scooby
Established Member
As requested by Fleyh.
Plane on the Ax website https://www.axminstertools.com/axmi...MInvXEycbPiQMVSJdQBh1URTymEAQYASABEgLaHPD_BwE
Quick overview/review. I recently bought this off a friend, who has a few LN planes (including a 5) so I'll repeat what he told me to begin with.
Out of the box, all his LN's were spot on ready to use. The Axminster, there were a few issues,
1. The cap screw was incredibly tight, like it had been loctite in. Removal and bit of oil, turns easily by finger and thumb.
2. The plane was cutting heavily on the right side and needed the lateral adjuster quite a lot to one side. Also, the plane would lose it depth/lateral setting and the lever cap would occasionally start creeping up the iron. It's the old Stanley keyhole type (which I've read can do that, hence the kidney shape revision). I think LN use the keyhole, so it shouldn't really be an issue.
The only way to stop this was to use a lot (imo) of cap tension.
According to friend. Upon dismantling plane, the bedrock screws weren't tight in his experience. Also frog bed was a bit gunked up. After a clean and tightening the bedrock screws, all the above issues disappeared. So something to check if you buy one.
Now the good bits.
1.The sole is very flat out of the box. I did the sharpie, glass and sandpaper routine and found the sole had a very slight (almost negligible) hollow about 1/4" behind the throat to a 1/4" from the heel. The toe was very flat. Both edges are square to sole.
2. Frog machining is very good. There's no lateral play and it seats very nicely, I don't have any other bedrocks to compare. Mate says its not LN quality but that's to be expected.
3. Thick iron and cap iron. I didn't get the vernier out but it's pretty much the thickness that you get in LN, wood river, quangsheng, etc. The The iron was flat out of the box and mating surface on both are excellent.
4. Lateral and depth adjusters feel nice.
I will finish on a couple of things, this is probably just a me issue. The iron is machined flat with a lip (pictured) that contacts the iron. Even though the mating surfaces are excellent, the cap iron slides about quite a bit whilst tightening the screw, which needs to be very tight. Not the end of the world but can make setting it a bit fiddly.
I have a few hock irons and caps, that are machined flat and then have a slight bow introduced (I think LN do the same) and those started gripping the iron very quickly with no effort. So I might swap one of those in.
Iron is unbranded but feels like A2, not sure if it's described on the website. It's good but I prefer the Hock high carbon irons I have. Probably due to me being very average at sharpening.
Weights just 2.6kg
I was using it quite a lot yesterday at work and have been pretty impressed. Got a mates rates price, but I would have been happy paying the RRP.
Fleyh, I tried to photograph the yoke as best I could. Hope it helps
Plane on the Ax website https://www.axminstertools.com/axmi...MInvXEycbPiQMVSJdQBh1URTymEAQYASABEgLaHPD_BwE
Quick overview/review. I recently bought this off a friend, who has a few LN planes (including a 5) so I'll repeat what he told me to begin with.
Out of the box, all his LN's were spot on ready to use. The Axminster, there were a few issues,
1. The cap screw was incredibly tight, like it had been loctite in. Removal and bit of oil, turns easily by finger and thumb.
2. The plane was cutting heavily on the right side and needed the lateral adjuster quite a lot to one side. Also, the plane would lose it depth/lateral setting and the lever cap would occasionally start creeping up the iron. It's the old Stanley keyhole type (which I've read can do that, hence the kidney shape revision). I think LN use the keyhole, so it shouldn't really be an issue.
The only way to stop this was to use a lot (imo) of cap tension.
According to friend. Upon dismantling plane, the bedrock screws weren't tight in his experience. Also frog bed was a bit gunked up. After a clean and tightening the bedrock screws, all the above issues disappeared. So something to check if you buy one.
Now the good bits.
1.The sole is very flat out of the box. I did the sharpie, glass and sandpaper routine and found the sole had a very slight (almost negligible) hollow about 1/4" behind the throat to a 1/4" from the heel. The toe was very flat. Both edges are square to sole.
2. Frog machining is very good. There's no lateral play and it seats very nicely, I don't have any other bedrocks to compare. Mate says its not LN quality but that's to be expected.
3. Thick iron and cap iron. I didn't get the vernier out but it's pretty much the thickness that you get in LN, wood river, quangsheng, etc. The The iron was flat out of the box and mating surface on both are excellent.
4. Lateral and depth adjusters feel nice.
I will finish on a couple of things, this is probably just a me issue. The iron is machined flat with a lip (pictured) that contacts the iron. Even though the mating surfaces are excellent, the cap iron slides about quite a bit whilst tightening the screw, which needs to be very tight. Not the end of the world but can make setting it a bit fiddly.
I have a few hock irons and caps, that are machined flat and then have a slight bow introduced (I think LN do the same) and those started gripping the iron very quickly with no effort. So I might swap one of those in.
Iron is unbranded but feels like A2, not sure if it's described on the website. It's good but I prefer the Hock high carbon irons I have. Probably due to me being very average at sharpening.
Weights just 2.6kg
I was using it quite a lot yesterday at work and have been pretty impressed. Got a mates rates price, but I would have been happy paying the RRP.
Fleyh, I tried to photograph the yoke as best I could. Hope it helps
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