Veritas #4 Smoothing Plane comments

Sounds like we have a convert to the slippery slope. Good for you. They all work well when tuned except the real junk. I don’t own a Veritas but my Baileys and Sargents do a very good job. Welcome aboard

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Oooh Veritas (Insert Homer Simpson Donut Drool noise here). I’ve got the medium shoulder plane. It is sweet “right out of the box.”

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Congrats Marty. One of the things that makes this line of planes easier for me, is that with thicker blade, and the frog extending all the way to the sole of the plane, they don’t noticeably chatter. My cheaper planes actually require more tuning than the Veritas to produce results that are not as good as the Veritas. Now that you have the #4, it’s time to add a low angle block plane, and the Veritas Low Angle Jack. If you like that #4, you’ll want to sleep with the Veritas line of bevel up planes.

One great added benefit of having a plane such as the one you have, is now you know what they are supposed to feel like. This will help GREATLY in tuning your cheaper planes. I have a couple of footprints that I’ve now tuned up to work really well, and Bob #2 introduced me to a Groz #6 that is a workhorse for me now. Those premium planes are nice to have, but as Thos. says, the cheaper ones can work pretty damn good when tuned correctly.

Cheers!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Mot – that’s an interesting comment about having a good plane helping you tune up the lesser ones. I was thinking that maybe I needed to bite the bullet and get a good “out of the box” plane to use as a go-by.

-- Betsy - GO BUCKS!

Interesting. Part of what I hoped was that getting this plane might help me set up a couple of old sargent planes an 85 year old friend gave me. Now here are several people suggesting that I am right. I love it when a plan comes together! I’m off Monday and I’m gonna take a look at them. Hpoefully in a better light.

-- The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. Albert Einstein

I’m rehabilitating a Sargent this weekend, (probably a war era plane, if they are like Stanley’s). They are quite well made. If you get an aftermarket blade or blade-chipbreaker combination I think you’ll find you have a great user. I never did understand buying a plane for it’s collector’s value. Keep us posted on your Sargents.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Yeah, sometimes the problem with collecting things like that is it takes them out of the hands of those whwo would actually use them. It also jacks the prices sky high.

I sorta collect Griswold cast iron pans, but at least I cook with them ang give them as gifts to others who like to cook. I’ll bet there are a bunch of plane collectors right here but they probably use theirs, so that’s great.

-- The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. Albert Einstein

If you check E-Bay, you will see so many planes that I see no reason to use the ones the collectors want. Good Bedrocks have held their value as users very well. I think collecters have an impact on the market but how many planes do any of us really need? I don’t think I’ll live long enough to wear mine out.LOL

-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon

Ebanista-
As if I had need for more reasons to want this plane. Very thorough and scholarly article at this link.
Must get on the BUS!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

Yes, Ebanista, that is a great article. One only needs to spend 5 minutes with a well honed Veritas bevel up plane, to be a convert. Just when you thought you were done buying planes! LOL

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Ebanista,

Thanks for that link. Very interesting article.

-- The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources. Albert Einstein

I have an eclectic collection of old planes that I have rehabed and use on a frequent basis.
Recently I purchased three planes from India to try out .
The first was a special here and selling for $16.50.
Turns out is is quite functional and takes a decent shaving once the blade is sharp.

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

The author of that article, Derek Cohen, is one of us.

He has many other articles and reviews here too...

Fun plane talk guys…where’s Wayne C.?

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

I’ve got my finger on the trigger and am ready to pull it. Gonna think about it a little more before I drop that $200 on a plane.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

DO IT! Which one are you after Bill?

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA