune up my planes following directions and video vignettes, etc. All of these planes, with quite a scope of variety, perform very well. They do the job they were meant to do and do it as though they were new. I have never used a high value bench or block plane in it's new state, but I cannot imagine they work any better than the ones I now possess. With all of the works cleaned, oiled, lapped, and honed, I have a near complete battery of planes that do everything I need them to do and they do it well. And the best part is, the most I spent on any one plane is 110 dollars (the number 5 Record). Yes, I spent some time tuning these planes. But you know, what better way to learn the proper care, proper usage, and all the little nuances of your planes than to spend some time with them. And to be honest, I enjoy taking the time to make these used tools perform as new, for me that is part of the experience. Sure, you can go out and spend two or three times per plane than I spent with mine and use them right out of the box. But eventually you will have to do the care and maintenance somewhere down the road. I do mine up front and I learned my planes, and now I will only have to spend minimal time maintaining them. I call it part of the learning curve; Building my skills.
Stanley's new #62 "Premium" plane?
Well folks, last month I got my own new Stanley #62 from Woodcraft.
If you care to know, here are my thoughts...
The packaging was excellent, it came in a beautiful, printed, Stanley-yellow box. Inside is a plane wrapped in wax paper and plastic liner. The plane was slightly oiled to prevent rust.
The positive side (my story):
The adjustable mouth is excellently well machined and works as it should. The sole and side finish are fine grind, straight, somewhat flat and relatively square. But, the side-sole corners was a bit on the sharp side, I filed it a bit round. The cast aluminum alloy cap iron is similar to a Lee Valley with real brass knobs.
The negative side (my story):
The plane is shaped like the original #62 but the lateral adjustment lever lacks finesse, it is extremely loose. The blade ramp was a bit rough from machining, some burrs was left, it needed some filing smooth. The "already" scary-sharp A2 blade is 3/16 thick! But it's so wide, the lateral adjustment is nearly useless. So I had to grind the blade at the top width to give it some lateral play.
It is made in Mexico, and I'm wondering if the plant workers know what and why they are doing these planes. Stanley Works could have done better on the quality. I'm guessing the original fabricators are all retired. The original #62 was last made by Stanley, in Connecticut, in 1942.
The cherry handle and tote are nowhere near the original Stanley shapes, they are a bit on the bulky side, mine is two tone cherry, which looks great. I guess they made them big enough so you can shape it to your own comfort like the galoots use to do!
Other than this plane made from Ductile Iron, to say the least, this #62 is nowhere near the quality: of the original Stanley #62 or even a Lie-Nielsen #62. If you can't afford a L-N #62 or an original Stanley #62, this is a good plane to buy but be prepared for some fiddling and lapping, I spent 4 hours doin' so.
They are available for $179.99 from Hartville Tools and Woodcraft.
If Stanley Works is reading this, I would have cast the Stanley name at the front toe and No62 on the heal like the original! Why not? The only brand name is cast on the cap iron and etched on the rear-right side, the latter is not a good idea since a #62 is used a lot on it's side with a shooting board jig... so the etching will eventually wear off.
With so much history in plane casting and fabricating (since 1843 - printed on the box!), Stanley should have done WAY better. I wonder if our ancestors had to do so much fiddling on a new plane, way back then...
I called Stanley 800 number to register my plane for warranty and to get another blade (for a steeper grind angle) at first the operator thought I was back from the past, future or whatever ...nobody knew a newer model #62 existed!!! Finally after some waiting, according to them, no parts are available at this time, they are casting other premium models now. Some parts will be available later.
I also called Woodcraft (great service by-the-way! Thanks Bob) They said to make the necessary adjustments to the plane, if you still don't like it, you have 90 days to ship it back.
-which I did! It's simply not the expected plane, for $40 more you can get yourself a new Lee-Valley or Lie-Nielsen 62 Low-angle, better quality, no fiddling, n o lapping, no sweat... ready to use plane!!!
Another note to point out is that the lateral adjustment lever is exactly the same as a Lee-Valley, but much-much looser, ain't no fine adjustments there, as the treads on the adjustments are coarse! L-V are fine-treads! To my knowledge, their ain't much "Premium" on these planes, other than the cost!!!
What do you think? Am I the only plane-struck dude loving planes? Meanwhile, I'm sticking with L-N, L-V and Antique Stanleys...
Petemic
Petemic,I reviewed the new Stanleys earlier in this thread. Your comments are more detailed than mine, but identical in the things we both said. I applaud your sending it back. I think this is an open and shut case. You just nailed the lid to the coffin, and you did a fine job of it.
Thanks,
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
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