First block plane advice

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TomP

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Hi,

I have recently been given a Stanley number four and a five. I am new to planes but i think a block plane would be a good idea to add to the toolbox.

Could anyone suggest a good block plane to get started with, not sure if i should be looking for another old Stanley. I also don't want to be spending mega amounts as I'm not sure I'm skilled enough to really tell the difference at the minute

thanks in advance

Tom
 
I bought my first block plane from screwfix - it was a Stanley, and pretty cheap. I figured a block plane was a block plane. Turns out it doesn't have a screw to advance the blade, so is a compete nightmare to set up.

I've since bought a Stanley 220, which does have a screw to advance. Still not expensive (around £25), but good quality.

I'm sure the plane aficionados will be along soon though!
 
You need a No62 1/2 low angle block plane, I have a Stanley and a Lie Nelsen, the Stanley doesn't get used, I understand the Quangsheng ones are good http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Qua ... html#SID=4

The more skill you have the better you can make a cheap tool work so at your present skill lever the last thing you want to do is fight with a difficult to use tool, it might put you off woodworking.

Pete

Edited to add the half to the 62
 
Pete is absolutely right and the QS would be a good choice, but given that it is very likely that your block plane will turn out to be one of the planes you use most, it is important that you find it comfortable to use. Many block planes are too low if you have average or larger hands because, for comfort you need to be able to drive it forward from your palm - if it is too low you have to drive it by gripping with the fingers which is tiring to the finger muscles and therefore detrimental to good control. My advice would be to go to your nearest Axminster store and try as many as you can, even if you don't buy it from them. Their Rider No 60 1/2 is reasonably priced and looks similsr to the Quangsheng - quite likely made in the same Chinese factory.

Jim
 
Racers":2ano8ap3 said:
You need a No62 low angle block plane, I have a Stanley and a Lie Nelsen, the Stanley doesn't get used, I understand the Quangsheng ones are good http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Qua ... html#SID=4

The more skill you have the better you can make a cheap tool work so at your present skill lever the last thing you want to do is fight with a difficult to use tool, it might put you off woodworking.

Pete
Click to expand...

Can I just point out for the benefit of the OP that the plane linked to is a 60 1/2 low angle block (as opposed to the 62 which is a low angld jack). I agree with the recommendation though - I have one and it is in regular use.

Cheers

Karl
 
I use almost no power tools at this point, but still never use a block plane. If you're new at this, I think any working block plane with an adjustable mouth will do fine. Some tasks, like beveling small things are easier to do with a plane with a small mouth.
 
I have a QS block plane and use it all the time. It is the only "premium" plane I have and cost more than my 4. 4.5, two no.5s and long wooden jointer put together. However I rarely, if ever, use it at the bench, I use it for fitting, templating and other jobs where I need a plane I can use with one hand while I hold the work with the other. It's a little ironic that the plane I spent the most money on is the one I'm forever putting down in the bilge of the boat I'm working on while I cover it with sparks from the angle grinder, while my £1 no.4 lives in the tool well of my bench or in a drawer of my tool chest and never gets abused. I'd be interested to know if the furniture makers on this forum use a block plane much, I imagine that if I were just to make free standing furniture I wouldn't need one at all. I would still need my bullnose block plane as this does some tasks my bench planes can't do.
So Tom, my advice for what it's worth is first identify what you need a block plane for and if you need one at all, my feeling is for carpentry they are really useful, for cabinet making not so much. That said, I went on a violin making course a few years ago, something I intend to pursue when I retire from fixing boats, and the luthiers use a block plane all the time.
Paddy
 
I would identify a definite need for a block plane before spending silly money on one - I've owned a Stanley for thirty + years, and if I've used it for half an hour in all that time it would be a top end estimate. Horses for courses.
 
I agree with the others on the QS block. Before I got it I had a couple of old stanley blocks but nither were low angle or had the adjustable mouth. If you are only getting one block plane then low angle and adjustable mouth is the go. The QS wont break the bank either.
Regards
John
 
I must be the only one who doesn't like the QS. It's a very good block plane, just rather heavy. I prefer my Stanley or better still my Veritas apron plane. As a little trim plane even a Stanley 102 is very capable .
 
I probably use my block plane more than any other, not that I have a huge collection. Mine was about £7 from amazon I think, very cheap and cheerful but with about an hours worth of filing and bade sharpening it has turned into a good little tool. I find it a lot easier to use than my No.4 with which I can never seem to get a smooth cut, my No.5 is better but usually too big for the kind of work I am doing. I also have a Record rebate block plane, I forget the number, that one I don't think I have ever used at all.
 
TomP":3v37f49f said:
Hi,

I have recently been given a Stanley number four and a five. I am new to planes but i think a block plane would be a good idea to add to the toolbox.

Could anyone suggest a good block plane to get started with, not sure if i should be looking for another old Stanley. I also don't want to be spending mega amounts as I'm not sure I'm skilled enough to really tell the difference at the minute

thanks in advance

Tom
Click to expand...

Tom, Pete made a good point about cheap. Hell, I wrote a fun review about the cheapest block plane ever, and once tuned it worked a treat. Still, I could not live with it: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReview ... Plane.html

Block planes are incredibly useful in furniture making. They are one-handed planes for breaking edges, for chamfering, for jointing narrow edges, and even for smoothing (it is easy to add a high angle to the blade). Yes, you can do the work with a Stanley #4, but that is like swatting a fly with a sledgehammer.

With a tight budget, look on the second-hand market for a vintage Stanley #60 1/2. This has an adjustable mouth, which can be useful.

Regards from Perth

Derek
 
Thanks for all the advise, it helps a lot

Think i will keep an eye out for a vintage Stanley on eBay (assuming thats the best place to look)

Then again a shiny new Quangsheng is tempting
 
Tom, for a first block plane IMO an adjustable mouth is a must, and a low-angle iron very desirable. The two together make for the most versatile single-iron plane.

The 60 1/2 recommended many times already ticks both these boxes and is small and light in the hand, making it the ideal choice. If you had to have just one block plane that's what I'd pick.

If you can find a decent old Stanley or Record going cheap then by all means go for it, but I feel it should be said that buying vintage is not a guarantee you'll get one that's problem-free even if it was used a lot by previous owners. I bought an older Stanley recently that needed careful filing to get it to work the way it should when it left the factory.

On the other hand if you buy new you don't have to pay a premium to get yourself a good user, even a great one. There are a number of inexpensive clones now made in China that can be solid buys despite how cheap they are.
 
TomP":3u1c6brh said:
Think i will keep an eye out for a vintage Stanley on eBay (assuming thats the best place to look)
Click to expand...
Always worth checking on Gumtree to see if there's anything available within driving distance. Prices are often better to begin with and no postage on top, plus you can examine tools before you buy which is very useful as photos can hide a multitude even if the seller isn't intentionally trying to hide anything.
 
Hi Tom,
I have one of these going for sale.
http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Qua ... html#SID=4
It was bought for me by the Mrs as a misguided but much appreciated surprise birthday present when I was looking at buying my first block plane. It's been used a few times but is basically mint. Has a few minor usage scratches on the base etc. Nothing. It's a workshop heaven one, (mark 3) so its top of the QS production line. In all honesty I'm not going to use this. I'd take 45 quid for it which I think is fair for a bit of kit of this quality in pretty much mint condition.
(I hope I'm not breaking any rules mods, if I am am I hope to vindicate myself by being more than honest :D ).
Before you think you're getting a steal Paul, a couple of things to consider.
Read the WH description. This is not a block plane replacement per se. It's kind of a shoulder/ block plane amalgam. I also 'think' I remember reading Peter Sefton (?... Sorry Peter!) on here commenting on this, that this model is not really a straight replacement for a block plane. Matthew from workshop heaven describes it thus:
'Think of it as a broad, comfortable shoulder plane rather than a block plane with added versatility and you won't go far wrong. '
I'm not trying to flog this off. Having said that, ( :D ) It could be just the plane you need. Bit of a block plan, bit of a shoulder plane.
I'd listen to the sage advice of those who comment on this post and then you can decide if it's suitable for your needs. I'm not sure it is so it's for you to decide hopefully with the advice of the wise.
I'm resigned to selling it one way or the other, I have no place for tools that don't get used even if if tugs at my heart, clarity and sense is the order of the day (mostly) when it comes to this so, have a think and if it's the tool for you let me know, if not give it a wide berth. :wink:
Regards
Chris
 
Spent the last 20 years with a trusty Record 09 1/2. Recently bough a Lie Neilson on a whim but they both do the same job just one looks prettier. Save the pennies would be my advise.
 
I'd thoroughly recommend a 60 1/2 low angle block plane. I had a new Stanley, which required a lot of fettling and once fixed it was great. After I'd dropped it once too often I decided to get a Lie Nielson, which initially was very disappointing as I had to fettle it!!!! and doesn't have the lateral adjuster.

I use it for all sorts of finishing and wood butchering on site where a larger plane is just too large, plus it is excellent across end grain. The Lie Nielson is no better than a well set up Stanley, and possibly slightly worse due to no lateral adjuster.

I am not a cabinet maker so only use three planes with any regularity. 1, 5 1/2 (Record), 2, 60 1/2 (LN) 3, 311 (Record). Personally I call these the Holy Trinity as they'll do 98 percent of planing tasks that I need. (However a Record Rabbet Plane given to me by a very kind forum member is pushing in for inclusion).
 

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