cost of quality planes and the best cheaper alternative ?
- Thread starter big soft moose
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DaveL
Established Member
John,
Sorry to hear about the knees.
I have seen a number of turners who work from wheel chairs, the spinney side beckons. :roll:
Sorry to hear about the knees.
I have seen a number of turners who work from wheel chairs, the spinney side beckons. :roll:
lurker
Le dullard de la commune
AND/ OR sharing your workshop & skills with a beginner who could do the standing up stuff for you.
If I lived closer -I'd be around making a nuisance of myself all the time.
If I lived closer -I'd be around making a nuisance of myself all the time.
Benchwayze
Established Member
Hi Pete, CHJ, Paul, Newt, DaveL and Lurker,
It's great to have your well-wishes. Thanks a million for that.
I don't intend to vegetate. As soon as the knees are done, I shall be pottering. Which to me is turning, and learning a bit more carving.
I'm not a whiz at either, but I manage.
I do want to make a Rocking horse, but there's big lumps of timber in those! So I bought a 9" barometer and thermometer and a nice oak centre-board.
I found a nice design for an Edwardian Style Barometer in an old copy of TradWood, so I am giving it a go. I can sit down to do that courtesy of Rich who made me a nice round stool seat!
And you're welcome any time Lurker! Just give me notice so I can get Number One Son to clear the timber stocks out of the way!
Regards
John
It's great to have your well-wishes. Thanks a million for that.
I don't intend to vegetate. As soon as the knees are done, I shall be pottering. Which to me is turning, and learning a bit more carving.
I'm not a whiz at either, but I manage.
I do want to make a Rocking horse, but there's big lumps of timber in those! So I bought a 9" barometer and thermometer and a nice oak centre-board.
I found a nice design for an Edwardian Style Barometer in an old copy of TradWood, so I am giving it a go. I can sit down to do that courtesy of Rich who made me a nice round stool seat!
And you're welcome any time Lurker! Just give me notice so I can get Number One Son to clear the timber stocks out of the way!
Regards
John
woodbloke
Established Member
John - very sorry to hear about the problem with the knees. I'm sure that you'll be able to do some sort of woodworking from a sitting position (as Pete has suggested with carving) Whatever you do, don't loose touch with the forum as your contributions are valued - Rob
Benchwayze
Established Member
Thanks Rob,
No worries on me giving up altogether. It's just that I shan't be able to manhandle large planks and sheets. So serious furniture-making has to be put on the back-burner.
As I said, I can turn and carve, a little, so I shan't miss the scent of wood. And of course the Forum is here always. (I'll get reacquainted with the turners' dance, before I go back indoors after a session at the lathe!) Maybe not!
Regards and keep blogging.
John
No worries on me giving up altogether. It's just that I shan't be able to manhandle large planks and sheets. So serious furniture-making has to be put on the back-burner.
As I said, I can turn and carve, a little, so I shan't miss the scent of wood. And of course the Forum is here always. (I'll get reacquainted with the turners' dance, before I go back indoors after a session at the lathe!) Maybe not!
Regards and keep blogging.
John
My first plane (Stanley 41/2)was inherited from an apprentice trained craftsman, but the second was a long saved for No 6 which I could never get to work. Very much later I discovered it was 25 thou concave, and so useless without hours of flattening.
Without significant work Record/Stanley are more carpenters tools; tuning up moves you into joinery and furniture, and very careful tuning towards trickier stuff and exotic timbers. Sole flattening really needs a Chinese granite surface plate (about 90 quid) and new blades and cap irons add 50 or more per plane assuming you know what you're doing.
The expensive stuff requires far less fiddling, and the castings will be fairly stable compared with chinese made (Record is made in China nowadays). However even LN plane castings will move in time and benefit from the surface plate now and again!
Without significant work Record/Stanley are more carpenters tools; tuning up moves you into joinery and furniture, and very careful tuning towards trickier stuff and exotic timbers. Sole flattening really needs a Chinese granite surface plate (about 90 quid) and new blades and cap irons add 50 or more per plane assuming you know what you're doing.
The expensive stuff requires far less fiddling, and the castings will be fairly stable compared with chinese made (Record is made in China nowadays). However even LN plane castings will move in time and benefit from the surface plate now and again!
bugbear
Established Member
ivan":2w4rfjcs said:
90 quid gets you a grade 'A' 12"x18" plate, which is OVERKILL accuracy (even with my metrology predilections) and big enough to manage a #7 on the diagonal:
You only need spend 35 quid to get a grade 'B' (check the spec before deciding you don't like the sound of grade 'B') 9"x12" plate, which will handle anything upto a #5 (on the diagonal).
These are APTC prices; Rutlands have increased the price of their 9x12 plate to 45 quid.
There's a couple of eBay shops that regularly have (new) granite surface plates at even better prices.
BugBear (who got his 9"x12" grade 'B' for a tenner
Agreed, Bugbear:
But my granite plate (£86 from Axminster) is about 29" on the diagonal, just big enough to get my No8 corner to corner.
Tilgear have 9x12 plates for under 30 quid, sometimes much less in their sales, but not quite a tenner!
I see in Ray Isles will grind your plane sole for £13 to 28 approx, No3 to No8. And sides square for shooting at £12.50.
But my granite plate (£86 from Axminster) is about 29" on the diagonal, just big enough to get my No8 corner to corner.
Tilgear have 9x12 plates for under 30 quid, sometimes much less in their sales, but not quite a tenner!
I see in Ray Isles will grind your plane sole for £13 to 28 approx, No3 to No8. And sides square for shooting at £12.50.
