Combination planes - which one should I get?

If'in your wanting to do moldings of sorts...

Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA


>Get the Record 50. It does everything you ask. It beads well on stright grained woods. Not so well on others. It's a fun little plane.

Re: Combination planes - which one should I get? *LINK*

Dave Thompson


>Hi Denis,

I know you are predisposed against a #45, but that would be my first choice. #46 is a bit pricier, and it's not intended to do any sort of molding. #50, #044, #043 are nice too especially for smaller groove cuts. FWIW, I did a plow plane comparison a few months back.

Dave


Plow plane comparison - grooves only

Your link doesn't work for me

Pete D

Oops, second try... *LINK*

Dave Thompson


>I messed it up.... Here it is again


Plow plane comparison

Re: Combination planes - which one should I get?

Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)


>I'd like to get one of these beasts, relatively versatile but not too heavy. I don't think I'd want a beast like a 55, or even a 45. Grooves, dados and such will be the primary use for it, although some moulding profiles would be useful too.

Hi Denis

My preference would be to consider the cutting of dados and grooves separately from moulding profiles. You can have one plane do it all - the #55 - but it is a case of learning to master this "beast". Then again, I have a mate who just loves his. As far as I am aware, the #50 does not have cutters for moulding profiles. It does cut beads, as does the #45.

The advantage of a #46 for dados lies in its cutting at a skew angle. Mine does cut a cleaner bottom than non-skewed planes across the grain, but I find it harder to keep to a line when cutting with the grain. It is not my favourite for this task.

Actually, I prefer the #45 for dados - because it can be set up with a nicker on each side of the blade (but only for 1/4" - or is it 3/8"? - upwards, from memory). It may leave a slightly rough bottom, but so what - this will not be seem. Still, for grooving drawers the #45 is a little large.

For grooving drawer bottoms, where a 1/4" wide groove is required, either the Record #044 or #043 (I have a Rapier version) will work well. I prefer the #044 since it has a handle and a blade adjustment screw. However, if I only had the #043 I would be perfectly happy to own just this little plane (which is easy to use one-handed).

I recently "discovered" in one of my drawers a vintage woodie that is dedicated to cutting drawer grooves - built-in fence, depth stop and 1/4" blade. Identical to the one used by Rob Cosman in his recent DVD. Obviously, it is limited in the tasks it can perform, but it is very sweet to use.

I say this also as an introduction to wooden planes for moulding profiles. I prefer woodies for this task, and am slowly building a collection. These notable difference between a wooden moulding plane and the #55 is that the woodies have a mouth, while the latter does not. This does make it easier to cut cleanly.

Hope this helps.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Re: Combination planes - which one should I get?

Tom Colligan, Peoria


>Hi Denis, if I'm not mistaken Lee Valley and L-N are developing metal plow planes. So I'm holding off for 6 to 9 months to see what they're going to offer. Hope this helps, Tom.

Re: Combination planes - which one should I get?

paul womack


>Hi Denis, if I'm not mistaken Lee Valley and L-N are developing metal plow planes. So I'm holding off for 6 to 9 months to see what they're going to offer.

Given the prices of combo planes in old catalogues, they have an unavoidably high build cost.

In UK, 1935, a Stanley #604 was 16/3 and a #50 30 shillings, or 195 pence vs 360. On this pricing basis, a LN #50 would cost 250 * 360/195 = 460 dollars.

Conversely, common combination planes are quite cheap in the s/h market, since they are quite plentiful and their value is percieved by many people to be low (in the age of the router).

On a finite budget, I'd definitely try an old '50'

BugBear

Re: Combination planes - which one should I get?

Stephen in Ottawa


>Denis,

As Derek has mentioned, I too would recommend different planes for plowing / dadoing and mouldings. I prefer dedicated woodies for mouldings and am slowly learning to tune and use them. I'd recommend gettig one or two woodie moulding planes then learn to sharpen and use them. I've discovered it takes some skill to use them, but once you get the hang of it, they are pure *joy* to use.

As far as a plough plane, I own a Record #50 and love it. It is quite light and has good balance and is fun to use.

- Stephen

Re: Combination planes - which one should I get?

George Makowski


>Denis, To throw an obscure curve into the discussion--if you go to the Anant home website they list a combination plane patterned after the Stanley45/Record 405. I have not seen one and don't know if anyone in N. America imports them.

Anyone reading this know?

George in AL

Re: Combination planes - which one should I get?

Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.


>Highland Hardware has this one:

http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7016

Not a 45, but I guess more in the line with what I was looking for.

Then again I can get a complete Record #050 for the same amount locally, so it's mot much of a deal...

DC

Re: Combination planes - which one should I get?

paul womack


>Highland Hardware has this one:

http://www.tools-for-woodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=7016

That's a repro of the Stanley 13-052, I think.

BugBear

Re: Combination planes - which one should I get?

Alice Frampton, UK


>The archive has some comment on it here, fwiw.

Cheers, Alf