St James Bay Scrub Plane?

[Andrew Gibson]

Hi all. Does anyone have any experience with the St James Bay Scrub Plane?
I have been tossing around the idea of Picking up a Scrub, and came across it. The price seems attractive but there really is not much information on there site about it.
I seem to recall reading that you are much better off calling them as e-mail never seems to get a response.

Any thoughts on the scrub or general tips on dealing with them would be great.

[Jim Koepke]

My first thought on a scrub plane is to make one from a spare #5 or 5-1/4 to see if it is something to get much use.

This may happen sooner for me as by next spring some of my local wood should be starting to get dry enough to work. So far most of my wood has been bought from yards that sell it finished on all 4 sides.

jtk

[Chris Fournier]

I really enjoy my LN scrub plane. It doesn't see daily use but when I need it I NEED it!

I have a few St.James Bay tools. They are quite nice but not as CNC crisp as a LN tool.
I don't mind this a bit as the tools I bought from St. James Bay are quirky and unique.

I was lucky enough to be able to visit their location in Arizona and I had a very good time chatting with them about their product and processes. I would agree that they are more analog than digital and a phone call will go a long way.

[Andrew Gibson]

Jim, I inherited a craftsman #5 with broken frog a while back. The frog is broken right across where the lateral adjuster was attached. I filed it smooth and sharpened the blade to a strong camber and have been using it with good success. I don't own a power plainer so the little broken #5 has been getting a decent workout and works quite well. I just have a desire to have a "true" scrub plane.

Thanks Chris, sounds like you are quite happy with your tools from them.
My thinghts are it's a scrub plane, not something that has to be a presision tool. I like the looks of the Scrub but I am not sure what kind of steel the iron is.

[Bill Houghton]

For $20 more, you can get the Lee Valley scrub: http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?p=51871&cat=1,41182,48944.

Still, scrubs are simple critters. If the casting is good; the iron is thick enough (1/8" minimum) and properly heat treated; and their guarantee is strong, it could be worth trying.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Andrew,

Chris's comments are spot on. I've bought a few items from St James Tool and have been pleased with each purchase. Yes, you can make a scrub, and yes there are competing products out there, close to this one's price point. But it's your decision. Personally, I had a LN scrub before I found the St James site and had I known of the St James model, I probably would have sprung for it.

[Mark Baldwin III]

I kicked around the idea of getting a scrub from St. James Bay, LN, and LV. In the end, I elected to make my own, in the laminated fashion. I used a replacement iron for the LN. It's super thick, with lots of camber.

[Chris Fournier]

The iron on a good scrub plane is likely 3/16" thick plus. It's true that you could make your own scrub but I wouldn't start with a #5 as the soles footprint is too large. I'd look for a #3 personally. This being said the #5 would have some more inertia behind it when you went a "hoggin'" and this is useful. Open up the mouth with a file quite a bit because you can really make course chips if the fingernail profile of the iron is quite exaggerated.


Once upon a time I was on a "purist" type bender and decided to flatten a large hard maple waned edge dining table by hand - enter the scrub. I was up to my knees in chips. The tree has quite a twist to it so I got to chase the two flitches flat over a couple weeks period. The scrub did what a 24" jointer/planer could not! I could have been mistaken to have biceps and triceps for about a month there - what a workout. The process made me realise that a drawer full of the right handplanes is mightier than many a hulking industrial machine if you have the inclination to do it manually.


Now I am older and lazier and shamefully would likely reach for the power hand planer. What happened to me?

[Mike Brady]

They look pretty nice and are made of cast bronze, I believe. Why not just get an Veritas or Lie-Nielsen? or a used Stanley? I have one to sell if you are interested.

[Johnny Kleso]

I'd say get a LV or LN unless you really want do some metal working and don't forget making totes and knobs..

[Pat Zabrocki]

You should call Bob at St. James Bay and see if has one. IRC he hasn't made one of those in quite a while. He is a great guy and will be the first tell you his website is hopelessly out of date. He usually has something cool or can make it but i want to say he recently told me he didn't have any scrubs right now.
cheers
pat

[Andrew Gibson]

Thanks for the info pat. I am doing a bit of legwork right now just trying to decide what i want.

BTW I was born in St Peters and grew up in Moscow Mills.

[Pat Zabrocki]

BTW I was born in St Peters and grew up in Moscow Mills.

ahh, but you escaped to the sun, ya lucky dog!
;)

[Andres Sender]

I picked up an old Stanley scrub a while back and love it. I like the steel sole and (relatively) low price. With your various options there are differences in size to consider. For my purposes the small Stanley has been ideal. I bought it for roughing out violins but it has come in very handy for thicknessing lumber for the current clavichord project as well. I go to a workshop every summer and there's always someone who tries it and their eyes go wide and they decide they have to get one.

[Pinwu Xu]

Don't remember seeing it yet. You could also convert an old wooden smoother ( the coffin type?) to a scrub. Depending
on where you are, you may have one readily available.

That said, the selection of scrub is again a want vs. need thing. A wooden one works, the lighter the better, as you'll be
hogging wood chips. But what if you still _want_ a metal scrub? (I have a Stanley, and have to admit that I use my
wooden one more, the Stanly just sit there; I even bought after market blade and cap, but my wooden scrub just get
more use)

For use only, you will have too many choice for a scrub (old wooden converted, old Stanley #5 converted, old scrubs,
new scrubs), for pleasing your eyes, you'll have your own decision.

HTH.

Pinwu

[Pam Niedermayer]

Yeah, I use a wooden scrub, too, love it, light weight and strong as an ox. It's one of the horned European versions bought very cheaply on the bay.

Pam

[Richard Dooling]

I have an old Stanley 40 and like it a lot. I got it for a decent price on the bay. If you go this route be sure to get the later casting that supports the blade under the lever cap screw. See Patrick's Blood and Gore site for a good description.

Here's a neat article about scrubs by the Schwartz. Fun reading.

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/cSchwarz/z_art/scrubPlanes/scrubPlanes1.asp

[Mark Dorman]

I got a Stanley 40 from an auction this summer for less than $40 bucks and I love it. I'm takin 4/4 quater sawen white oak down to 3/4 for a night stand and it's just a blast to use.

[david brum]

I recently flattened a table top using a #4 with a deeply radiused blade. It worked OK, but I thought there must be a better way. I found a good deal (under $30) on a Stanley #40 and have to say that it is a completely different experience. The #40 scoops out thin channels which don't require much effort. It is also much lighter in weight than a bench plane, so easy to move very quickly. I was surprised how quickly it took down the high areas on the boards I've used it on. The bulk of effort is in cleaning up afterward with a #7.

[DOUG ANGEL]

I have a St. James Bay scrub plane, nice tool, but I rarely use it.

[Larry Marshall]

Hi all. Does anyone have any experience with the St James Bay Scrub Plane?


I looked at the photo of this plane and it doesn't look like a scrub plane at all to me. At least my use of a scrub plane requires it to have a conventional tote so you can push it through the stock. Scrubs are 'crude' use planes, designed to remove a lot of material in a hurry. Mine's a LV and I love it. Before I got it, though, I used an old #4 with a lot of camber in the iron and the mouth as open as I could make it.

Cheers --- Larry

[Sam Takeuchi]

I looked at the photo of this plane and it doesn't look like a scrub plane at all to me. At least my use of a scrub plane requires it to have a conventional tote so you can push it through the stock.
Cheers --- Larry

Their scrub is pretty much the same design as Stanley #40, with tote and all. Are you looking at the right picture?