Veritas No4 or Low Angle smoother plane?

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I’m just a novice to all this woodwork stuff! I guess all these upgrades to a cheap plane is a stupid Idea? I was just asking for some guidance to find a good standard bench plane? :? Sorry!
 
I'm guessing that you're torn between 'want' and 'need'. Need - follow Bugbear's advise and find an OLDER Stanley/Record and tune it with a new blade etc. Want - I bet before you finish your course, you'll 'want' another (Veritas) plane even more so, so is the nub of it the question "should I spend more now or later?"?

Start how you mean to carry on? Whatever you choose - all best in your new endeavours!

ike
 
Ike,

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head, I think I really only need a standard No.4 Record/Stanley, But I’d like a brand new shiny high performance Veritas! Thanks Ike, a new career change is a pretty donating position to be in, I need all the good luck I can get! It took me 7 years to become an architect and now I’m leaving all that behide it will probably taken me another 7+ to be OK cabinet maker! But if I don’t do it now I never will!

Cheers

Nads
 
Nads

I really think that the best thing for you at the moment is an old Stanley/Record No.4 and a new blade. If your course is a 2 year fulltime syllabus, i'm 100% sure at somestage you will be taught the nuances of tuning a hand plane, and thus you will come away with an excellently performing tool for not a lot of money. You can always buy a veritas later down the line if you feel the need - I did that, and so far havn't felt the need - the want is there, but not the need :)

Here is the link to these planes on ebay:
http://collectables.listings.ebay.c...1QQfsopZ1QQsacatZ13874QQsocmdZListingItemList

I bought 2 No.4's of here, one was £10, the other I think about £15, both only took about 30 mins to clean and tune before they were usable.

Here's a cheap record one for instance:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RECORD-No-4-PLANE_W0QQitemZ6243104262QQcategoryZ13874QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

One last thing - I sold my faithful plane on ebay for nearly £20 which payed for the record no.4 - something to think about.
 
Buy one or the other we would happily exchange. No risk either way, just PM. Personally the LAS is just so much easier to use, set up and more I would choose it over a 4 anytime.

Martin
 
Hi Nads, just wondering if you are about to study the City & Gulids cabinet making or other course? Also i had a list from college about what i should buy. I do regret buying what they advised me to now, in particular a No4 smoother. I bought a new Stanley Bailey No4 and I find it way to small. I have recenty bought an old 40/50's record No4 1/2 for pennies and it is fantastic. Needs a new blade but the extra width makes it so much easier to plane up wide boards. I cant comment on the low angle versions as i dont own one, and personally i find no use for one as a normal smoother does the brunt of the work. If i am finishing end grain i just use a block plane.
 
since you are going on a course to learn, there is a great deal to be said for learning about sharpening and setting a plane rather than buying a new one and not learning too much.

i have a veritas 41/2 and it is a great plane, but i also have a bailey and an old record which i am slowly bringing back to life. somehow they take longer to do than anyone else admits to, but maybe i am using the wrong sand paper.

i would certainly suggest that a 41/2 is a better alround buy for now and the future. look over the summer for one at car boots, or summer shows, get to feel it and look it over, then buy a replacement blade, and learn lots.

not sure that this is the answer you want, but it seems to me that after you have learnt how to go is the time to buy the LV or LN tools because then you will know what you want and need. then you can buy the others to make up the set you "really" want :lol: :lol:

all the best
paul :wink:
 
I reckon I'll take most peoples advise and buy a second hand Record No.4 (I’ve already got a No.5 so a 4.5 might be a bit close to that), and learn how to tune it either on the course or myself! And I’ll wait until I'm 100% sure which Veritas plane I want a few years down the road, once I’ve got more efficient at Planning!
Oh yeah just to let you know Oraneth, I’m going to be doing a HND in Cabinet making @ Buckinghamshire Chilterns Uni, starting september, can’t wait!
 
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