The principal differences in bench planes. Help Needed!

[Vormulac]

Hi folks,

Being at Westonbirt over the weekend made me ponder on finally getting myself a really good plane. I have a selection of fettled Stanleys and Records, but with my birthday coming up this weekend and the impending price hike, I was contemplating treating myself to something a bit special (bearing in mind I think my most expensive plane to date was £30 for an old Stanley #6).
Whilst I would love a great big #8, I would probably get the most use from a more sensible smoother, I've always felt the 5 1/2 was a good size for my shovel-like hands. So my question is to those of you more experienced woodworkers, most of you own one or more planes from the different 'Big Three' (Clifton/LV/L-N), where do you find the main differences?
I don't have the years of experience trying these different planes out, and I don't have anything like brand loyalty to take into account, I just want to know what you guys think the stand out qualities of the various makes are.
I shouldn't spend this much as I'm meant to be saving up to get married, but I reckon I can probably stretch to around the £200 mark, perhaps a bit more.
I would really value your opinions on this, chaps.

V.

ETA - I've never used a low angle/bevel-up plane, so I'm equally open to suggestions about them!

 

[woodbloke]

V - I don't think there's a great deal between them in all honesty. If you go for BD then it's between Clifton and LN. BU has to be the LV offering. At the end of the jour, the best thing I think is to spend a morning playing around with all the different varieties, if you can find somewhere that'll let you do that...a show or a Bash maybe?
I've tried all of them with Pete and Paul C's planes and much prefer the LV LA smoother. One distinct advantage of the LV LA is that it's a bit kinder on the pocket which is always helpful.

Edit - I think the long departed Alf did some half decent reviews on BU planes etc...might be worth a look? - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

I hope that when you were at Westonbirt you took the opportunity to try out the various planes. The performance of the planes from Clifton, LV and LN is similar and, in my view, it comes down to personal preference and which planes "feel" better in your hands.

I'm a fan of Clifton bench planes (although I am also an enthusiastic user of LV's low angle block plane and their scraper planes). For me the features of Clifton that I particularly like are the weight (size for size they are heavier than LN); the Bedrock frog which makes altering the size of the mouth so easy; the two-piece cap iron which I think is the best designed cap iron available; the blades, which take a fantastic edge; and the overall feel of the planes, which to me just feel right.

One other point, if anyone tries to tell you that the cast iron bodies can break if dropped, don't believe them. I have a copy of the Clifton drop test DVD where they dropped some Clifton bodies 20ft onto a concrete floor and they didn't break.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Vormulac]

Regrettably I didn't get to try the planes out, I had been intending to return on Sunday and have a thorough paw at all the available demo models, but weather and family dictated that it was not to be.

 

[woodbloke]

Regrettably I didn't get to try the planes out, I had been intending to return on Sunday and have a thorough paw at all the available demo models, but weather and family dictated that it was not to be.

V - the next time to have a look at them all might be the Yandles show in early Sept, but it's a bit of a long haul from where you are - Rob

 

[dunbarhamlin]

'nother Clifton user here. Main plusses over the other two for me are the carbon steel blade, tempered cast iron body, heft and StaySet two piece cap iron. And, well, they're not just good - they're British to boot.

On the other side, Clifton totes are too modern/unergonomic; not as uncomfortable as LV, but LN with their proper traditional shaped totes (i.e. developed through centuries of craftsmen's use) are better.

Re Bedrock: far prefer it to no normal Bailey frog, but only for its solidity and ease of fettling. I don't consider mouth-adjustment-without-removing-the-blade-assembly significant - the blade comes off anyway every five or ten minutes in use, so what's the big deal?

Cheers
Steve

 

[MrJay]

Setting is easier with the blade in situ, Bedrock style - otherwise you're kinda guessing what might be a 0.1mm gap, tightening the thing down, putting the blade back, going GAH! taking the blade out, loosening the bolts tweaking it a bit, tightening it down, putting the blade back, going GAH! taking the blade out etc etc etc. Not the end of the world as it's not something you tend to do all that often, but it's definitely easier with a Bedrock.

I've a Clifton 4 - it's sweet. Using woodies a lot and liking them too - though they tend to be old and in need of a little TLC to get the best out of them. It's a shame nobody makes them new and ready to go anymore...

 

[Harbo]

Yandles is the 5&6 September where you can generally get a Show discount?.

A good all rounder is the LV LA Jack - the BU blade makes it very easy to alter the effective angle for different woods.

But do not forget - all the prices are supposed to be going up by about 15% in September?


Rod

 

[Paul Chapman]

Using woodies a lot and liking them too - though they tend to be old and in need of a little TLC to get the best out of them. It's a shame nobody makes them new and ready to go anymore...

Philly's making them http://www.philsville.co.uk/ Click on Philly Planes.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

Using woodies a lot and liking them too - though they tend to be old and in need of a little TLC to get the best out of them. It's a shame nobody makes them new and ready to go anymore...

Philly's making them http://www.philsville.co.uk/ Click on Philly Planes.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

...and if you've not tried one of Philly's planes, they're very good - Rob

 

[bugbear]

Not the end of the world as it's not something you tend to do all that often, but it's definitely easier with a Bedrock.

About every two years, for me at least. I might prefer the excellent bedding of a Bedrock, but I'm not too worried about the blade-in-situ adustability.

In fact the whole "in situ" thing was added quite late - what Kaune's study calls type 5 (1911) whilst bedrock was introduced in 1898.

http://www.antique-used-tools.com/brtypes.htm

I have a pre 1911 #608, and I'm managing to live with this limitation quite well.

BugBear

 

[bugbear]

Using woodies a lot and liking them too - though they tend to be old and in need of a little TLC to get the best out of them. It's a shame nobody makes them new and ready to go anymore...

Philly's making them http://www.philsville.co.uk/ Click on Philly Planes.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

www.knight-toolworks.com/

http://www.planemaker.com/products.html

BugBear

 

[Philly]

Thanks for the link Paul! Just celebrating my anniversary as a planemaker
The proper address is:
www.phillyplanes.co.uk

Cheers
Philly

 

[Paul Chapman]

Just celebrating my anniversary as a planemaker

\/ \/ Congratulations \/ \/

 

[Vormulac]

Congrats Philly!

 

[MrJay]

whoa - who'd have thunk!?!

 

[Vormulac]

Thanks for everyone's input, unfortunately my car insurance renewal has just flopped onto the doormat, so it looks like my birthday treat will have to wait a while! :roll:
Hopefully I'll be able to find somewhere here in London that stocks them so I can have a play while I make up my mind.

Thanks again guys.

 

[Anonymous]

Vormulac, I have LVs, LNs and Cliftons and all work as well as each other.

my preference is for the LN bench planes as they are finished to a higher level and use better materials, but they cost a little, more. I also prefer their 'look'.

For bevel up planes, I prefer LV as they are a little more substantial