Stanley planes

[Kevin McMichael]

Questions?

opinions of ribbed or corrugated bottoms?

Are the Made in USA Stanleys good planes?

Are the English ones superior?

I want to USE it?

[Richard Russo]

Hi Kevin,

I feel the corrugation issue is a personal preference. It's argued that friction is reduced with a corrugated sole. I own planes both with and without, and I really couldn't say if there's a difference in use. Flattening the sole is probably easier, as there's less metal to grind away. And the corrugation looks cool...

The old USA Stanleys are the ones (generally) to get, particularly those of the "Sweetheart" era; though you'll likely see very little difference in performance when they're properly tuned up. Again, I own some old Stanleys of different eras (types) and...they plane wood the way I want them to.

Stanley has just recently introduced a new premium line of planes...but I've not used them, so I can't comment on the quality.

I suggest, if you're new to using handplanes, that you pick up Garrett Hack's "The Handplane Book". It'll tell you just about everything you wanted to know, and them some.

[Sean Hughto]

I prefer smooth bottoms.

At least 60 years old (1930's SW vintage or early especially).

The English ones are later, and not superior.

My favorite 5:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3274/3029105774_333e2181f4.jpg

[Joel Goodman]

The "Made in USA Stanley's" are superior and most people prefer the build quality from before WW2. These are easy to spot as the hole in the lever cap is "keyhole" shaped; the later ones have a "kidney" shaped hole. http://www.supertool.com/StanleyBG/stan0a.html
has a lot of info on dating Stanley planes.

[Alan Zenreich]

I was under the impression that the kidney shaped hole appeared in the early 1930's. So many of these are pre-WWII.

[Joel Goodman]

I misspoke -- the kidney shaped hole appeared in 1933 with type 16. But in any case the type 15 and earlier are preferred by many.

[Billy Chambless]

The old USA Stanleys are the ones (generally) to get, particularly those of the "Sweetheart" era; though you'll likely see very little difference in performance when they're properly tuned up. Again, I own some old Stanleys of different eras (types) and...they plane wood the way I want them to.

....
I suggest, if you're new to using handplanes, that you pick up Garrett Hack's "The Handplane Book". It'll tell you just about everything you wanted to know, and them some.

I had typed up a bunch of rambling nonsense that wouldn't help the OP much, but I'll just say, "Strong agreement on both points."

;)

[Bill Houghton]

In my opinion, corrugations add no significant advantage, and they can create an issue if you're edge planing: the corrugation can catch on the corner and "steer" the plane (like riding a bicycle over railroad tracks, almost parallel to the tracks, which can create stability problems - DAMHIKT). If you find a corrugated plane at an unbeatably great price, buy it, but don't go out of your way looking for one.

When looking for planes "in the wild," at garage sales, the first thing I look for is full oval handles (no flat sides on the tote, the back handle). Then I look for a lateral adjuster lever sticking up past the top of the iron.

If I find "Bailey" on the body of the plane, that's a good sign.

[Jim Nardi]

English Stanleys aren't collected which makes them cheaper. I personally own a few older English ones that very good planes. The sole being flat or not is a personal preferance IMO. It is a pure crap shoot when you buy planes on e-bay as to condition. Don't buy any planes that are cracked. Whenever I have bought a plane off of e-bay that had a short blade it was in very good condition and made a great user.

[Sam Takeuchi]

I think if you want to make a good purchase, you might want to spend some time reading up about Stanley planes to get the idea and learn a bit more. The US made Stanley planes have gone through so many transitions and they have different attributs, some are for functional modifications and changes. It might sound like quite a chore, but if you read up about it, you'll gain knowledge about differences and points to consider, as well as helps you to make good purchase. If you don't know, you could get ripped off paying high price for a plane that's been put together from bunch of different ones (there is no reason to pay a lot for one of these when original complete ones are sold for reasonable price).

As others said, older ones tends to be better made, but that doesn't mean they will come ready to use. Some you might have to fettle to make them into a good user, especially if you get a jointer and have concave sole. More than anything else, it's very important to know what a "good plane" is to you. If you just want a good user plane, even a English made ones will do fine. You'll maybe have to fettle a bit, but aside from buying tune up plane, you'll probably have to fettle old US made ones as well. While I don't believe tools will make you do things beyond your skill, but I think tools should be as good as it should be (condition wise, not where it's made) and transparently reflect your skill onto the wood. On the other hand, badly conditioned tool will hinder your work, whether it's made in US, England or Mexico, especially if you haven't learned to compensate for your tool's flaw.

[Jim Koepke]

opinions of ribbed or corrugated bottoms?
Are the Made in USA Stanleys good planes?
Are the English ones superior?
I want to USE it?

I like a smooth sole on my plane. As has been said it is a matter of personal preference.

I like the made in USA Stanley planes. I have and use a wide selection made from the 1870s into the 1930s. I have owned, used and sold Stanley planes made as late as the 1950s and 1960s. They can do the same things. My preference is for short rosewood knobs and rosewood totes. The planes made after the mid 1930's are a hassle to fit with a short knob. Again, this is a personal preference, it has nothing to do with how a plane will work for you or anyone else. I do like the larger adjuster on planes made after 1920. So, I have bought these to use on my planes that will accept them. Most of the Stanley/Bailey planes made before 1890 were made with a different thread and will not accept the newer adjuster. In other words, I will mix and match (some) parts on my planes, because they are my planes, not some collector's.

If you buy off of eBay, watch out for listings like this one: 120428038249
that one has ended, but the pictures are dark and if you look close and blow the pictures up, you can see part of the side is missing. It really isn't even too good for parts.

Sam gives some good advice about reading up on the planes before jumping in. Near the top of the Neanderthal Haven list is a "sticky Neanderthal Wisdom/FAQs. There are a lot of links of interest in the thread. The information will be very helpful when looking at planes to buy.

Stanley planes are the most common, which makes them the easiest to find spare parts when needed. Some of the other planes are good tools and many would argue that they may be better than the Stanley/Bailey planes. Sargent, Millers Falls and Union come to mind. These can often be found cheaper than a Stanley. Just make sure they do have all the parts. A blade is easy to find a replacement. Finding cap irons and other parts may not be so easy. Even some Stanley parts are difficult to find. Often the front screw for the totes on the larger planes has gone missing. They are available, put pricey for a machine screw. Stanley used their own thread standards. They may be available through Stanley parts.

Jim also makes a good point, a blade that has been used a lot indicates a previous owner has put their stamp of approval on the tool and likely took good care of their little "money maker."



When looking for planes "in the wild," at garage sales, the first thing I look for is full oval handles (no flat sides on the tote, the back handle). Then I look for a lateral adjuster lever sticking up past the top of the iron.

If I find "Bailey" on the body of the plane, that's a good sign.

1902 is when Bailey started appearing on the planes. The significance of this is how the frog seats with more points of contact than the previous models. These and planes for about the next 30 years are considered by many to be "gold standard" of Stanley/Bailey planes.

Many of my planes were made prior to this and though they are a little more fidgety when it comes to adjusting the frog, they work fine.

I think the flat side handles started coming in around WW II, about the same time they stopped using rosewood.

Something else you will want to learn about is sharpening. One of the main things hand tool using wood workers do is sharpen their blades.

How about telling us a little about what you want to build using hand planes?

Also, are there any particular planes are you thinking of acquiring?

Happy hunting, do you ever get out on the road so you can find flea markets or antique shops?

jim

[Kevin McMichael]

I am currently making some end tables. I made the octoganal legs out of a large board. Unfortunatly my small table saw left a few burn marks. I proceeded to take these out with a grinder and proceeded to sand them to get the grinder marks out. I have discovered that I do not really like sanding that much. The hand planes interest me greatly.

My brother has promised to give me my father's jack plane as well as his 1950s craftsman table saw. But it will be a while and I am looking on ebay for a #5. I am also interested in a #8 as I do not have a jointer, as well as a #3 or #4. I have a little block plane that I use on sticky doors.

[Keith Young]

I use this to help date Stanley planes on Ebay.

http://www.hyperkitten.com/tools/stanley_bench_plane/dating_flowchart.php#Types 1-20 (http://www.hyperkitten.com/tools/stanley_bench_plane/dating_flowchart.php#Types%201-20)

This is my first post and not sure if link will work.
And thanks for a great web site!!

[Charles Murray Ohio]

The only time I have seen an advantage to using a corrugated bottom is when planing resinous woods such as SYP. Their is less surface area for the resin to adhear to.

Reguards, Charles

[Jim Koepke]

Wow, three new to the Creek in a row.
Kevin, Keith, Charles, welcome aboard and hope you all stick around.


I am currently making some end tables. I made the octoganal legs out of a large board. Unfortunatly my small table saw left a few burn marks. I proceeded to take these out with a grinder and proceeded to sand them to get the grinder marks out. I have discovered that I do not really like sanding that much. The hand planes interest me greatly.

My brother has promised to give me my father's jack plane as well as his 1950s craftsman table saw. But it will be a while and I am looking on ebay for a #5. I am also interested in a #8 as I do not have a jointer, as well as a #3 or #4. I have a little block plane that I use on sticky doors.

That is a pretty good selection to get started. Many feel that sanding tends to dull or "fuzzy" up things. Nothing is as crisp as an edge left by a sharp plane blade.

The #4 & #5 planes are usually the easiest to find. They were the ones most commonly bought by the users of yesteryear.

My #8 (type 6a) was recently acquired and is a joy to use. Before this, my jointer was a #7 (type 11). There was not much thought of getting a #8. Then some extra money came our way and sometimes my life seems like I am allergic to having any spare cash around. Anyway, the balance of the #8 is a little more to my liking. Of course, ymmv.

If one worries about such things, the #7 shares a blade size with a few of the other Stanley/Bailey planes. The #8 is alone in using a 2-5/8 inch blade.

What matters is what works for you. A sharp blade is the most important component of making a plane work well. Every other aspect of the blade's edge, whether it be camber, secondary bevel or using the "ruler trick," is subordinate.

Enjoy your hunt for old iron.

jim

[Eric Brown]

I find that a corrugated bottom holds wax longer when planing. That could be either an advantage or not. The last cuts should be made with a dry bottom to prevent any finish issues. Typically I start with a corrugated and finish with a smooth bottom plane.

(Is there a bottom to the slippery slope? Hope not!)

Eric