No. 3 Plane

[MIGNAL]

Who uses one and why?
Sounds a provocative question but I've only just realised that after 40 years of Woodworking. . . I've never actually had the pleasure of using one! I think I saw one in the flesh once.

 

[t8hants]

Well I use one because I got two Record versions for £15, sharpened the blade on one, and now I find I use it more than a block plane.
The other is in quiet repose.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

I've banged on a bit about the Faithfull 3 I bought out of curiosity more than anything else. Now it actually works, I quite like it. It doesn't do anything a 4 wouldn't, but it's just a little bit lighter and nimbler.

 

[AndyT]

I bought mine relatively recently, because I had a chance to buy one in nice condition for not much, and because I'd been watching Richard Maguire's videos, where he praises it.

I used it quite a bit when planing fiddly bits for my oak chest of drawers project, and found that the slight reduction in size made it just a little bit more 'nimble' on the small pieces.

That said, I probably could have managed just as well with a no 4 instead. Maybe the benefit was just from the extra care with which I had sharpened the iron!

 

[ColeyS1]

I used my the other day for planing of 25mm pellets above my head. Compared to my no 4 it was beautiful!

Coley

 

[Vann]

I wanted to try a Clifton, but already had a No.4 (Record 04ss) so opted for a Clifton No.3. I found I really like it.

It doesn't do anything a 4 wouldn't, but it's just a little bit lighter and nimbler.

Or in the case of the Clifton - a bit heavier and nimbler :wink:

Cheers, Vann.

 

[lurker]

I've banged on a bit about the Faithfull 3 I bought out of curiosity more than anything else. Now it actually works, I quite like it. It doesn't do anything a 4 wouldn't, but it's just a little bit lighter and nimbler.

Me too, same experience.
I bought one because I have 4, 4.5,5,5.5 and was interested in something a bit smaller as I was making small boxes at the time.
Also it was silly cheap. I half expected it to be rubbish but I was very wrong.
It's turned out to be a decent buy and it is a nice tool to use sometimes

Seems to be stil available http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faithfull-PLANE ... od+plane+3

 

[Paul Chapman]

I use mine a lot - it's one of my favourite planes. Particularly good when planning end-grain freehand and you need a plane with a bit more heft than a block plane



Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[profchris]

My no 3 is my go to plane for ukulele making. The plates for top and back are only about 9 x 6 inches, so a bigger plane is unwieldy.

The Quangsheng no 1 gets a surprising amount of use too, especially working on necks.

 

[Bm101]

I got mine for the same reason I like to drink Half Pints of Guinness. if you pretend its normal size it makes you feel like a Giant.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I use mine a lot - it's one of my favourite planes. Particularly good when planning end-grain freehand and you need a plane with a bit more heft than a block plane



Cheers :wink:

Paul

Send it back. The stamp is crooked.

 

[Paul Chapman]

I use mine a lot - it's one of my favourite planes. Particularly good when planning end-grain freehand and you need a plane with a bit more heft than a block plane



Cheers :wink:

Paul

Send it back. The stamp is crooked.

Don't worry about it - it doesn't bother me

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Jelly]

I used someone else's once and found it hard to get my hand in a comfortable position, anyone else find it awkward or do I just have unusually ungainly hands?

 

[Corneel]

You have ungainly hands! Mine fits perfectly (he sais with his maiden hands).

 

[n0legs]

I have a Record No3 and I use mine quite a bit.
Andy's and Paul's comments hit the nail on the head. They're some of the reasons I like mine so much.

 

[67 Cortina Wagon]

I have a 1910 -ish Rosewood handled Stanley I use all the time - kept super-sharp (and that means tickling it up a couple of times a day when I'm busy), I use it where I used to use a block plane, which is still in my hand a lot but the No3's much more useful than a 4 I find....

I end to use a mixture but the No3's the go-to....

 

[knockknock]

The story:

The Veritas small bevel up smoother was my first plane, it is light and nimble, I have a great affection for it.

Then one day I was planning pre-glued pine panels from Home Depot, and having tear out problems. So I bought a Wood River #3 and learned how to use a chip breaker. But I didn't like the grip, and it is on the heavy side.

So I got a Kunz+ #3. It has it's idiosyncrasies, but I like the grip and it is lighter than the Wood River.

 

[MIGNAL]

Up until a few weeks ago I was going to sell my Stanley SW No.4. It's long (for a No. 4), cumbersome and very heavy. It has it's idiosyncrasies too. Then I had that Birds eye to plane. . . and the Stanley SW did a mighty fine job.
So in certain circumstances weight can be your friend, perhaps even on a No. 3.

 

[PAC1]

I have a Bronze No 3 with a high angled frog which works very well, with the bonus that the high angle frog makes a bit more room for your knuckles.

 

[Tony Zaffuto]

View attachment 2
The story:

The Veritas small bevel up smoother was my first plane, it is light and nimble, I have a great affection for it.

Then one day I was planning pre-glued pine panels from Home Depot, and having tear out problems. So I bought a Wood River #3 and learned how to use a chip breaker. But I didn't like the grip, and it is on the heavy side.

So I got a Kunz+ #3. It has it's idiosyncrasies, but I like the grip and it is lighter than the Wood River.

How about a close up of the Kunz? Is that one of the premium models? How is the blade and what are the idiosyncrasies? How does it compare to the Veritas (I have the same Veritas)?

My favorite smoother is a Clifton #3, although a few weeks ago, I got an old LN, beat to hail, but old non-A2 blade. I did need to get an LN chipbreaker for it, but blunted the edge to approximate geometry of a Bailey/Bedrock edge. With the machined bedding portion, it works extremely well, with the best of both chipbreaker worlds. Incidentally in Earnest Joyce's "Encyclopedia of Furniture Making", first published in 1970, the "new" chipbreaker "trick" was described as the method in adjusting the chipbreaker.