First combination plane

Re: First combination plane

Jack Guzman from Maine

>My first and still only combo is the record 044. It's a real good start but all it cuts are grooves. I hear the 50 is more versatile and I'm looking.---Jack

Stanley #50/Record 050

Sandor in Boyds, MD

>The 46 won't do beads unless you grind your own profiled blades (tricky 'cause of the skew).

My vote is for the #50. I have an early type stanley and love it. Bare bones. No muss no fuss.

Its smallish and light so its easy to work with.

Rabbets, grooves, dados and beads...

Depends

David Miller from Iowa

>on what you want to do... Sandor likes his #50 and I like mine too, but a #45 that has the cutter advance and the fine fence adjustment really makes the learning curve a bit less frustrating. Early #50s had a manual cutter adjustment, and the later ones had that funky lever advance (that doesn't work that great, IMHO).

However, keep in mind that the sharpness of the cutter and ESPECIALLY the quality of the wood probably outweigh the feature differences of the various planes. A perfectly tuned plane in experienced hands still cannot cut a decent bead on crummy wood. If you use a combination plane regularly, your ability to spot straight grained wood will increase dramitically.

As an aside, I used to make coffins at civil war renactment weekends. Actually, I made most of them ahead of time, and spent the demonstrations flattening boards, planing edges, and putting beads on with a #45. I'd keep some super clear pine around so the kids could wisp shavings with ease, I and I had some knotty pine for those hecklers. No one ever noticed.

As a little shove farther down the slippery slope, nothing cuts cross grained dados like a #46 (except maybe a #39).

question and hijack

Randy Johnson Connersville, IN

>In one of my former lives I went to a lot of rendezvous (pre-1840 costumed muzzleloader shoots) and there always seemed to be at one individual who was an authority on what was and wasn't "authenic".

Did you ever get any flack for using a post CW era plane for your demonstrations?

I'd go for a...

Scott Burr Ben Lomond,CA

>Record 050 over a Stanley. The 050 is a great starting combo plane. The Record has a better blade adjuster than the Stanley or the 044. It has knickers to do cross grain work too, something the 044 does not. It's easy to set up and use. Good luck!

Re: I'd go for a...

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>what he said...

:)

Maybe I'll take some pictures comparing them and post them later today.

Re: question and hijack

David Miller from Iowa

>Couple times, but those in the know were more interested in talking tools than splitting hairs

Re: First combination plane

Jim in Burlington Ontario

>I'd buy the Reprint of the stanely 45 and 55 book before buying to make sure you get all the parts. You can buy it cheap at LV.

As promised, images... (lots)

Christopher Fitch @ Memphis

>Record 044:

Record 050:

Record 405:

Stanley 45:

Re: As promised, images... (lots)

Jack Guzman from Maine

>Wow,my 044 don't look anything like that. It works nice though so I'm not complaining. I really like the look of that 405. How is it to use?---Jack

Re: Clifton

paul womack

>Is the Clifton multiplane like a #55?

No. It's a successor of the Record #405, itself a British version of the Stanley #45.

The Clifton is VERY expensive (but then, if Stanley still made the #45, it'd be expensive too).

I saw a Clifton combo come through my local auction. The one benefit it has over the earlier tools is very thick blades. Otherwise, the fit and finish were disappointing. Since I already own a #405 I didn't bid.

BugBear

Record 50

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>What are the differences between a Record #044 and a Record #50?

Re: Record 50

paul womack

>What are the differences between a Record #044 and a Record #50?

#044 is a plough, #050 is a combination, like the Stanley #50.

BugBear

Re: Record 50

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>Did Record make any improvements? Is it on your web site (for which I have misplaced the URL...)?

Hey Chris, a question...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond CA

>Which one do you like better the 45 or the 405 and why?

Just curious, because I don't have a 405 (yet?).

Thanks, Scott

Re: First combination plane

Alan Hamilton

>Robin,

I am the owner of three different combination planes! I have that gorgeous, capable Clifton, the much revered Stanley #45, and the last combination plane Staley made, the rather ordinary looking #12-250.

My recommendation is:

Drum roll! Trumpet call!

You should get a Stanley #12-250.

No hesitation; no reservations. Of my various combination planes my 12-250 is by far the easiest to set up and use. It won't do everything a Clifton will, but it will do everything a Stanley #45 will do.

I have all the available irons for my 12-250. It will rabbet, bead, cove, groove, dado, reed, sash, etc., etc., etc.

Best of all, it's cheap! When you could find one brand new, the plane and both sets of irons could be bought for about half the price of a Clifton.

Apparently Stanley stopped making 12-250s (why should it be any different than all their other good quality planes) but not all that long ago. With some persistence and a long list of 800 numbers, you may be able to find a new one, forgotten and dusty in someone's warehouse. If not, Stanleys of all numbers regularly show up on Ebay and elsewhere.

You asked; now you know.

Alan

Re: Record 50  *LINK*

paul womack

>


#050 information from my site

Thanks! Added to Favourites.

Don Thompson - Cutler Ridge, Florida

>

Re: Clifton

Craig

>You can buy an antique Stanley 45 with all the cutters in great condition for 1/10th the price. If you do a lot of traditional woodworking, you can also buy individual wooden handled planes. I have a 45 but typically grab the individual plane. They work very well and don't require a blade change/adjustment each time.