The Orange Block Plane � a review
Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)
>The Orange Block Plane � a review
After paring chisels and spokeshaves, my favourite tool is a block plane. These tools all have in common �feel�, a more direct involvement with the wood.
My block plane collection of regular users centres on four planes, Stanleys #18 Knuckle joint (62 degree cutting angle) and #65 Knuckle joint (37 degree cutting angle), and Lie Nielsens #60 � (37 degree cutting angle) and bronze #103 (45 degree cutting angle).
The #18 is used as a small smoother for difficult face grain. The #65 (with a Hock blade) is probably the best performer of the lot. However, it is quite a large block plane and the LN #60 � is more comfortable in the hand. The little #103 is the one I grab first when I work away from the bench. Its small size disguises a plane with the heft of something significantly larger. It does lack the ultimate performance of its bigger sibling owing to having a larger mouth.
I was asked to review The Orange Block Plane by my son, Jamie, who has owned it since it was discovered in the bargain bin of Bunnings (the local borg) several years ago. At the time I felt that the $5 asking price was daylight robbery. Still, it does have some novel features, and I shall come to these in due course.
I had not used this plane in some years. It had originally been purchased for Jamie (then 6 years old) to practice on in the workshop. He stored it amongst his treasures at the back of his wardrobe under a pile of old socks. He is now 13 years old and was recently re-introduced to woodworking at high school by Ms Robinson. He seems keen.
Who manufactures The Orange Block Plane? Who indeed? It has no markings at all. Perhaps, this is a deliberate ploy of Triton (who shares this colour scheme) to manipulate everyone into using their �tailed routers instead!
Here is the collection of block planes mentioned above. See if you can spot The Orange Block Plane.
And in case you had any difficulty, here is a close up:
Important features of TOBP (The Orange Block Plane)
� Pressed steel construction that is even more durable than Ductile Iron.
� Bright orange colour will not get lost among the mess � uh work-in-progress of the average workbench. Here is a close up of the colour:
� No moving parts to wear out.
� Admittedly, a modification had to be made to the lever cap. The original black plastic knob broke after being subjected to a stress test (i.e. it was eaten by Rufus, the dog), and a steel bolt was used as a replacement. This has proved a very successful upgrade.
� The lever cap screw now doubles as a hang hole.
� Construction has been simplified so that it is possible to press all pieces out of the same piece of steel. Hopefully no one gets confused and sharpens up the wrong bit.
� The absence of a bed for the blade is a brave new design. The blade hangs in the air at 20�.
� There is a finger hole at the front for your finger. It is a single finger hole designed for a single finger.
� The sole has been lapped to .00000001mm deviation across its length of 6 3/8�.
� It has a blade. It is made out of steel. For the technical boffins amongst us, it is 1 5/8� wide and 5/64� (2mm) thick, or vice versa.
� It also has a mouth � somewhat reminiscent of the Grand Canyon:
� The edges are rounded (so that you do not cut yourself?).
Tuning up The Orange Block Plane
Surprisingly, the plane was not ready to go out of the box. It required tuning. The original bevel appeared to be honed at 45�. This was re-ground to 25� and I freehand sharpened it to 8000 grit.
The back of the blade had a low area throughout its length and width, a lot like a Japanese blade. I�m sure it was on purpose. It was possible to flatten it at the important back edge of the bevel.
I assumed that I lapped the sole all those years ago as it was flat against a straight edge. I made no effort to flatten it this time around.
The blade was place on the rear of the mouth and the cap iron tightened down. Fine adjustment was made with a mallet. The large mouth was ignored and the blade projection was considered sufficient once fine shavings emerged.
Making Shavings
Planing of pine face grain was completed by Jamie. Here is his style:
And here are the shavings he made:
A little later I attempted to cut pine endgrain:
The resultant surface was actually pretty good. Pine end grain actually has a high rating on the difficulty scale. The soft wood fibres do not �stand up� to be cut, and a clean slice is a good measure of the blades ability to penetrate these fibres. What we would call �sharp� is really a combination of the smoothness and the angle of the bevel. A lower cutting angle and a smoother bevel equate to easier penetration.
Summing up
One might assume that my regular block planes are in no danger of being replaced by The Orange Block Plane, but this is not certain. The Orange Block Planet does give them a run for their money under these conditions (I did do some planing with the #65 and #60 �, and they really did not produce any better results on this piece of pine).
The Orange Block Plane is really more than just a paperweight. It is probably one of the more �distinctive� planes I have used � indeed the colour causes me to be transfixed like a kangaroo in the headlights of my ute* on a dark night � I reckon that it would look pretty sharp in a belt holster made from a converted neoprene stubby holder**.
There is definitely something machismo about this plane. One could saunter into the pub, lean against the bar, and attract admiring glances as you casually toss it onto the counter. It says �I am not affected by fashion � (I am cheap).� And to the kids, �One day this could be yours if you are good � (because I am cheap)�.
Well that�s about it. You were expecting more? For $5? Yeah � right.
Derek Cohen
Perth, 2006
* Utility vehicle (truck)
** Beer holder
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#2Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
mikew
>Twas a fun read, Derek...thanks for making my morning coffee a time to smile!
Take care, Mike
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#3:)
Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#4Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
Tony Zaffuto
>Great review Derek!
I bought my then 5, now 6 year old daughter a Kunz squirrel tail for working with in the shop. Surprisingly, the sole was not that bad at all. Mouth, as expected, was nearly large enough to shove a large size hamster through. Blade was not bad. Sharpened through 8000 grit waterstone and flattened (was good to begin with).
Bethany is very proficient at making curlies in the shop and has self-taught herself chamfers. Actually she defaulted to chamfering first as it gave her immediate visual results!
I have to keep reminding her not to drop the plane as my shop floor is concrete.
Her other tools include a Yankee 1530A and any small saw I leave within her grasp.
T.Z.
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#5the most important question
david.marcus.brown
>But did you get to keep the plane after the review ???
;-)
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#6Re: the most important question
Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)
>No. It was on loan only, and quickly reclaimed by its owner. :>)
Regards from Perth
Derek
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#7Darn, that's too bad. Scottish planemaker?
HC Sakman @ Victoria, BC
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#8Re: the most important question
Norman (Ottawa, Ont.)
>Does it come in any other colors..
Green comes to mind :)
I had a black one like this I gave away recently.
Similar except the lever cap adjustment is an integral wheel.
When you're used to an adjustable mouth it's
hard to go back ..
Norman
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#9Re: the most important question
Michael Brady
>Another wanabee plane maker jumps on the commemorative bandwagon? I can't decide whether to go autographed manganese bronze or just "orange".
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#10Talk about getting screwed!
Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA
>That thing look about as comfortable to hold as a spiked ball.
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#11I don't get it
Adam Cherubini, NJ
>I don't get why you guys seem to think this review is a joke. This is the best Derek review I've ever read. Maybe the best review I've ever read. I'd like to see something like this in a ww magazine.
Any schmuck can talk himself into using an expensive tool. But what can a skilled woodworker do with the bottom of the barrel? Anybody else read that PW article by Franz Klaus? After all those years of working wood, he LIKES marples chisels.
So I'd like to see tool reviews where the cheapest tool gets deferential treatment. Exactly how much better IS a bedrock over an Anant. (Actually I think I've seen that review). This could dovetail into Chris' "I can do that" column. We need a catchy name that immediately distinguishes this review from others.
Cheap Tool Reviews
by Derek Cohen
Getting the Most for your Money
Woodworking on the cheap
Lastly, what does this say about block planes in general? Forget throat size and lateral adjustment, 95% of what you need is a sharp iron? What about the chatter that everybody talks about? What does this say about other planes?
Adam
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#12Re: I don't get it
Deirdre Saoirse Moen
>A complete workshop for $200 -- that fits in Frank's toolbox.
I loved the review, too.
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#13Re: I don't get it
Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX
>Of course it was a good review; but it was also a rebuttal of sorts, which was why I smiled. Time to lighten up a bit, Adam, and appreciate the irony [sic].
Pam
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#14Re: Hi, Adam!
Frank Mutchler in Colorado Springs
>I haven't 'spoken' with you in a long time. Glad to see that you are still blowing the trumpet of common sense in this milieu of "Tool Addicts Gone Wild". I have found that the more I use tools the fewer tools I really need. I have green tools, black tools, brown tools, wooden tool, metal tools, plastic tools, and even paper tools. I don't have an orange tool (CMT router bits excluded) and have always tended to avoid them at all costs.....what would people think??
I've decided that the playing field is large enough for everyone. Like a smorgasboard. Being faithful to a genre is hard work so I tend to avoid it. I like what works....for me....at the present moment.
Hand tools tend to attract me, at least until my back is aching, my hands are cramping, and my shirt is wet with sweat. Then I'm very likely to pick up a tailed demon and thrash about with it for a while. Tomorrow is another day.....maybe ;>)!!
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#15About irony and magic
Derek Cohen (in Perth Australia)
>Hi Adam
First of all, my thanks for your kind words.
Pam is spot on here - the review was primarily meant as irony.
Pam, what would Adam know about irony? - he is but an author and you are now an English major! < BIG GRIN >
Nevertheless Adam, I will defend the points you raised because they were also the serious content and in my thoughts as I wrote the article. There is too much hype about tools to the extent that we sometime imbue them with magical powers. Some of the more unpleasant discussions have taken place here over magic. Such as which tools have the better magic? Then we have the rivalries of the adherents of different magic ... my magic is stronger than your magic! Some go forth like Crusaders of Olde to convert the Heathens. Much blood has been spilled in the name of magic.
While there is no mistaking that some tools are better at a certain tasks than others, I believe that the average woodworker does not work with the type of wood that really tests the differences between tools. The tests I run take matters to extremes in order to show off the value of the design. But for the most part it is overkill - and I have said so repeatedly. Untimately, those purchasing higher end and high end hand tools do so because of the ergonomics and aesthetics, not the ultimate performance.
The bottom line is that, as you point out, we lose sight of the real goal, that of working wood. Fine tools are not necessary for this... just spirit and a pure heart.
In my workshop I have the luxury of three sets of tools: I have vintage Stanley and vintage woodies. Plus a few vintage infills. And I love using these within the range of their capacity, or enjoy making them work outside this. I also have modern woodies, such as HNT Gordon, because I just love woodies and these were designed for Australian woods (incidentaly, my next review will be a HNT Gordon Try Plane). And lastly I have a number of modern metal planes, such as the Veritas' and the Lie Nielsens. These are as much for their high end capability as for the "modern" experience and aesthetics.
Don't ask me to choose between these - I just enjoy them for different reasons. In fact I get more pleasure from building something with a tool I have made myself or patiently restored. I have a good mate, Jake, on the Ubeaut (Australian) website who is a compulsive modifier of his vintage tools. This is not always for the faint of heart, but the forum members love his posts because he is so down-to-earth. He is very creative, and he would be a breath of fresh air if he posted here (Of course you would have to understand his rambles - grin - but he is worth it). Here are some of his threads:
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=33590
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=33429
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=29848
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/showthread.php?t=25000
I apologise for the ramble. This was not meant as a rant. It was mainly to support your statements. I would very much like to see more discussion on tuning and using new and old tools, of items made with these ... more examples of creativity.
With kind regards from Perth
Derek
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#16Re: About irony and magic
mikew
>Jake is a bit of fresh air in my reading life. Down to earth and real.
I enjoy his posts immensely and they have spark paths in my own journey.
Take care, Mike
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#17Adam when are you going to start sharing ...
Scott Burr in Ben Lomond, CA
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#18Re: I don't get it
Thom D
>It's just the usual thing, first you raise the standard of expectation say to infils, then to stay one cool step ahead, you do an aw schucks routine and claim blue jeans are high style.
I used to have a segment in my dovetail demo where I cut them with a blister pack chisel, and an eclipse hacksaw (watch that blade it gets hot). Just so nobody would claim the tools were the only reason I could do the joints. I learned that from a guy who is an exquisite canoeist and became famous for starting his demo in the hackest canoe available with a shovel for a paddle.
I never really know whether people are encouraged by the idea that the tools don't mater, or discouraged. On the one hand one sends the message that the expense of good tools is not required, on the other hand it sends the message that there isn't any real excuse for failure. Oneday, perhaps this will all go away. If a person is reasonably dilligent with practice they should be able to master planing and joint cutting pretty quickly, and so many people are doing it that maybe all the hype will disolve away.
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#19Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
Thom D
>I like quite a few of the things Kuntz makes they have some spokeshave sizes etc... scrapers, that nobody else either makes, or at least distributes around here. Their castings are not that good quality so I have had them break which is a sad thing.
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#20As an Irishman,,,
Conger � the Irish diaspora in Munich
>... I have to live with, and accept, the orange... though, when it comes to my own personal choice, I prefer the green.
Sl�nte an Brad�n -g-
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#21Nicely done.... as usual :>)
Victor P
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#22A lovely and comforting review
Bill Houghton, finally Spring!! in Sebastopol, CA
>Very good, Derek - and it points up one of my judgments, which is that sharpness of the iron is most of good tool condition.
I don't use anything quite like that plane, though I do have a 50-cent 110 waiting for me to have time to decide whether it has any usefulness or should be donated somewhere. But it's nice to know that, starting real soon, I may be able to do good work without having a shop full of tools whose names start with "L."
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#23Re: A lovely and comforting review
Greg Sloop, Portland Oregon
>You do need ones starting with "V" though!
:)
-Greg
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#24Not so sure
Bill Houghton, Summer in Sebastopol, CA
>Mostly what I've got starts with "S," and I seem to do fine, though I will admit that (a) it's been a few years since I did anything but carpentry, and (b) I tend to work North American hardwoods, with only very occasional wandering into more exotic stuff.
Re: The Orange Block Plane � a review
#25Adam, my limited experience says...
Denis Ch�nard, Orl�ans, Ont.
>Yes, you can get cheap tools to work up to a certain limitation, but is it worth your time?
Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes not. Case in point: I bought two Groz planes for my BIL's upcoming birthday, a jack and a 60 1/2 Stanley copy. The jack ($35), after mucho sole flattening, works like a charm, it planes birds' eye maple without a quiver. The 60 1/2, I've been fighting with it for a couple weeks on and off, time permitting, to make it behave, and I'm not done yet! Seems like the bed wasn't milled in line with the adjuster mechanism, much chatter resulting. I'll get it to work, but so far it's the worst $20 I've spent on a tool...
As for Klausz, I do own Marples chisels and am happy with them so far. I could also use a Stanley Defiance plane and be happy with it, if I had not tried anything better (I have). The point is, with cheap tools, yes, sometimes you can get great results, but after ten swipes or so with the plane or chisel you need to hone the edge again. Someone used to a certain process out of experience might not look at what new tools might bring them, because they assume this is the way things go...
Compared to an old or cheap plane, a modern quality tool will keep a useable edge for a much longer time. Another case in point: as I am trying to tame the Groz block plane, I've used my LN 60 1/2 alongside as a reference the whole time. While it seems that the Groz can take a keener edge (HCS vs. cryo A2?), the Groz fizzles out quickly while the LN is like the Energizer bunny, it keeps on going, and going...
Apologies to all the naysayers, but the quality planes out there on the market right now didn't come out of the blue, they came on the market because of the known limitations of the offerings of the past. Progress, you know?
Time is money. It doesn't matter if you're a pro or an amateur, time counts. I would have been much better off to buy my BIL a LV apron plane instead of that Groz 60 1/2, with the time I spent on it. That's time I would have used to forward projects around the house, now I'll probably have to hire help to get these things done, how expensive was that plane again?
Sow's ear and all,
DC