Cheapest Usable NEW Block Plane?

[ED65]

2weeks ago I bought from them a Rider No 62 Low angle in their factory seconds.. It arrived with a broken mouth adjuster (no way to fix it) , the castings were terrible ( would need A LOT of re-griding)...

Photos?

...and it started to rust after a week taken out of the packaging!

That's exactly like some of the comments in negative reviews I highlighted in the previous thread needed to be ignored! Once a tool is in a user's hands it's up to them to keep it from rusting, not the manufacturer :roll:

Oh and by the way, you don't need the mouth-adjustment lever. Despite the levers being fully functional on both my block planes I mostly adjust the mouth opening with the pad of my thumb, I find it far more accurate.

 

[ED65]

You almost certainly don't need one. My view is that they are essentially a building site tool. Everything you can do with one in a workshop you can do with a bench plane. On site, however, you often need to hold something in one hand and plane it using your free hand, hence the block plane. That circumstance doesn't crop up in a workshop, so rather than buy a cheap crappy tool you don't need, save your money until you can buy a decent one, or until you have the time and inclination to sort out a second hand one. Mine was a skip find.

I beg to differ on this.

Andy Rae, Chris Gochnour, Craig Bentzley, John Lloyd and countless others would agree with you on how useful a block plane is in the workshop.

 

[MikeG.]

You almost certainly don't need one. My view is that they are essentially a building site tool. Everything you can do with one in a workshop you can do with a bench plane. On site, however, you often need to hold something in one hand and plane it using your free hand, hence the block plane. That circumstance doesn't crop up in a workshop, so rather than buy a cheap crappy tool you don't need, save your money until you can buy a decent one, or until you have the time and inclination to sort out a second hand one. Mine was a skip find.

I beg to differ on this.

Andy Rae, Chris Gochnour, Craig Bentzley, John Lloyd and countless others would agree with you on how useful a block plane is in the workshop.

Sorry, this isn't clear. Whose post are you referring to? In other words, would these people (who I've never heard of) be agreeing with me, or with Andy Kev.? Not that it matters, really, because my point stands. The OP says that he hasn't had need of a block plane. I use one all the time on my renovation project, but almost never in the workshop. For I guess 20 of the 40 years I've been making furniture I didn't even have a block plane.

 

[Racers]

I am always putting chamfers on wood with my LN62 1/2, using a N04 I would have to clamp in in the vice multiple times rather than hold it in one hand and the plane in the other.


My most used planes are 5 1/2, 62 1/2 and No8.

Pete
Pete

 

[Glynne]

Wouldn’t be without my Veritas LA block plane.

 

[ED65]

Given the amount of sarcasm here I can see how "how useful a block plane is" could be ambiguous :lol: but it's always the last quote, the outside one, being referenced. Exactly as you just did.

...my point stands. The OP says that he hasn't had need of a block plane. I use one all the time on my renovation project, but almost never in the workshop. For I guess 20 of the 40 years I've been making furniture I didn't even have a block plane.

All the named woodworkers have written about how useful, even vital, they consider block planes in the workshop. As with many other things, different strokes for different folks.

 

[Sideways]

Keep your eye open for Axminster rider factory seconds and there's a good chance of you getting a very decent new block plane for under £40.
Bargains don't grow on trees. If you want that excellent deal, you'll have to a) wait and b) work for it in time spent looking and / or time spent fettling it.

2weeks ago I bought from them a Rider No 62 Low angle in their factory seconds.. It arrived with a broken mouth adjuster (no way to fix it) , the castings were terrible ( would need A LOT of re-griding) , and it started to rust after a week taken out of the packaging!
Went straight back.. Never getting another rider plane from them..

Ah, bad luck ! Mine was almost perfect and nothing of note wrong with the block plane either. But I had checked in advance that I had right of return and like you, i'd have sent that one back.

Regards rust, planes aren't made from stainless so as the other poster said - that's your responsibility. My place is wickedly damp so my planes get a wipe with an oiled rag before putting away in a box with some bags of silica gel. Seems to work ...

 

[MikeG.]

.......All the named woodworkers have written about how useful, even vital, they consider block planes in the workshop. As with many other things, different strokes for different folks.

I am always putting chamfers on wood with my LN62 1/2, using a N04 I would have to clamp in in the vice multiple times rather than hold it in one hand and the plane in the other.

Indeed. I typically do chamfers with a block plane now. However, the OP said he hasn't got one and hasn't needed one, and when I didn't have one, I didn't need one either. This is my point: they're a bonus, not a necessity. Therefore, I stick to my reply to the OP......don't get one until you can get a decent one, or have the time to fiddle about with a second hand one to get it right. There is no crashing urgency with having one, and useless tools are useless.