Rabbet and Fillester plane question

[Bob Oehler]

Hi all
I have a quick question about Rabbet / Fillester planes
I have been trying to pick up one on that well known internet auction site. The prices are a little out of my range for a stanley 78 or name brand equiv. There is a knock off plane probably from the Orient that goes for like 19.95. I know you get what you pay for and it will not be a stanley etc., but has anyone ever bought / used one and how are they??
I do not mind tweeking planes and I seem to have a nack for it, my Kunz scraper plane is a great tweaking example.

Any imput would be great.

Take care
Bob Oehler

[Mike Weaver]

While I can't speak directly to your question about the $19.95 "oriented" version, i might suggest you try a few Internet dealers and go for the used Craftsman equivalent of the Stanley - IMHO works as well, but much cheaper.

If I'm not mistaken, the Caftsman was actually made by Sargent.

Cheers,
-Mike

[Scott Coffelt]

I was able to locate a Stanley 78 on that well known place for about $25, though prices can be high keep looking I bet you find one. You may have to do a little loving care on it, but you should be able to find one.

[Mike Wenzloff]

Hi Bob,

If we are thinking about the same brand of Indian version, it is a two post for the fence? Better than later Stanleys and the two post makes for a better plane.

You'll probably need to flatten and make sure the right side is roughly at 90 degrees to the sole, but they do work. You can always get an oldie later.

My personal opinion is that a wood moving fillester is a much better tool. All I have seen have skew blades, depth stops, knickers and a movable fence.

Take care, Mike

[Bob Oehler]

Thanks for the replys
I will hold off and keep looking for a stalney 78 or millers falls, record, etc, equilivent.

As always a big help was found here.

Somtimes you just need other people thinking the same way as you but you just need some one else to help keep you in line:rolleyes:

Many Thanks
Bob Oehler

[Jerry Palmer]

Bob,
You can find some bargain 78s on that internet auction site place sometimes because they are missing a part or two. If you check the Stanley parts site here

http://www.stanleytools.com/xhtml/literature/RepairPartsCatalog0304.pdf

they have a lot of the parts available at fairly decent prices.

[Joe Meazle]

i Just got a complete Millers Falls #85 for less than $30. Don't forget Union, Keen Kutter and Sargent too. I think the Sargents are the best looking R/F planes.
Good luck,
Joe

[Jerry Palmer]

And I think that the Sargents have a better cutter depth adjuster than do the Stanleys. Or maybe it was the Records. One or the other.

[Paul Comi]

i Just got a complete Millers Falls #85 for less than $30. Don't forget Union, Keen Kutter and Sargent too. I think the Sargents are the best looking R/F planes.
Good luck,
Joe

A friend on another site gave me a Millers Falls 85 but it was missing a depth stop and fence and I never ended up using it. I just ordered a Stanley 78 fence yesterday from Highland Hardware and today I flattened the bottom and side of the plane and cap and sharpened the blade until it would shave arm hair. I used to think that my shoulder plane made this tool obsolete, but after taking some reasonably thin shavings today I know I'll be using this for smaller projects in place of using a router or table saw for cutting rabbets. Same thing happened when I took a chance and bought a 71 1/2 router plane. I really wondered if I would ever use it but after tuning it up and sharpening the blade I started reaching for it.

[Jerry Palmer]

Paul,
The mention of relative thin shavings using a rabbet plane leads me to post that in general you will want a thicker shaving from a Rabbet plane else them rabbets are gonna take a long time. I set mine to take as big a bite as I can get depending on the wood I'm working.