# Amazing Plane for the Price



## jjw5858

Sounds like your having fun and enjoying your plane!

When it comes to planes I have found for myself that if you can get to your local auction, get yourself a Stanley #5 jack plane, make sure everything is complete. You should haggle for about $25 bucks if its in decent to half rusty shape. Take her home and seriously… the Paul Sellers sharpening method using diamond stones…..you will not believe the results you will get. 
Those old Stanley irons will soak up good sharpening methods and make that plane a nice user.

If no diamond stones use what you have…..and strop! A strop is an old piece of leather. Cut a piece off an old belt (about 6-8 inches worth) tac or glue it to an old slab of pine, get some green rubbing compound. Rub it on the leather and make sure after your session of sharpening is complete to hit both sides of the blade on that strop. If you can shave hair from your arm…..your ready.

Sharpening to me was very intimidating and confusing at first…I think it is because if you take 5 woodworkers…they all may have a different method..lol. But for cutting out the hassle..this method makes my spokeshaves, plane blades, turning tools, chisels and knives work wonderfully.

Love the looks of the new plane, and hope you have a great time making shaves!

Have a great day!

Joe


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## RaggedKerf

Thanks Joe!

Funny you should mention the old Stanleys….garage sale/flea market season is starting and I am itching to go rust hunting!

Thanks for the reminder re. Paul Sellers…I'm going to redo my strop (forgot to mention that in the review).


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## Wally331

I too, love my woodriver planes- I bought the no.6, no.4 and a low angle block plane in a package deal for like 360$, so 3 of these puppies for the price of one lie-nielsen. Of course I wish I could've gone with the lie-nielsens, but I just don't have the budget. These are a great alternative.


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## JGM0658

When it engages, it is significantly harder to turn than when the iron assembly is removed for cleaning.

Loosen the screw that holds everything together to the plane, it should allow you to turn the adjusting wheel


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## Nicky

Can't decide what I like more, the review of your plane, or the the review about the revelation of owing a nice plane. Loved the write-up.

Learning about the proper way to tune and use a hand plane was a turning point for me.

Enjoy your new plane. It will serve you faithfully for a lifetime.


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## sikrap

As Jorge suggested, you need to loosen the screw that the lever cap rests on, but only a very, very little bit. You should be able to easily engage or disengage the lever cap with just your thumb. As for the slop in the depth adjuster, that's just the cost of doing business. ) Yes, the LN planes don't have anywhere near that much slop, but they cost a bit more. Also, if you're having fun with it sharpening to an 800 grit, wait until you take it to 6000 or 8000.


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## DavidNJ

Congratulations on your new plane.

BTW, did you get the grits right? I use 15 micron, 5 micron, and 1 micron paper. The 15 micron is 1000-1200 grit. I can't imagine doing the plane with 800 grit.


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## woodzy

Great review. It was a hell of a read.

Thanks


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## RaggedKerf

Thanks for the comments guys!

*Jorge*, I will try to loosen the lever cap as you suggest, ever so slightly to try and get the depth adjuster to be a little more user friendly. Thanks! I kept it a little tighter than normal I guess because I was nervous.

*Nicky* Thanks! I will!

*sikrap* and *DavidNJ* yes, you read right, I only sharpened it to 800 grit. Since then I have acquired up to 2000 grit and a strop which is loaded with Mother's Mag and Wheel Polish (whch I think I read somewhere gives the equivalent of about 5,000-6,000 grit). Hooooweeee that blade looks more like a 2" lightsaber than a hunk of steel!

*woodzy* Thanks! Glad you liked it.


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## b2rtch

Good review and good reading. 
I to have a Woodriver #4 that I like very much


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## BTimmons

Steve, nice writeup. Also glad to see that you're sharpening to a higher grit than you originally mentioned. There's nothing quite like mirror polished steel.


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## RaggedKerf

You can say that again--first time I went to 2000…never seen such fine shavings before (in maple!). I was floored. Everything finally clicked! Planing is a JOY now


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## mcase

I have four of these and Lie-Nielsen as well. I ave also restored guite few older Stanleys. Imo, the Stanleys are over rated . Its nostalgia. They were a mass market plane. They were almost never flat. They were like the Microsft of the tool world. They buried competion ruthlessly and created a near monopoly. Think of those crappy thin blades they got away wth peddling along with curved soles. The WoodRiver v3s are better than stanleys ever were. They are dead flat and heavily cast. They also have heavey thick blades. The Lie-Nielsens are nicer. The depth adjuster is bit smoother and they have the fully flaired tote which was one of the nicer features of the o.d Stanleys, but dontlet thetool snobs fool you. The v3 woodrivers are fine planes as you found out for yourself.


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