Plane Buyers Guide

[CraigyBoy]

Hello,

I don't know much about planes, but I'm looking to get a couple and whilst I would love to have a couple of Cliftons, I'm planning to keep an eye open on ebay and the local car boot for a couple of decent older models that I could restore. I saw one of the Rob Cosman demos at the Ally Pally on friday and he mentioned he had a DVD coming out on this very subject so I'm prepared to give it a go (before spending £500!!)

However, when I look at ebay, there are a lot of newer looking planes for very reasonable prices £50 ish. I realise there is a reason they are cheap, but I don't know what it is! My question is in two parts really, but both are related:

1) What makes a rubbish plane rubbish? What should I avoid? A plane looks pretty simple to me, so why is one 4 times the price of another?
2) Has anybody previously produced a "buying guide" when looking for older planes? What should I try to find, and how do I spot it?

Any advice/opinion much appreciated

Thanks Craig

 

[cambournepete]

I can't really answer your question, but...
You're in Cambridge, I'm near Cambridge and I have some old planes (well, more like plane kits) in need of restoration.
I think there's about 3 no 4's in all.

If you're interested in them then PM me - I'm not really expecting any money and would just like them to get some use as I've not done anything with them for years.

 

[AndyT]

Craigyboy

You could find out lots by reading some of the older posts on here, but to begin an answer to your first question, and thinking about new planes, the difference between a poor one and a good one comes down to things that show up in use, but not in a picture on a website or packaging. They include:

- How accurately made it is - surfaces properly flat and at right angles to each other; parts that fit together fitting squarely and accurately.

- How good the steel is - properly tempered to be tough and hard without being brittle, and stable.

- With the blade, what grade of steel it is = how well it will take a sharp edge and retain it in use.

- How smoothly finished and pleasant to hold the handles are.


These all need good quality control, and increase costs. The other big cost factor is country of origin (wage rates of the makers).

The quest for many of us is to find the appropriate balance of price and value. (For old planes, price is more related to rarity and the seller's level of knowledge/ignorance, which makes them more fun.)

 

[stoatyboy]

if you don't pick up the very kind offer above then i'd suggest the boot sale route -

I got a stanley no4 for £5 at a boot sale (plus £1 parking) and it cleaned up really nice and in doing so I learnt loads about planes and how they work with no risk

enjoy!

 

[jimi43]

if you don't pick up the very kind offer above then i'd suggest the boot sale route -

I got a stanley no4 for £5 at a boot sale (plus £1 parking) and it cleaned up really nice and in doing so I learnt loads about planes and how they work with no risk

enjoy!

I would second this.

You will find some dogs and some gems but eventually, you will learn which is which

Cheers

Jim

 

[matthewwh]

Hi Craig,

It's a big question but a very sensible one to ask. You won't suddenly be an expert after one forum thread but if you can avoid a few of the pitfalls and know what you are looking at then you could accelerate the process of finding the right tool considerably. Here's the first few pointers that pop into my head:

First and foremost is a flat sole - there is a big difference between smooth and flat - it can have depressions as long as the bits that are not depressions are co-planar (especially the toe, heel and area around the mouth) it will work. BUT! To meet British Standard a bench plane should have been manufactured to +/- 1.5 thou on centreline (3 thou total deviation). Planes made to meet this standard will have had surface ground soles and this is a good indicator that the rest of the tool was made right. If you are buying second hand don't be shy to put a steel rule or straight edge to it before you buy.

Second is the frog (the bit that the iron sits on) there are two main designs for these - bailey and bedrock - the bailey pattern has screws inside and the frog slides fore and aft on little pads. The bedrock has the adjustment screws at the rear for easy access and sits on a fully machined bed. There are plenty of good baileys out there but if you find a bedrock give it serious consideration as the iron assembly is much better supported with this arrangement.

Third is the iron assembly, during the post war years plane irons get thin and nasty with pressed steel cap irons that distort the cutting iron when tightened. This prevents the iron from bedding correctly on the frog and leads to chatter in anything much more challenging than straight grained pine. If you ever hear people saying that you can't plane timber with a knot in it - it is tools like this that gave them that misguided impression. Record stay-sets are worth looking out for, this was the original design for what is now the Clifton two-piece cap iron.

Last of all, the general fit and finish, does it feel sturdy, solid and well made? The poor ones feel awfully cheap and tinny beside a good example. If you look at plenty before you buy you will soon get a feel for the difference.

Best of luck,


Matthew