| Review by Gary Fixler | posted 161 days ago | 729 views | 0 times favorited | 15 comments | ![]() |
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- Buck Bros. 3" Block Plane
- Brand: Buck Bros. | Category: Hand Planes

Full disclosure: I am by no stretch a hand planes expert. I’m hardly even an amateur. I only have a Buck Bros. 6” block plane, and I’m not good with it. However, I got this guy a few months back on a whim, and recently cracked the packaging and gave it a whirl.
I found it to be very sharp and properly set up right out of the packaging. All I did was wipe off the protective oil, and I was almost immediately getting full-width, full-length curls from the already fairly straight edge of the plank.
There really isn’t much to it, so in a way, it’s kind of like a beginner’s plane. You can learn quite a bit about how planes work from this <$10 utility tool, which is really better used for minor adjustments, or flushing up pegs. This knowledge can be expanded through larger, more expensive, and more complicated planes later (that’s my plan!).
These videos aren’t too exciting, but perhaps informative. This is me pulling it over the edge of a poplar plank. I have not tried any other wood types yet. I imagine red oak would be a bit more difficult. I would say I’m ‘jointing’ the edge here, but we all know it’s a bit too short for that, really:
And here’s pushing it over the same plank. The biggest problem is getting my own meaty hands out of the way. There isn’t too much to hold on to, but as you can see, it does work.
Here’s the link to the Home Depot product page, though it’s not sold online. The link itself is custom to my local store, but it does give some specs. It feels solid, though too small for extended use, as it starts to hurt my hands a bit by the end of those videos. Still, a great little shaver for the tiny stuff, where perhaps your #5 jack plane won’t fit, or if, like me, you don’t have a #5 jack plane.
-- Gary, Los Angeles, video game animator




























15 comments so far
a1Jim
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17046 posts in 475 days
posted 161 days ago
Hey Gary
Nice little plane . surprising it was Sharp right out of the box usually they need some more sharpening before using.
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop, custom furniture ,maker, woodworking school, heirloomwoodshop.com
cabinetmaster
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8713 posts in 456 days
posted 161 days ago
I have one like that and it is great for planing miters when you are installing trim. Really a time saver.
-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps
PineInTheAsh
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195 posts in 166 days
posted 161 days ago
The Buck Bros. brand generally markets good items to a budget price point.
I love adding to the arsenal.
No reason not to have two of these: one for the shop, and one for the travel tool box.
John Gray
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1754 posts in 784 days
posted 161 days ago
Nice little plane where did you purchase it?
-- Only the Shadow knows....................
Gary Fixler
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649 posts in 280 days
posted 160 days ago
John – I picked it up at Home Depot. There’s a link to it in the last paragraph.
-- Gary, Los Angeles, video game animator
spanky46
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737 posts in 289 days
posted 160 days ago
Buy me one too Dad! Happy Fathers Day
Nice little tool Gary!
-- spanky46 -- Never enough clamps...Never enough tools...Never enough time.
Karson
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25806 posts in 1299 days
posted 160 days ago
looks nice.
-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †
TopamaxSurvivor
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3063 posts in 574 days
posted 160 days ago
Looks like you are jointing that short little board with the short little plane :-)) I’ve noticed youj can get old stanleys on ebay for $20 and less for the #4 especially. That must have been the most common plane ever made.
-- Debt is nothing more than the 21st Century's form of slavery.
stefang
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1656 posts in 232 days
posted 159 days ago
Thanks Gary, as usual I enjoyed video and review and I am surprised something so cheap not only works, but actually works right out of the box. Cudos to Buck Bros. This could make a good gift for a kid interested in woodworking.
-- Mike, American in Norway
laflaone
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57 posts in 579 days
posted 159 days ago
I got one at HD about 6 mos ago. They are under $10. My only complaint is that the blade is so short, it won’t properly fit in my Veritas MKII jig without juryrigging a backer to hold it. That complaint is a small one. It really does do a pretty good job given its size.
-- "non illegitimis carborundum"
PeytonO
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2 posts in 159 days
posted 159 days ago
Glenn Kelman, chief executive and president of Redfin, said that it will not open offices across the Island to launch its services. He said one office in either Melville or Huntington would be enough. The online brokerage would just develop and introduce better features, in addition to its foreclosed home search tools.
Elaine
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104 posts in 521 days
posted 159 days ago
Made in USA – steel staying in USA. I think I have a couple young boys who could use this in their tool box. Thanks for the great info!
-- Elaine, Conover, NC
drgoodwood
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388 posts in 1026 days
posted 158 days ago
I love those little planes.
I do a lot of twig mosaic works that involves splitting twigs, then glueing and tacking them in to patterns.
I use these little planes to smooth the bottom side of the split twigs.
I use two so I can work longer without a break for sharpening.
I hold the plane upside-down in my hand and rake the split twig over the blade.
This is an old coopers trick for fine fitting wooden bucket staves.
-- Randy, Rustic Artisan, a family tradition. (No PM's - auto-deleted.) - "I am a seeker, not a follower."
lou
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44 posts in 341 days
posted 153 days ago
cool stuff.i need a couple.thanks for the review and video
jim1953
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1614 posts in 740 days
posted 153 days ago
Nice Plane
-- Jim, Kentucky