Plane Decison

[Petey83]

So my vintage stanley number 7 will be going... never really got on with it like i have when i used a number 7 at evening school so thought i would try another one.

So here is my dilema.... Do i got for the Lie Nielson No7 or do i Get a Quangsheng No7 and put the saving into a new Quangsheng No 3 or 4 as well?

i already have a Quangsheng block and jack plane and a vintage stanley No4 that i'm pretty happy with... no issue with Quangsheng quality just wondering if Lie Nielson is worth the extra.....

 

[JohnPW]

There's Clifton to widen your choice.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I wonder what you think a new one will do that your old one didn't?

 

[Kalimna]

Well, having both a Stanley and QS 7, and a LN 5 1/2, I'm not sure what you get from the LN that a QS doesn't give you. Or a Clifton for that matter. As per above post, what was wrong with the 7 you had?
If you're dead set on buying new, go for the QS, its good, though not as well finished around the edges as the LN/Clifton and the adjuster is rather tight.

Adam

 

[Petey83]

i have actually had this conversation with someone today and they have suggested the issue is my technigue and set up of the number 7 and it may be worth me firstly sourcing a new chip breaker and looking into a Number 6 plane as it would do the same job as my number 7 is intended for on the smaller boards i am usually using and its easier to master

 

[mouppe]

Well, having both a Stanley and QS 7, and a LN 5 1/2, I'm not sure what you get from the LN that a QS doesn't give you. Or a Clifton for that matter. As per above post, what was wrong with the 7 you had?
If you're dead set on buying new, go for the QS, its good, though not as well finished around the edges as the LN/Clifton and the adjuster is rather tight.

Adam

There is one thing to note and that is that the frogs in the LN#7, LN #5 1/2 and LN #4 1/2 are interchangeable. What I do is leave a 45 degree frog in my #7 and a 50 degree frog in my 5 1/2 (I use this plane for most of my final smoothing).

So if you already have one of LN's planes, it may be best to buy another from LN with a different frog angle.

I use my #5 1/2 far more than any other plane I own. I only really use the #7 for edge jointing, and have the blade flattened straight across with no camber accordingly.

 

[heimlaga]

There is nothing to gain from selling an elderly Stanley number 7 and buying a new plane. If it isn't broken it is a good plane and if you don't need it now you will need it later.
If you have a number 5 1/2 you have no need for a number 6 as they both do the same job. They are just two varieties of the same thing.
Don't waste money.

I think you should use your money for a plane you dont have. For instance a number 4 sized smoother. One that will work. For instance a Clifton or Veritas. Then use your experience from that fully functional plane to fettle the two other planes you already have. Then you will have three fully functional planes for three different uses all for the prize of one.

 

[Petey83]

There is nothing to gain from selling an elderly Stanley number 7 and buying a new plane. If it isn't broken it is a good plane and if you don't need it now you will need it later.
If you have a number 5 1/2 you have no need for a number 6 as they both do the same job. They are just two varieties of the same thing.
Don't waste money.

I think you should use your money for a plane you dont have. For instance a number 4 sized smoother. One that will work. For instance a Clifton or Veritas. Then use your experience from that fully functional plane to fettle the two other planes you already have. Then you will have three fully functional planes for three different uses all for the prize of one.

I actually have an elderly number 4 Stanley but have never used it as it's missing the iron so thinking I will grab one now.

I actually have a 5 not 5 1/2 and I was planning to set it up specifically as a scrub plane for rough dimensioning stock.

I am leaning towards a number 6 as it seems like a good in between for getting sin 5 foot boards faces flat and edges square.

I could be totally wrong - I'm newish to hand tools after all (hammer)

 

[deema]

Have you considered the LN no 8? I set out to buy the no 7 from Axi and was encouraged to try the No 8. I haven't regretted the decision to go for the larger plane. I also have a LV No 6 which I use as a fore plane as well as the No 8. The two sizes make IMO almost the perfect combination for all straightening and flattening jobs.

 

[undergroundhunter]

i have actually had this conversation with someone today and they have suggested the issue is my technigue and set up of the number 7 and it may be worth me firstly sourcing a new chip breaker and looking into a Number 6 plane as it would do the same job as my number 7 is intended for on the smaller boards i am usually using and its easier to master

What makes you think a new chip breaker will change anything? Unless the one you have is distorted or something there is no real gain by changing it. I fell into the thicker iron/chip breaker a few years ago so I put one in a No4 and to be honest it made no difference what so ever to how the plane performed, all my planes are now back with factory irons/chip breakers.

Matt

 

[heimlaga]

Wait a bit....
You have a number 4 and a number 5 and a number 7.

A number 5 1/2 or 6 is a very practical intermediate between jack and long plane but it is not a plane I would spend a lot of money on.

A dedicated scrub plane or a wooden jack or narrow wooden smoother plane would be a better scrub than a number 5. I really don't like the idea of setting up a number 5 as scrub because that would include widening the mouth. This would make the plane useless for anything else than as a not very good scrub.

I think you should learn to fettle and set up and use the planes you already have. I find the number 5 to be a very useful and versatile plane if properly set up. Actually I have one set up with a straight blade for finer work and another with a slightly cambered blade for coarser work. Number 4 and 7 are wery important planes each for it's specific use.
Look out for a number 6 and either a proper scrub or an old beaten up wooden jack that can be converted to a scrub.

I bet there is something wrong with your plane set up or planing techique. I once helped a friend past that very step in the learning curve. Suddenly he started producing very good results with his formery "almost useless" plane. You would gain nothing from paying a lot of money to get up that step.

 

[Petey83]

Thanks to all for the advice and comments. I think a lot of my issues will be technique which is compounded by not having the most stable work bench.

I will tidy up the number 4 I have and after having done some. Ore reading I'm not so sure I need a scrub plane at the moment.

 

[heimlaga]

Good luck!
I have been where you are and got past it by learning. Then I was a teenager without much money so I just had to make do with the old beaten up planes I could afford or I would have to quit. I learned....... and now it is your turn to learn the tricks.

Feel free to ask questions!

 

[JonnyW]

Have you thought about pimping your Stanley and buying a better blade and chipbreaker?

My beloved Stanley 605 is an old Bedrock I got off the net and it's my favourite out of all my planes - I've been collecting planes for a while now and I can tell you, I own and have used a few.

It had been cleaned to death, so wasn't a collectors' wet dream. So I bought a Lie Nielsen blade and chipbreaker for it. It did require a bit of fettling. Due to the blade being a lot thicker, I had to file out the mouth a little.

There is also a lot of discussion about the Y-lever being too short and how you can solder/braise bits on your chipbreaker or braise extensions to your Y-lever. However, this is not nessesary as you can buy for £5.80 from Workshop Heaven, a longer Y-lever.

This made what is in my opinion, a lovely plane, into an even better plane. I did exactly the same to one of my 604's.

So this may be the improvement to your Stanley No 7 you need. I also have a No 7; a 1980's thing with plastic handles. I never use it to tell you the truth, as I have a No 8 that rolled out the factory circa 1910 and is as sweet as the day it was made.

So before you ditch the poor thing, try researching ways to fettle and improve the plane's set up. You may find that a little time spent on adjusting its set up, will reap huge performance results.

Regarding your scrub plane - this is basically the No 6 that has the wide mouth. Americans love their dedicated scrub planes, however I think historically the No 6 was more popular as a scrub plane in the UK (I may be wrong there). I have a scrub plane and it's not pretty, but it's functional and tears through wood like mad. You can still buy new Stanley No. 6's but I wouldn't expect much in terms of quality. Or source an older 6 on the Bay.

Christopher Schwarz in Hand Plane Essentials writes that if he could recommend one plane and one plane only as an essential buy for first time woodworkers, it would be the low angle jack plane - namely the Lie Nielsen No. 62. I would have to agree with him there. A plane that is sublime.

Best regards

Jonny