So I need a blockplane ...

[sapperpie]

Hi guys,
I am up to the stage on my first build where I need a blockplane.
I was wondering if anyone would be able to suggest a block plane that I could use for small work. Mainly end grain, shaping/squaring small bits of wood (like bracing). I know nothing about block planes (but am reading about them as we speak!)

Does anyone use Lee-Valley or know if it is decent? I was looking at one of these (the 'c') http://www.carbatec.com.au/lee-valley-p ... nes_c20443

I also saw some people use Anats, but I cannot seem to find anywhere in Australia that supplies them?

Thanks for any help!

[duh Padma]

http://www.leevalleytools.com/ A1 first class high quality...read and drool eye candy.... check out their website. expensive

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/ A1 first class high quality as well. very expensive eye candy

http://mujingfang.com/eng/p2.asp top of the line Japanese wooden planes...very wide selection. Probably not so expensive on your side of the planet.


Look on ebay for old Stanley tools and in pawn shops and used or second hand stores. Usually dirt cheap

[sapperpie]

Legend, Thanks!

I think my budget cancels those first two out

I have a couple of old Stanley block planes watching on eBay, so see how it goes

Cheers.

[jeffhigh]

For me two features are necessary for this sort of work with a block plane
-low angle
-adjustable mouth

I have a cheap new stanley which does the job for me after fettling
In the carbatec line they have their economy range
http://www.carbatec.com.au/carba-tec-ec ... nes_c19262
which may suit your budget.

[J.F. Custom]

Hi Sapperpie?

Never even heard of Anats so can't help there, but certainly both Lee Valley and Veritas (different beasts) make excellent quality planes.

However, note that those you linked to are not "Block Planes". They are "Palm" planes - about half the size of a standard block plane. These ones are nicely cast and finished planes, but don't have adjustable mouths or fine blade adjustments etc. Could still be used depending on the job you intend it for.

The Veritas Low Angle block plane would be my pick for quality vs. price - last a lifetime or three. They have 'flashier' versions, which are superb, but pricey. If they are out of your budget, there is also the Veritas "Pocket Plane" which is somewhere between a Palm Plane and a Block Plane in size and without the bells and whistles. Possibly another good option as it is a quality tool at a lower price.

You can see what I'm talking about here - http://www.carbatec.com.au/veritas-block-planes_c6990

Success can be found with cheaper versions of the block planes, just be prepared you are likely to have to "tweak" them to obtain decent results as Jeff mentioned.

Out of interest Padma, Mujingfang are manufactured in China as far as I know.

Cheers.

Jeremy.

[Allen]

Don't forget the Aussie's HNT Gordon. Doesn't have an adjustable mouth, but the planes I have are just superb.

[liam_fnq]

this is the one I've got. I'm no expert but it gets a hell of a lot of use on my bench.

http://www.carbatec.com.au/veritas-apron-plane_c7010

[graham mcdonald]

Another vote for the Veritas Pocket (or was it Apron) plane. A bit smaller than a Stanley block plane, but a 3mm thick blade which takes a great edge. Around $100, and it is the plane which does just about everything other than jointing. An elegant piece of tool design.

[sapperpie]

Thanks guys, all helpful!

I'll keep looking

Cheers.

[charangohabsburg]

Does anyone use Lee-Valley or know if it is decent?

I own this one (Veritas low angle block plane). It's excellent. Worth it's price. You can use it out of the box, it will work decently (but not excellent) without even sharpening the plane! getting the blade to mirror shine ans sharpening is a breeze.

I also saw some people use Anats, but I cannot seem to find anywhere in Australia that supplies them?

I also own the Anant low angle block plane (very bad copy of the old Stanley 60 1/2 model). Out of the box it will do pretty nothing. First I had to get the sole flat (not really a big issue with planes small like this one, but calculate some extra money for an at least 8mm thick glass plate, at least twice as long as the plane + some sandpaper). Then I had to get the mirror side of the blade flat. In spite of the small blade this was no fun at all because it was very far from flat - that was a lot of painful work. For getting the bevel straight there was much grinding necessary. Then it turned out that the Anant-blade just won't hold the edge, sometimes it already chips out while sharpening! So the blade is absolute rubbish. The mouth adjustment doesn't work well. Blade adjustment isn't any better. Bottom line: the Anant may be cheap, but isn't worth the money it costs (aside from the efforts one has to make to get it working at all). I use it now for planing the edges of plywood and such things, where sharpness and precision does not matter.

I have a couple of old Stanley block planes watching on eBay, so see how it goes

Be careful with the Stanleys. The old ones are good, and there is a very new line of stanley models which maybe also are good but probably not yet available on Ebay auctions (those new ones look like the Veritas planes). Stanley planes made within the last +/- 30 years may require a lot of work to set up (similar but not that much as the Anants), but in the end you get at least a decent blade (good steel, but not as thick as it could/should be), and you can make them work just fine (I have such a not-old Stanley Nr.4 which is not a block plane, just to speak about quality and setup).

[duh Padma]

Hi Sapperpie?

Out of interest Padma, Mujingfang are manufactured in China as far as I know.

Cheers.

Jeremy.

Oh yes Jeremy,

very true, they are out of China, however most of the designs are Japanese in origin...least thats what me have been lead to believe. Non the less , they appear to be of excellent quality and price considering they are supposedly hand made.


blessings
duh Padma

[J.F. Custom]

Another vote for the Veritas Pocket (or was it Apron) plane.

Yep, quite right. That's the one I was referring to when I said "Pocket Plane". Apron it is.

Oh yes Jeremy,
very true, they are out of China, however most of the designs are Japanese in origin...least thats what me have been lead to believe. Non the less , they appear to be of excellent quality and price considering they are supposedly hand made.

blessings
duh Padma

Indeed Padma. In fact, the price is such as it is, you probably can't even buy a chunk of plain rosewood or ebony the same size for the same price and these ones are planes too! The sad part of that reality is that with the amount they manufacture, their stocks of Ebony and Rosewood must be enormous which in turn means less South East Asian rainforest.

Sapperpie also, be wary of the whole second hand market. True, a bargain can still be had if you know what to look for and are prepared to do the work... However, many second hand tools are 'collectable' in Australia now and as such, fetch exorbitant prices despite condition or quality. It is not necessarily the cheap option anymore.

Jeremy.

[DarwinStrings]

That little apron plane does look the bee's knees and you get to wear a cowboy hat with it and practice your quick draw by the look of that holster you can get for it. It is a bummer I am a Stanley fan or I would buy one of those other ones (maybe I will buy one any way cause they just look so good).

The old Stanley and such low angles don't have lateral adjustment which can make them tricky but you can still do a excellent job with them when you work them out. The old Stanley 118's are cheaper cause they are steel bodied rather than iron but I still think they work good when properly tuned.

Jim

EDIT..Watch out for rusty irons in second hand planes as they can take soooooooo long to get right.

[DarwinStrings]

This guy has a couple of 118 Stanley for about $45-$50 which include post, you could phone him and have a chat to him about what they are like as a user tool.

http://www.hansbrunnertools.gil.com.au/ ... planes.htm

Jim

[Kim]

So, a wee hijack if I may. Jim's comment about the cowboy hat and holster has me wondering, has anyone here had the opportunity to actually road test the Veritas low angle blockie agin the Lei Nielsen low angle blockie in a shoot out??? Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Similar price, but I do like the bronze

Cheers

Kim

[J.F. Custom]

So, a wee hijack if I may. Jim's comment about the cowboy hat and holster has me wondering, has anyone here had the opportunity to actually road test the Veritas low angle blockie agin the Lei Nielsen low angle blockie in a shoot out??? Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Similar price, but I do like the bronze

Cheers

Kim

Yeah, I have a little Kim.

In short, I don't think you can make a 'wrong' choice here. They are both, as you well know, high quality tools in function, fit and finish. Personally, I just edge out the Veritas in this case. I tend to see Lie Nielson as making very high quality versions of traditional designs - heirloom tools no doubt. Veritas on the other hand I feel are a little more innovative in their design approach, but not for 'difference' sake. They take the original designs and adjust them, if and where required, to make a better performing tool.

In this case, the lateral adjustment as well as the blade locking screws are the reasons behind my vote. The lateral adjustment is so easy to use, while the blade locking screws keep your blade square even in heavy repeated use. Such basic and simple enhancements - I don't understand why Lie Nielson don't do the same. Functional adaptations of original designs, not "wank", has to be a good thing. Otherwise their tolerances etc are all very similar between the two.

Anyway, my 2 c but I think you'd be more than happy either way - they both performed admirably when I used them... and that Bronze is purdy...

Jeremy.

[charangohabsburg]

The lateral adjustment is so easy to use, while the blade locking screws keep your blade square even in heavy repeated use.

This is a very important feature for me. I have several blades with different angled bevels, and changing them is so easy and fast! It's nearly as fast as picking up another plane (less than 30 seconds). I use a blade with a steeper angle for difficult woods or for when I want to cut against the grain. For me, the main downside on a steep bevel angle is the greater force it takes to push the plane. So I always use the blade with lowest angle the grain and/or it's direction will allow.

[simonm]

The Quangsheng chinese planes are excellent - way way better than the Anant planes. They work out of the box. They are generally sold under someone else's brand name and differ slightly from seller to seller. In Germany they sell as Juuma, in the UK under their own name and in the US I believe its Woodcraft. The block planer a bit smaller than the stanley type. I am really happy with mine. The only improvement would be the availability of a toothed blade.

[kiwigeo]

Couldn't decide between the Veritas LA, Veritas NX60, HNT Gordon or LN blockie....so I got 'em all

[Lillian]

Couldn't decide between the Veritas LA, Veritas NX60, HNT Gordon or LN blockie....so I got 'em all

All those hours sitting on a platform have to be good for something.

Okay, but which one do you reach for most? Use one for particular tasks over the other two?

[J.F. Custom]

Couldn't decide between the Veritas LA, Veritas NX60, HNT Gordon or LN blockie....so I got 'em all

Ppffhhhhtt...

Bother.

Why did I take up guitar making at 16 ???

[Lillian]

Why did I take up guitar making at 16 ???

Because you thought the chicks would think it hot?

[charangohabsburg]

Couldn't decide between the Veritas LA, Veritas NX60, HNT Gordon or LN blockie....so I got 'em all

You can't really enjoy these if you don't have (an use!) also an Anant, a Kunz, a newer but not too new Stanley and maybe also a russian Stanley copy and a chinese cheapo!

[J.F. Custom]

Why did I take up guitar making at 16 ???

Because you thought the chicks would think it hot?

That 'chick' is now my wife and if she ever thought it 'cool', she never showed it...

I think by now, she is fairly over it - it has cost a lot of money, more of my time and the returns ?

Well, erm, I'll get back to you on that.

Jeremy.

[Clancy]

Shit Jeremy, your not saying there's no money in this are you? But I promised my wife!!
How am I going to cover the costs of all these tools I've accumulated?
Hmmm, better start looking for a job again. Hey, wanna buy a bloke plane?