how good are Axminster rider block planes

[beaver]

Hi Guys
I'm looking to purchase a new block plane, and I wondered if anyone has any experience of the Rider range, as they seem to get mixed reviews. I'm thinking of the 69 1/2 (best of both worlds). or can anyone suggest a mid priced alternative.
Many Thanks

 

[Droogs]

SWMBO bought me 1 last year as a b/day present, it's the low angle one witht he bronze handle (can't remember the number). I have been pretty impressed with it. Nice weight and blade sharpens up easily on diamond stones and finished on a strop. Has an easy to adjust mouth and the chassis was pretty near perfect when I got it, took me about 20 mins to fettle it. Was using it today to tidy up a mitre cut on some architrave for my bedroom and it raised a smile as it lifted of some very nice curly endgrain shavings. They were so nice I even went a got the Lidl digital calipers and they didn't register on the scale. Only thing I would say is don't let it get wet. I made the mistake of leaving it out the other day on the B&D Workmate in the garden when it rained only there for about 20 mins and was dried off as soon as i noticed, but by the next morning is looked like it was made of chocolate, so had to do a good bit of clean up.

hth

 

[Eric The Viking]

Hope it doesn't happen again, but... when steel gets wet, immediately spray liberally with WD40. The stuff was formulated in WWII to chase water off steel plate and provide "40 days" of protection. The first bit really works.

BTW, it's NOT a lubricant, but washes away oil and grease, so you would have had to re-lubricate anyway. But as a rust preventer, what it was originally made for, it works passably well. "WD" is supposedly War Department or Water Displacer, incidentally (can't remember which).

 

[jlawford]

I've got the Rider 60 1/2 and couldn't be happier. It's a weighty thing (more than a Stanley 4 1/2!) but is a neat size and form for lots of things.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Hope it doesn't happen again, but... when steel gets wet, immediately spray liberally with WD40. The stuff was formulated in WWII to chase water off steel plate and provide "40 days" of protection. The first bit really works.

BTW, it's NOT a lubricant, but washes away oil and grease, so you would have had to re-lubricate anyway. But as a rust preventer, what it was originally made for, it works passably well. "WD" is supposedly War Department or Water Displacer, incidentally (can't remember which).

...is abbreviated from the term "Water Displacement, 40th formula", suggesting it was the result of the 40th attempt to create the product. (Wiki). I have read this elsewhere too. As Eric says, it's not a lubricant - virtual any spray oil on the market seems to work better for that, and for penetrating, use a penetrating oil. I have also read that it is not good to use on vehicle electrics, it can apparently cause intermittent faults. My appologies for the thread drift.

 

[beaver]

Thanks for the positive replies, looks like I will soon be the owner of a new rider block plane.

 

[Honest John]

Back in April this year I found myself near Axminster Devon and popped into the Axminster store to treat myself to some goodies. I wanted to look at the Rider 3 in 1 shoulder plane. Axy had three in stock and I checked them all following different reports on the quality of Rider planes. I had taken an accurate engineers square with me. Two of the planes were out of true, one of them quite badly, and one of them was absolutely spot on. I bought the good one and it has been superb. Does make you think about the quality of manufacture though with a one in three success rate and they claim these planes a machined to be square, which is of course a fundamental requirement on a shoulder plane as it regsters off the sides and the blade is not adjustable. I have several block planes and my favourite and go to one is a Quangsheng. Similar price I think to the Rider?