40 1/2 scrub plane..

[Midnight]

any thoughts re what to expect from one..???

I ordered one tonight cos with this #@&%$'n leg injury, trying to work this oak is kickin my butt somethin fierce..
Took the opportunity of upgrading my chip breakers too...

 

[Anonymous]

Midnight - can you shed light on what makes it a scrub plane? I've seen loads of people use #4s and #5s as scrubs - opening the mouth right up, cap iron well back from the bevel, deep cut depth.

Jeff Gorman has even taken a crappy modern Record SP4 and set it up as a scrub, so was wondering why the need for a dedicated plane?

Curiously,
Esp

 

[Midnight]

Esp..

Bearing in mind the closest I've got to having one is having the invoice for it...
To date, I've managed to get by with my #5 with an agressive radius honed into it, kept the frog so far back as the tip of the blade is at rest on the rear of the throat. It works to a point, but the pair of oak boards on the bench right now have it well beat; I'll get part way through a stroke before hitting either a knot or a band of reversed grain. At that point, the plane takes off on a latteral vector trying to contour the wild stuff. With my leg in the condition it's in, that change in vector brings tears to the eyes and turns the air rather blue..
The L-N 40 1/2 has neither frog, adjuster nor chip breaker; as far as scrubbing's concerned, they're redundant. The blade is sharpened on a 3" radius, is masssivly thick at 3/16" and A2 steel, so hopefully it has the mass and stiffness to plough through the wilder stuff...
More than that I can't say till I get it in the shop and let it do its thing....

 

[Chris Knight]

Esp,

Wot Midnight said. I periodically turn an old Miller's Falls smoother into whatever plane I haven't got by using another iron or massively altering whatever iron is in there. As such it does occasional duty as a scrub plane and suffers the same problems described by Midnight. I live with it because I am/am not a handtool freak and am not above using an adze or axe or angle grinder if it will get the job done. Also I mostly use my Scheppach planer except when I have lapsed again and bought half a tree..

 

[Anonymous]

OK

What is a scrub plane?

 

[Midnight]

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/tool.html?id ... 5732024281

galoot's version of a mini-gun.... doesn't take prisoners...

 

[Anonymous]

Cool, thanks for the info Midnight & Waterhead; must admit, I've always managed with a converted smoother, but never had to do anything too gnarly

Let us know what it's like Midnight, when it turns up.

 

[Alf]

I got a Stanley #40 1/2 amongst the tool chest goodies. Can't say I've ever felt the need for a dedicated scrub before, but it's bloomin' good fun. Sorry, nothing else to contribute - just can't let a gloatin' opportunity go by... :wink:

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

This from a dyed in the wool, bottom feeding, old tools guy: The LN 40 1/2 is a joy to use.
Personally, I use a Sweetheart vintage Stanley #40. I considered buying an LN because I've been able to sell #40's for near the price of LN's. I eventually decided to keep one Stanley to use.
I work with rough lumber 90% of the time and I do not own a thickness planer so I use a scrub often. I have #5's with variously cambered blades but they do not begin to compare with a true scrub for removing a large amount of wood.

 

[Midnight]

This from a dyed in the wool, bottom feeding, old tools guy: The LN 40 1/2 is a joy to use.
Personally, I use a Sweetheart vintage Stanley #40. I considered buying an LN because I've been able to sell #40's for near the price of LN's. I eventually decided to keep one Stanley to use.
I work with rough lumber 90% of the time and I do not own a thickness planer so I use a scrub often. I have #5's with variously cambered blades but they do not begin to compare with a true scrub for removing a large amount of wood.

Hi Roger..

That's exactly the kinda feedback I was hoping to hear.. Although I do have a thicknesser, I got tired of having to work within the limitations imposed my what my benchtop jointer could handle; I've since turned semi-knuckle dragger, and can honestly say that I'm having more enjoyment from each project thesedays.
Jennifer from L-N's sales dept e-mailed this afternoon to the effect that he plane should be here by the end of the week... it ummmmm... canna get here soon enough...

 

[Bean]

These sound like fun and a good excuse for not buying that tailed devil :evil: I was looking at and all the shavings it will spray over my shop .
Now where do I get one from, I cannot run to a LN and I have seen none at any of my usual suppliers (car boots & garage sales)

Bean

 

[Anonymous]

There are other scrubs available. ECE makes a horned woody scrub that is very nice & around half the price of an LN (I don't know how prices compare there).
At boot sales, look for Stanley #40's or #40 1/2's (much rarer, ALF did a driveby gloat earlier :lol: )

 

[Anonymous]

Lee Valley do one too:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=46873&category=1,41182&ccurrency=2&SID=

 

[Alf]

Another option is to make your own. Scrubs are just about ideal as a first plane; no tight mouth required.

Cheers, Alf

 

[blurk99]

Alf,

Is it possible to adapt a knackered old stanley #5? my dad gave me one of my filrst planes and it had a great chip in front of the mouth, it's a fine door stop on the shed but could it be adapted? i've never seen the sole or mouth of a scrub plane up close y'see....

jimmer

 

[Alf]

It surely could, and many people have done just that (see Mike's post above). I'll take a shot of the sole of mine which will be worth more than all the laboured descriptions. :wink:

Cheers, Alf

Edit: Pesky camera wanted to focus through the mouth opening, but you get the idea. The rule's right on the edge of the mouth, btw.

 

[Adam]

Edit: Pesky camera wanted to focus through the mouth opening, but you get the idea. The rule's right on the edge of the mouth, btw.

Cameras need contrast to focus, and your picture looks like it doesn't have enough. Does you camera pre-focus - using a "half" button press? If so, put something like a pencil, or other item with a dark edge on the photo in the place you want to focus, half-press the shutter button (so it focuses), remove said item, and complete the shutter button click to take the photo, in focus.

Adam

 

[Alf]

Ah, good tip. Thanks, Adam.

Cheers, Alf

 

[blurk99]

Thanks for the photo Alf, i'll be at the 'doorstop' with the Dremel this weekend and have a go at making one of those, it's got to be a better use for an old stanley hasn't it?
jim

 

[Alf]

Better than a door stop, yep. :lol: