question on planes?

[selly]

Hi,

I know lots of you guys are pro's so please forgive the amateurish questions. Are record and stanley old planes the equal of each other? how can i tell the generation of the plane didn't quality go down the swannee at a certain period?

I have the chance to buy a record 0120 block plane - I don't have a block plane and of course would like the lie nielsen type thing, but whats the point in paying all that money? Is this a useful thing or should I wait to find a 60 ana half one instead. This is second hand and only a tenner and refurbed. don't know a lot about a 120.

How much would a record no 3, 4 and 4 and half be worth - all refurbed. - Have the chance to buy these at £15, £10 and £15 respectively.

Also saw a nice record jointer (no 7) and he wants £50 refurbed. What do you reckon?

I guess I could reblade them.

Thanks

[engineerone]

if you can afford them, and you have a chance to try them before you buy, and like them then that is all that matters.

somewhere out there we have experts who know more about the dates, but as for the block plane, the fact is that many of the ones that may be available secondhand are likely to have some kind of damage, including cracks around the mouth. to me, having an ln low angle one, and knowing a couple of people who have bought the lv ones i believe they are worth the money, but it depends on your budget.

what you will buy is a set which will set you up to start, and enable you to understand the workings of hand planes and start making things out of wood by hand, rather than spending a lot of time fettling.

paul

[mrgrimsdale]

They all sound like bargains to me! You don't get that much added value for the extra price of the posh ones.
If you are in to woodwork as distinct from tool collecting, then you don't need the full set. A Stanley or Record 5 1/2 will do just about everything.

cheers
Jacob
PS Good plane article here

[paulchapman]

One way to get a rough idea about the age of Record bench planes is to look at the frog. In the picture below, the one on the right is from a Record #05 Stay Set



Thet stopped making that shape frog in the late 1960s.

The plane on the left is my Record #04 which I bought new in 1970.

The Stay Set planes differ from other Record bench planes only by the type of cap iron fitted. They tend to go for a lot more money but you can get the same by fitting a Clifton two-piece cap iron, which is the same as the Record Stay Set cap iron. Record stopped making the Stay Set planes in the late 1960s. They used to have 'SS' on the lever caps as in the picture below



Hope this helps.

Cheers

Paul

PS on the Record #0120 block plane, it's a very basic plane and I'm not sure that I would pay £10 for it. I also have the #60 1/2 that you refer to. That's a lot better but not a patch on the Veritas low angle block plane. If you could use the Veritas low angle one alongside the Record or Stanley #60 1/2 you would find the difference was like chalk and cheese. The Veritas is, of course, a lot more money but it works.

[Lord Nibbo]

Oct 11, 2008 9:59:01 GMT selly said:

I have the chance to buy a record 0120 block plane This is second hand and only a tenner and refurbed.

A tenner is too much, £5 maximum IMHO. The price for the others are good though.

[selly]

Many thanks gents.

I bought a no 4 and a no 5 record and they're both stay set but it doesn't look like the cap irons are. maybe things have been mixed and matched. £35 the pair - fully refurbed. Didn't bother with the no 3 it'll probably be too much like collecting and not using. Mind those no 3's seem to fetch decent ££ on ebay.

Against my better judgment also bought the 120. A tenner.

[paulchapman]

Oct 11, 2008 15:53:32 GMT selly said:

Didn't bother with the no 3 it'll probably be too much like collecting and not using.

I have a Clifton #3. It was a bit of an impulse buy but I've used it a lot. I find it a really useful size.

Cheers

Paul

[woodchucker]

Selly,

Beg or borrow a Stanley, a Record and if you can a Lie Nielsen.
Use them all a couple times and you will know what is the point in having a Lie Nielsen.

I resisted for years, but I saw the light in a few hours. There's some things you just have to experience..

Jack

PS
Be careful buying used 'Baileys' the 'dealers' know what the fuss is about and they often do a bit of swapping parts to make a plane seem older. I got caught on eBay. The plane was fit for spares, and I got more for the low front-tote on it's own than I paid for my best Record, at an antique fair! So have a butchers, before you buy and dismantle the plane. If the trader don't like you doing that, leave it where it is.