Anant

[PJ]

Hi,
I have been trying to buy a Stanley no. 7 jointer for some time now of ebay and local ads but they go at about £50 to £60 with delivery which I feel is a tad to much when you cannot check the plane. I do not envisage this plane getting a great amount of work, so cannot justify a clifton. Dick tools in Germany will ship an Anant no. 7 for about £50, but not having seen one in the hand I cannot decide if it would be possible to fettle it into a usable plane with a new clifton blade,cap iron and some hours of work.

Any thoughs?

Philip

 

[Pete W]

I don't have any direct experience, but I've seen messages on several forums where the concensus seems to be:
a) they're not brilliant
b) they're no worse than recent Stanley/Record/other modern planes

So there's no reason why they wouldn't fettle up OK, especially if you're prepared to put Clifton iron in it (although if you're prepared to do that, I can't see that you'd be worse off with an old Stanley from eBay to be given the same treatment).

There you go... another classic 'on the one hand... on the other hand' answer .

 

[Chris Knight]

Wot Pete said although, I'd observe that a long plane like a #7 is not that easy to fettle if the sole is out of true and it could take a lot of work.

 

[bugbear]

That's an expensive way to end up with a not-that-good plane.

You're looking at 50 quid for the plane plus 30 quid for the iron and 13 quid for the cap-iron.

http://www.axminster.co.uk/category.asp?cat_id=207730

Anyway, that add up to around a 93 quid #7. That's no bargain.

By comparison Ray Isles (doubtless out of date) list #18 lists a G+ Record #7 at 80 quid.

His reconditioned Stanleys run at 100 GBP for a #7.

My website has more (than you need to know...) info on plane buying a reconditioning.

BugBear

 

[Adam]

I do not envisage this plane getting a great amount of work, Philip

That's interesting, 'cos I use a #7 in preference to nearly all my other planes. I like the fact it has a long reference surface - so keeps you "square" and the additional weight means it glides through any awkward spots. I keep a #6, and a #4.5 and a #5 "ready-to-go" but it's the #7 that is the general workhorse in my workshop. I rarely reach for a smoother - always a #7 (rarely actually gets used as a jointer)

Adam

 

[Alf]

I rarely reach for a smoother - always a #7 (rarely actually gets used as a jointer)

You been reading alot of Kirby* or summat, Adam?

Cheers, Alf

*Hoping that is the fella I'm thinking of.

 

[Adam]

You been reading alot of Kirby* or summat, Adam?
Cheers, Alf
*Hoping that is the fella I'm thinking of.

Err no - it's something I picked up on my evening class. Certainly seems to work for me though. The main problem is that I don't have much space to wield a #7 - but it's so nice to use I manage. 8)

Adam

 

[Anonymous]

why don't you try a wooden jointer, they will cost only 20-30EU on ebay. the sole is easy to flatten and they have thicker irons than the metal ones.
I have two and I enjoy using them.
At the moment i am building the third one with a 60° bed angle for difficult wood.
This one is form ULMIA

an that one is an old jointer made of cherry, I tuned it with a 6mm thick iron no capiron

that is the almost finished jointer made of IPE (the tote is missing)

regards
Rolf

 

[bugbear]

(Sarcasm)

What's the matter Rolf? Couldn't you find a decently thick iron, so you had to skimp by with 6mm?

(/Sarcasm)

That's not a blade, it's an anvil!

BugBear

 

[Nigel]

I bought an ANANT #4 plane at a boot sale to try my hand at tuning at little cost, (£1)
the plane is of Indian origin and they have their own website giving a history of the make

The plane seems to be of thinner materials than say a Stanley but to my amazement after my attempts at tuning cuts better than my Stanley,

On the subject of Wood Planes check out the article in this months GWW by Jeff Loader on how to tune and use a woody

Nigel

 

[Shady]

I think that, if the sole is 'acceptably' trueable, as opposed to one with, say, a convex warp in it, you could tune it up...

But...

a) As asleitch says, my number 7 probably gets more use than any other plane in the collection (mine's a 1980's Stanley with a Hock iron), because it has the weight and length to really plane with authority. This is difficult to explain logically, but they do cut very sweetly, and their sheer size powers through difficult stuff.

b) They are monsters to fettle if they're badly out of tune, because of the size... (you do have a gauranteed flat surface about 3 times the length of the plane's sole to run it along, don't you???)

c) By the time you've bought a decent blade, it'll have added significantly to the cost.

Unless it's gonna really bankrupt you, I'd be very inclined to bite the bullet on a Clifton. Failing that, I'd buy a Record before an Anant, on the basis that it may well be easier to simply have it exchanged if the sole is badly out of true - but that's pure guesswork. Note that mine equates to a 'fettled record' in terms of build quality, and as I've implied, I'm very happy with it, and use it more than almost all my other planes.

 

[PJ]

Thanks for the advice. I am probably not being honest by saying that it will not get much use, as it would probabably get used as much as my no. 5. I will steer clear of the Anant and try Ebay or Ray Iles for a used Record/Stanley.
Thanks for good advice.
Philip.

Ps. Nice to see Richard Jones posting on the forums.

 

[DaveL]

Philip,

I would keep an eye open on the boot sales, here are my spoils from one in September.

 

[Anonymous]

Philip,

As the owner of a reconditioned/ground Ray Iles #5 with his thicker blade, I'm delighted with it and can highly recommend his products to you.

Cheers,

Lee