Quansheng No.4 Review/Impressions: Updated with pictures

[woodguy7]

Nice review. I just fitted my workshop out with daylight tubes yesterday. Wow, cant belive the improvement

Woodguy

 

[ByronBlack]

A couple of questions, Byron:

I don't quite get your blade flattening and sharpening procedure. Could you explain that in more detail, please? I use the David Charlesworth triple bevel method myself, but it seems you skip a few steps?

That 3M product you use for flattening seems interesting. Do you have any idea of how coarse it is, compared with ordinary sandpaper?

What do you use under that paper when flattening. It looks like MDF, but surely it can't be?

Hi Geir,

For flattening, I just rub the back along the various grits until I get a mirror finish. I use a thin ruler which goes underneath the back of the blade which pitches it up a tad, this has the effect of only polishing the tip of the back (which means less work).

As for the sharpening, i don't bother with triple bevels, I don't see the point personally. I establish a 25 degree primary bevel by going through the various grits. Then I do the very same thing, but with the blade set in the jig to establish a 30 degree bevel.

The lapping film I'm using is 40/15/5 micron, you can find the direct comparison and more information from workshopheaven.com

Despite some shock, all I use as a substrate is plain old MDF - it's perfectly flat and accepts the film with spray mount exceptionally well.

Jim:

No glass - just MDF

It is an eclipse jig, I have no idea what number it is though, its the one with the a single wheel, which makes cambering very easy, the bevel looks wonky due to my crap photography and lighting skills, I actually ground a very slight camber onto the blade, but the camera just can't seem to pick up the details very well.

I don't mind the marmite so much, or the chrome cap, but then I'm really not bothered by the looks of the tools (see the hideous finish of the rider block, doesn't bother me one bit if it cuts well).

Hope that helps.

 

[bugbear]

Assume that is an Eclipse jig you have there...judging by the bottom photo...? It may be my eyesight or the reflection but has it skewed the microbevel a tad?

An Eclipse didn't skew the micro-bevel; the user did.

An Eclipse's roller is no where near wide enough to have any say in the matter, one way or the other.

I'm always amused when people say they like the Eclipse because it always holds the blade square (being side clamping), despite the fact that due to the narrow roller, it doesn't matter much wether the blade is square in the jig or not!

I like the Eclipse because it does the important thing (controls the bevel), while still allowing operator tweaking of other things.

BugBear

 

[ByronBlack]

Assume that is an Eclipse jig you have there...judging by the bottom photo...? It may be my eyesight or the reflection but has it skewed the microbevel a tad?

I like the Eclipse because it does the important thing (controls the bevel), while still allowing operator tweaking of other things.

BugBear

Exactly the reason I like it; cambering is very easy to do on these. And a lot cheaper than the veritas doohickey with the added camber wotsit.

 

[jimi43]

I am aware of the Eclipse and the benefit of the narrow roller and cambers bugbear...I have one too. :wink: It just looked skewed in the light because the other side did not reflect.....

I prefer to get the microbevel straight and then just whip of the extremes by hand. It works for me.

BB...the QS finish and quality certainly looks more controlled than the RIDER from the example you received from Axminster.

Jim

 

[ByronBlack]

I am aware of the Eclipse and the benefit of the narrow roller and cambers bugbear...I have one too. :wink: It just looked skewed in the light because the other side did not reflect.....

I prefer to get the microbevel straight and then just whip of the extremes by hand. It works for me.

BB...the QS finish and quality certainly looks more controlled than the RIDER from the example you received from Axminster.

Jim

0

Jim - the finish of the QS is exceptional. You wouldn't feel ripped off if it cost a lot more than it does.

 

[jimi43]

Jim - the finish of the QS is exceptional. You wouldn't feel ripped off if it cost a lot more than it does.

Given that exceptional review...perhaps the Rider is not so hot as is first thought:

Perhaps this little baby would be another winner....and only £15 more...

I am saving up for theNo.3 bedrock ...you have sold QS to me and I can get over the initial chrome dislike I had at the YOKB... :wink:

Jim

 

[ByronBlack]

Jim,

I would have gone for the QS block in a hearbeat if it were available. But I was also intrigued to see how the axminster performed. I may even get the QS block and do a side by side test.

I think you'll be very happy with the No.3 if it's as good as my No.4

 

[jimi43]

Jim,

I would have gone for the QS block in a hearbeat if it were available. But I was also intrigued to see how the axminster performed. I may even get the QS block and do a side by side test.

I think you'll be very happy with the No.3 if it's as good as my No.4

I was thinking it would be brilliant to see a side by side test!

Jim

 

[ali27]

Well done sir. Good review.

I bought a no 6 QS a while ago and was really impressed by it.

You could buy an extra blade and give it a backbevel of 10-15 degrees
and then plane those hardwoods even better. The common pitch
of 45 degrees is not suited for harder woods, especially with
difficult grain.

I took my no6QS plane to a woodworking friend with a lot of experience.
He uses LN planes. He was really impressed by the QS plane. The
performance was the same. He still preffered his LN's because
they look nicer(I agree).

Then I told him that the QS is almost 3 times less expensive. He
was shocked.

The Veritas planes seems to perform really well as well, but I just
don't like their look.

Regards,

Ali

 

[woodbloke]

It is an eclipse jig, I have no idea what number it is though, its the one with the a single wheel, which makes cambering very easy, the bevel looks wonky due to my crap photography and lighting skills, I actually ground a very slight camber onto the blade, but the camera just can't seem to pick up the details very well.

Without getting into the issue of different honing guides, I agree that the honed bevel looks skewed, even though it's not. As Bugbear says, the Eclipse allows you to control the bevel, but it's very easy to gradually produce a cambered bevel which is skewed unintentionally, caused solely by the narrow roller and unequal finger pressure on each side of the blade.
This is one of the reasons that I changed to the KIII because it's almost impossible to produce out 'out of square' micro-bevel.
Equally, it's quite a faff (but doable) to deliberately produce a cambered bevel...so I don't bother and just knock off the corners of the plane iron - Rob

 

[matthewwh]

Perhaps this little baby would be another winner....and only £15 more...

The next batch might be a tenner dearer I'm afraid, I've been tinkering at the whim of various specialists in the field and had some modifications included.

 

[jimi43]

Perhaps this little baby would be another winner....and only £15 more...

The next batch might be a tenner dearer I'm afraid, I've been tinkering at the whim of various specialists in the field and had some modifications included.

Ah! Ok...well I will look forward to that with interest but still keeping my old Stanley 60 1/2...the one I have is old and tuned so why change. BUT...how about the No.3?

Is that staying?

Jim

 

[matthewwh]

Yep, no changes to the bench planes.

 

[ByronBlack]

What mods have you had included Matt?

 

[matthewwh]

The design of the blade advance has been altered, the new one has a finer pitch to give better control over the depth of cut. I've also had a chat with Tom Lie Nielsen and we have had one of the casting details changed for him.

 

[Einari Rystykaemmen]

Given that exceptional review...perhaps the Rider is not so hot as is first thought:

Perhaps this little baby would be another winner....and only £15 more...
Jim

Maybe little bit off topic, but...

This block plane looks almost identical with Juuma block plane, which can be found here http://www.fine-tools.com/einhand.htm.

I have ordered one and it arrived this morning. I can write a little review when I have tested it.

 

[jorgoz]

Given that exceptional review...perhaps the Rider is not so hot as is first thought:

Perhaps this little baby would be another winner....and only £15 more...
Jim

Maybe little bit off topic, but...

This block plane looks almost identical with Juuma block plane, which can be found here http://www.fine-tools.com/einhand.htm.

I have ordered one and it arrived this morning. I can write a little review when I have tested it.

I'm looking forward to your little review of the juuma 20° block.

When i asked them if they would be offering a low angle version of the juuma block they said they would but not when though. Euro currency is more interesting and their shipping costs are quite low too.