Neander Dado? Plow plane comparison
Dave Thompson - Champaign IL
>While making some toy trolley/wagon/wheeled drawer things this weekend, I decided to abandon my precision, but zero-fun, stacked dado set and play with the plow planes. I compared a #45, 044, #50, and a closed handle wooden plow plane. My 043 was a bit too small for this drawer bottom. I took some notes and have posted them below for your general rumination and comments. The dados were 1/2" wide, 1/4" deep in cherry. While sharpening the blades before hand, I noticed the factory bevel on all of the blades was 30 degrees. I rebeveled to 25 degrees, with the exception of the wooden plow which had a gumption killing ~�� thick blade.
The dados went fast. I believe I spent more time setting up the planes than making the dados.
All of the dado inner edges were nice and clean. The outer edges (bottom of drawer) were cleanest on the #45, though I attribute this issue more to operator error ;-)
Some features I appreciated:
- wooden handle � This is a top feature when it�s 27 degrees in the shop. The #45 has this. The 044 and #50 had to be brought in the house to warm up. Perhaps Neal�s coffee mug warmer might be useful for setting this on and warming it up ;-)
- dual skate � such as on the #45 and #50, aids in stability. One can go at the dado a little quicker (read as sloppier) and it is self correcting.
- depth adjustment � Of course it�s nice to do fine depth adjustment by turning a screw. Additionally, a depth adjuster locks the blade in place from jumping up as I experienced with my #50 and wooden plow plane.
Record 044
It has a nice compact solid feel. I would prefer to use this on a smaller dado. It has a nice handle above the fence to hold with one�s left hand, which unlike the #50, doesn�t get in the way of the shaving exhaust port. I like that it has a depth adjuster, which locks the blade depth, and provides easy fine movement. Has the nicest polished nickel finish of all.
cons: I wish the handle was a smidge bigger, as it's a little small for my hand. It doesn�t feel quite as stable making cuts compared to the others. I believe this is because it has a shorter single skate and/or shorter fence. One thing to play with might be extending the fence with a longer wood runner. The #044 doesn�t have any nickers.
Stanley #45
For this dado, this was my favorite. As mentioned above, I appreciated the wood handles in the cold. The fine depth adjustment that this has, is very nice. I like the dual skate for stability, and dual nickers which keep the cuts clean. Likewise, the wood ball handle for one�s left hand is really appreciated after using the other planes. The fine adjustment on the fence is handy.
Stanley #50
I like that it has two skate and two nickers, though on mine, the threads on one of the nicker holes has been stripped by a previous owner making one of the nickers unusable. (something to check when buying used).
There isn�t a good place to put one�s left hand. Placing one�s hand on the loop attached to the left skate will block the shaving exit port. I end up placing my index finger and thumb fore and aft of this loop.
I wish this had a depth adjuster and wood handle. Did earlier types have this? More than once, I had to tap the blade back down with a tiny hammer. I do like that the 044 and #45 have optional short fence posts rather than only the long ones.
Wooden Plow
I have an old no-name closed handle with boxwood screw plow plane. I used a �� Sandusky blade beveled at 30 degrees. I tuned it up a few years back, and made a replacement blade wedge, which could probably use a little more refinement. I think it ties the #45 for the most interesting to look at. My biggest issue with this plane is setting and maintaining depth of blade adjustment. There�s a little additional setup time to adjust the fence such that it is parallel to the skate, since there are two independent boxwood screws to lock down. The plane performed well with this dado. Not bad for a ~100+ year old woodie.
