How do you use your 45?

[Harlan Barnhart]

All I use mine for is plowing narrow grooves. For all rabbeting tasks, a moving filister seems a simpler option. If I had a dedicated plow plane, it would collect dust. Does anyone actually use those rounding cutters, bead cutters or the tongue and groove cutters?

[Bill Houghton]

I've used the bead cutters several times, and I have several flute cutters and just used one on a window sill for the drip groove.

but I live in a Victorian house and have been struggling for 37 years to get it to the point that I'm not working on it -- so the old shapes and patterns are helpful to me.

[george wilson]

There have been several robberys in this area lately. If they come to my house,I will demonstrate its use. Oh,you mean the plane ! Sorry.:) Actually,3 houses were robbed Nov 9,and there have been some others. They come around,according to the sheriff,asking if (insert name) lives here. If no one answers,they break in. They pulled that on Jon,my former co-worker. He lives at the end of a 1 1/2 mile twisting road uphill through woods. He knew what they were up to,but they parked so that he couldn't see their license plate.

[Gary Hodgin]

I haven't had my 45 very long but the only thing done with it has been to experiment. It seems to do a good job plowing, but I haven't tried any of the other cutters. One of my next projects is to sharpen the cutters. I use either my 38 or 12 ga. for burglars.

[Andrew Gibson]

There have been several robberys in this area lately. If they come to my house,I will demonstrate its use. Oh,you mean the plane ! Sorry.:) Actually,3 houses were robbed Nov 9,and there have been some others. They come around,according to the sheriff,asking if (insert name) lives here. If no one answers,they break in. They pulled that on Jon,my former co-worker. He lives at the end of a 1 1/2 mile twisting road uphill through woods. He knew what they were up to,but they parked so that he couldn't see their license plate.

I personally perfer a 12 gauge for that. however a 45 makes a good backup and a 380 as a 3rd line of defence.

[Andrae Covington]

All I use mine for is plowing narrow grooves. For all rabbeting tasks, a moving filister seems a simpler option. If I had a dedicated plow plane, it would collect dust. Does anyone actually use those rounding cutters, bead cutters or the tongue and groove cutters?

While researching plow planes, I read comments here and elsewhere that gave me the impression those various molding cutters don't perform all that well... better off using an old wooden molding plane. That and price steered me towards the Stanley #50, which is smaller and didn't come with quite as many cutters. I ended up with a Marples M44 (similar to the #50), which only has the straight cutters. I also have a MF rabbet plane.

[Jim R Edwards]

I use mine as a plow plane. It works well.

[Jim Koepke]

I have used mine for matching boards, also known as tongue and groove. Also have used beading and fluting cutters.

The hardest part is getting the cutters sharp. With some care, the fluting and beading cutters can be used to make some simple moldings.

jtk

[Tony Zaffuto]

I got several - one a collector grade that I would not think to use, the other a late 40's, early 50's in pristine condition that is not collectable, but still not used much. I used it a few times as a plow plane and found my Record 43 much quicker and comfortable to use.

I suppose if I were to take the time to learn this plane I would probably use it more, but like many combination tools that do a lot of different jobs, they lack a bit in doing specific jobs.

[Don Dorn]

I have a Stanley 50 and it works like the 45 for ploughing, but lighter. Hoever, I'm not one who can seem to master getting beads to work on it. My friend has a Record 50 which does it all - well.

[Kirk Amidon]

I have a pair of 45's and a single 55 which I am slowly trying different blades. No doubt, there are easier and possibly better ways to skin a cat, but I enjoy learning more about each tool and how it works. I have used the beading cutters, the cove cutters, as well as the straight ones.

[Bill Rhodus]

I have two and primarily use them for plow planes and/or buy the wider plow irons to grind a custom profile or match an obsolete profile for molding. I prefer to use the wooden planes.

[David Weaver]

There have been several robberys in this area lately. If they come to my house,I will demonstrate its use. Oh,you mean the plane ! Sorry.:) Actually,3 houses were robbed Nov 9,and there have been some others. They come around,according to the sheriff,asking if (insert name) lives here. If no one answers,they break in. They pulled that on Jon,my former co-worker. He lives at the end of a 1 1/2 mile twisting road uphill through woods. He knew what they were up to,but they parked so that he couldn't see their license plate.

Jon should have plenty of rifled hardware to keep them away!

I always liked privacy (we had plenty at home as a kid with a house in the woods), but the one thing that I realize now living in the burbs where there is a lot of visibility from other houses (and nosy older neighbors) is that privacy is a two-edged sword. Stuff walked off there from time to time, and I've never had anything disappear where I am now. There are always eyes on someone anywhere on my property, and in the house where I grew up, if you could get up the driveway without being seen, you could spend days rooting around behind the house and nobody would know.

[David Weaver]

All I use mine for is plowing narrow grooves. For all rabbeting tasks, a moving filister seems a simpler option. If I had a dedicated plow plane, it would collect dust. Does anyone actually use those rounding cutters, bead cutters or the tongue and groove cutters?

Keep all of those cutters so you can sell them with the plane (when you get a full sized dedicated plow)!

I had two 45s. And a 55. I never really used any of them for anything other than as a plow plane, except one time I used one of the cutters to round over baseboard trim with the 55. All of them are long gone.

I think a 45 is about the cheapest decent plow you can get, though - if you're patient, you can have the body and plow irons for $50-$75, and they don't have any of the shrinkage problems old wooden plows have.

[Harlan Barnhart]

I like to hear from people who have a dedicated plow and a 45. Am I missing a lot by using a 45 for simple grooves?

Has anyone had success going cross grain, using those knickers? I've always found it easier to saw them out and clean up with a chisel.

[Staffan Hamala]

I have a Stanley 50 that I got off ebay for £14 (about $20). They usually go for much more than that (as it was complete with all gadgets). Works well for making grooves. Haven't really used the beading cutters.

[Bill Houghton]

No doubt, there are easier and possibly better ways to skin a cat...

Well, first you have to figure out how to clamp the cat on the bench; but that's a whole different thread.

[Brander Roullett]

So far I've only used the first one I got for cutting plow grooves. Just a weekend ago I picked up a second one without blades for cheap at an Antique Show, and I'll be setting one of up as a dedicated plow for the most part, just leaving my most common width all set up. I don't have a dedicated plow currently, and now I set that money aside for other tools.

The other will be used to experiment with the other blades as I see fit. I might try the beading plane on a project I have got coming up.

My first one all complete (with floral casting) was like $115 off of De Bay. The second (later model) i got for $34 in really good shape. I wasn't shopping for it, but if it was jump in my bag like that who was I to argue. :)

badger