Plane Advice Please

[DOOGYREV]

I bought a Record No.4 Stay-Set Plane for £11 from a carboot, at the weekend.

I did some research on the web and found out it was made between 1952 and late 1957, but couldn't find out what it's worth.

So I was wondering if anyone knows how much they go for? (was it a bargain at £11 or just the going rate)

I haven't used a Stay-Set before, the idea seems good in principle, has anyone else got or used one, and are they any better to work with then a regular No.4?

Any comments would be appreciated.

 

[matthewwh]

If you see a faint red glow in the sky this evening coming from Salisbury direction you'll know Woodbloke has been reading your post and is composing his rant - er response!

For my two penneth, stay sets are fantastic, especially if you like to hone or strop freehand. You've got a cracking little plane there - a direct ancestor of the current Clifton's and you paid much less for it than you would have on't bay.

Pop an edge on it and see how you get on.

 

[AndyT]

I think what you paid was about right for a boot sale, ie a bargain. Records are rarer than Stanleys, and stay-set makes it a bit more unusual, but the no 4 is the commonest by far, and most of us find some sort of limit to how many we need.
If it was on eBay you might have had to pay £20-30 plus about £6 for postage. If it was in one of the handful of specialist second tool shops I'd guess at £25 to £50.
That's assuming it is all ok and there is plenty of blade left.

 

[Racers]

Hi,

Thats a nice plane.

Its got the square shouldered laminated blade and what looks like a Rosewood knob and a stained Beech tote.

Get it cleaned up and sharpened and you will have a very good plane.

I picked up a Record Stayset 4 1/2 for £10 but it doesn't have the SS leaver cap.


Pete

 

[condeesteso]

Hi all - is that a 2 part chipbreaker in there?? - I don't know Stayset planes yet.

 

[Peter T]

I got one exactly like yours for about £20 off e bay.

After fettling it worked very well. I've now fitted a Ray Iles replacement iron, with the same SS cap iron, and it works even better. The Ray Iles iron is thicker than the original and, at first, I didn't think it would fit without filing the mouth. With careful positioning of the frog it can be just squeezed in, giving a very fine mouth, ideal for smoothing.

Good luck,

 

[jimi43]

Stay-Sets are like Marmite...you either like them or you don't

I like them...indeed most of my plane are fitted with the Clifton version which is slightly thicker.

That was a good price for a good vintage Record...excellent score indeed.

I think you will find it a great user if the sole is relatively flat...at least each end and around the mouth are in line...

The iron is neither here nor there...you can replace them with direct drop-in ones....laminated Japanese ones or thicker ones for which you may have to do some mouth filing...pretty simple task really.

Bravo!! =D>

Jim

 

[Paul Chapman]

I haven't used a Stay-Set before, the idea seems good in principle, has anyone else got or used one, and are they any better to work with then a regular No.4?

I have Stay-Set or Clifton two-piece cap irons fitted to most of my bench planes. In my view they are the best cap irons available. The advantage of them is most noticeable when you have a thin blade fitted to your plane. The traditional type of cap iron tends to bend thin blades which stops them seating properly on the frog. As a result you get vibration or chatter when planing, particularly on very hard woods. The Stay-Set cap iron is thicker and the fixed portion lays flat on the blade and doesn't bend it. This makes the blade assembly more rigid and it helps to avoid chatter.

In terms of value, the only difference between a #4 Stay-Set plane and a regular #4 is the cap iron, so the difference in value is the cost of the cap iron. However, collectors being what they are often pay inflated prices for them.

Hope this helps.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Vann]

Nice plane! Good vintage!

As Jimi says, people either love or hate the stay-set cap irons. Woodbloke hates them with a passion. Paul Chapman loves them. I think David C and Derek C both like them but can't be bothered with the two pieces (the lower piece drops off into your wood shavings) and I think both have epoxied the two pieces together.

The great thing IMHO about these cap-irons is not the ability to 'stay set' - because there's too much side to side slop to allow the irons to go back into exactly the same 'set' or position - but that they clamp the cutting iron so much better than a standard Stanley/Record cap-iron.

On a standard plane the lever cap applies pressure to the irons near the mouth and near the top. The 2mm thick bent cap-iron is screwed to the 2mm thick cutting iron, which tends to slightly bow the assembly, meaning it doesn't necessarily sit flat on the frog and allows the irons to vibrate or 'chatter'.

The stay set cap-iron main section is flat (and also 3.1mm thick). The lever cap applies pressure at the top and also in the middle of the lower section (or 'deflector' to use Record's terminology). This pressure is transfered to near the cutting edge (as with a standard cap-iron) but also to the join, an inch or so further up the cutting iron, helping to hold the whole assembly flat on the frog. The thicker metal also helps dampen vibration.

So stay-set cap irons are said to dampen chatter as well as, or better than, a thicker iron - which is very useful if you're reluctant to file open the mouth of your plane to take a thicker iron.

Here endeth the rant...

Cheers, Vann (who has now acquired enough stay-sets to equip the whole fleet :!: )

 

[bugbear]

The iron is neither here nor there...you can replace them with direct drop-in ones....laminated Japanese ones or thicker ones for which you may have to do some mouth filing...pretty simple task really.

Not really needed here - the square shoulders on the top edge normally correlate well with the Record laminated blades, which are pretty good.

BugBear

 

[jimi43]

The iron is neither here nor there...you can replace them with direct drop-in ones....laminated Japanese ones or thicker ones for which you may have to do some mouth filing...pretty simple task really.

Not really needed here - the square shoulders on the top edge normally correlate well with the Record laminated blades, which are pretty good.

BugBear

Agree totally. Only passing on the options BB...only passin' on the options! :wink:

Jim

 

[woodbloke]

If you see a faint red glow in the sky this evening coming from Salisbury direction you'll know Woodbloke has been reading your post and is composing his rant - er response!

For my two penneth, stay sets are fantastic, especially if you like to hone or strop freehand. You've got a cracking little plane there - a direct ancestor of the current Clifton's and you paid much less for it than you would have on't bay.

You mean like like this Matt :lol: :

My views on the two peice rubbish-iron are well known hereabouts...suffice to say that they're an invention from the guy with the forked tail! (hammer) :mrgreen: - Rob

 

[dunbarhamlin]

My views on the two peice rubbish-iron are well known hereabouts...suffice to say that they're an invention from the guy with the forked tail! (hammer) :mrgreen: - Rob

Yebbut, didn't he also invent wine, wimmin and song?

 

[Benchwayze]

If you see a faint red glow in the sky this evening coming from Salisbury direction you'll know Woodbloke has been reading your post and is composing his rant - er response!

For my two penneth, stay sets are fantastic, especially if you like to hone or strop freehand. You've got a cracking little plane there - a direct ancestor of the current Clifton's and you paid much less for it than you would have on't bay.

You mean like like this Matt :lol: :

My views on the two peice rubbish-iron are well known hereabouts...suffice to say that they're an invention from the guy with the forked tail! (hammer) :mrgreen: - Rob

Aw Rob! That's only because like me, you forget about the floppy-loose bit, that falls into the shavings on the floor, when you dismantle the plane. :mrgreen: :evil: I don't like them either. Nor do I like Marmite, not one bit!

But that is a decent plane for the money!

John :mrgreen:

 

[dunbarhamlin]

Nor do I like Marmite, not one bit!

Ooh, you Dane you! :lol:

 

[woodbloke]

The other thing is that with the two piece rubbish-iron, you can't (or at least I can't) do the 'ruler trick' on the reverse side as there's never enough room to get the ruler in :evil: , so you have to take off the fixed bit anyway and then you have to furkle around in the shavings on the floor to retrieve the front bit :twisted: :twisted: that's fallen off and has managed to find it's way into the deepest, darkest corner under the bench.
I hate the things with a passion, which is only rivalled by by being forced to sit through interminable hours of footy or any sort of sport (which happened in a past life) - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

then you have to furkle around in the shavings on the floor to retrieve the front bit :twisted: :twisted: that's fallen off and has managed to find it's way into the deepest, darkest corner under the bench.
I hate the things with a passion

Well, I've been using them for about 10 years and the front bits have never fallen off - I think you're prone to a bit of exageration at times, Rob :-k :lol:

Besides, most of your planes are now bevel-up and don't have cap irons, so what's all the fuss about.......

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

then you have to furkle around in the shavings on the floor to retrieve the front bit :twisted: :twisted: that's fallen off and has managed to find it's way into the deepest, darkest corner under the bench.
I hate the things with a passion

Well, I've been using them for about 10 years and the front bits have never fallen off - I think you're prone to a bit of exageration at times, Rob :-k :lol:

Besides, most of your planes are now bevel-up and don't have cap irons, so what's all the fuss about.......

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Paul, it's never, ever been known for me to exagerate anything, ever 8-[ :---) :---) :-" ...but you still have to take the thing apart to do the 'ruler trick' as it's almost impossible to use a rule and keep the big bit attached to the iron.
Fortunately, BU planes circumvent all of these issues and are far superior anyway, in my very 'umble opinion :lol: :lol: - Rob

 

[Karl]

I found applying a small back bevel to a blade very easy with the top half of the two piece cap iron in place. Lie the blade flat on the stone - bevel and the little prong of the top half of the cap iron touching the stone. Then just raise a fraction the blade a touch so that the prong is no longer touching the stone - hey presto - an easily repeatable reference for applying a small back bevel.

And no need for a ruler.....

Cheers

Karl

 

[Benchwayze]

Nor do I like Marmite, not one bit!

Ooh, you Dane you! :lol:

:lol: :lol:

But as to the moral question of the Danish Govt's. action, I will make no comment. Other than :roll:

John..