# What a difference !



## DragonLady (Mar 2, 2010)

I bought the WoodRiver block plane at the store just a month or so ago, I guess I must have gotten one of the last stock. The one problem I'm having is finding a replacement blade for it.

I also have the WoodRiver #4 and #5. They are nice planes, especially for a beginner. Not TOO much tune up to do to get into a usable state, without a lot of frustration.

I second the recommendation on these planes. I'm hoping to get a longer one sometime, but I think I'm good for a while with the ones I have.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Sounds like a nice plane Bert.

DragonLady, I would check Hock replacement blades to see if one would fit your block plane.

http://www.hocktools.com/BL.htm


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## jeffl (May 3, 2009)

I was told that there was a third generation of the Woodrivers coming out in a couple of months that had all the bugs worked out and they would have IBC blades.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Thanks for the review Bert It sounds like a winner I know Charles Neil recommended Wood river planes.


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## RichClark (Jan 3, 2009)

DL… IF you just bought it why are you replacing the blade? Just to make a spare on a different bevel?

Bert, They are inconsistant at best… Ive seen wonderful ones and really junky ones. One was cupped and took the poor fellow hours to hone out. Another was misaligned and would never hold the blade square.

Folks,
Read up on learning to Fetter out the problems and from that, how to look at the planes your buying.
YOUR allowed to take it out of the box, go over to the Sarrett area and check the Bottom for flat and the Sides for Square to the bottom. Good shops will let you test drive it. If it cuts good at the store then your shop is cursed.. Send me all your tools!

Rich


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## SST (Nov 30, 2006)

I've always wondered about the logic in buying something new that needs tuning up before it can be used for it's intended purpose. Would anyone buy a new car that you had to then take to your mechanic to get it to run right?
A used car, maybe, because they're older & cheaper, but not a new one.
Why so with planes, then?
It appears that to get a good one out of the box, one needs to look to Lie-Nielsen or Veritas priced planes. 
I should say, by the way, that I don't own either of those brands…to expensive for me.
I do, however, have a bunch of planes I use in my shop. They are all old Stanleys. Because I'm not a collector, I don't buy rare ones, I buy to use & therefore they have all been relatively inexpensive, ranging from $5 to about $75, depending on condition & type. This includes a 92 shoulder, 95 edge, 78 rabbet, a #4 & 5 bedrock, several low angle & regular blocks & several other bench planes.
Some needed varying degrees of cleanup & sharpening which I figured was ok since they were used, but truing up was minimal to not needed for the lot.

They all work exceptionally well. I can't speak to a comparison to the high end planes on the market, as I don't have any, but it just seems to me that, if you're on a budget, buying an older Stanley might be money better spent than on the current low to mid cost planes.

Just my opinion…and it's free…but always remember, you get what you pay for in planes…and opinions. -SST


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

Thank you very much for your "article" comparing infill planes and the Stanley.
certainly buying used planes doe snot guaranty the you will not have to tune them and I am sure that many users use brand new planes and do not know that they need to tune them. 
Really the Woodriver was ready to be used out of the box.
I did what I did more for the fun of it and to practice what i I had learned than out of necessity.


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## WayneC (Mar 8, 2007)

Relative to the block plane, I wonder if you were to purchase the Lie-Nielson 60 1/2 if you would have a similar "what a difference" experience.

http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?grp=1216


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## dfdye (Jan 31, 2010)

Bert,

I'm not sure what you are referencing with the infills. I have heard nothing but good things about the well made classic infills, but I am not sure where your comments fit in. Was something deleted that I didn't see? Was this in the infill plane thread?

Just trying to keep up with the conversations

PS Glad you like the WoodRiver planes, even if you were dogging them in a different thread just a few days ago!


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## Sean (Jul 2, 2008)

I went 2 weeks ago and test drove a woodriver 5 and 6 at woodcraft. They worked fairly well, but I probably wont buy one…we have 2 antique shops in the fort that stock several bedrock stanleys for the same price, and I may be able to haggle those down a touch. But thats just a personal preference, I enjoy owning and using a piece of history. the woodriver's certainly worked on the poplar and oak they let me practice with. And I've heard better reviews of them then i have of the new generation stanleys that just came out, which are more $.


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## DragonLady (Mar 2, 2010)

I tried a Hock blade, but I didn't know about the different slot types, and it doesn't look like any of them would work.

Buying a new blade because I nicked it, badly, and didn't have a grinder. Was impatient to use it, but it didn't work out. Still have a nicked blade, but just got my grinder today!


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

" I'm not sure what you are referencing with the infills. I have heard nothing but good things about the well made classic infills, but I am not sure where your comments fit in. Was something deleted that I didn't see? Was this in the infill plane thread?"

This is for Shopsmithtom who wrote an article about infill planes after I started the conversation:
http://lumberjocks.com/marcb/blog/14326#comment-615718


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

"PS Glad you like the WoodRiver planes, even if you were dogging them in a different thread just a few days ago! "

I do not remember I did that.
What I said and what I still say is that I do not what to pay for "brand names".
Certainly Woodriver is a brand name but this is different from Lie-Nielsen ( same as Chevy and Cadillac)


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## Sean (Jul 2, 2008)

Chevy and Mercedes, anyway. There's no doubt about what WayneC said above, use a Lie-Nielsen and you will definitely see and feel the difference. Whether that difference is something you are willing to pay money for is a personal choice. For a #5, though I'd love to buy a LN, I'll stick with my Stanley; it's for roughing out, precision, although appreciated, isn't needed to that great a degree. For nice finishing, I am way happy i saved for the LN #4….that thing is a dream….perhaps if I did this for a living, the extra cost might be considered a waste, but I do this because I love the process…and the process with the #4 is enough that after using it for the first time, I gleefully went around the shop looking for more stuff to plane.


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## dfdye (Jan 31, 2010)

Hey Bert,

You referenced a review in which the Footprints were supposedly rated better than the WoodRivers. It may have been a misinterpretation on my part, but my impression was that you were implying the WoodRiver planes were junk. My bad if that was not your intent.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

David, I always only read good things about the WoodRivers planes


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## dfdye (Jan 31, 2010)

Bert,

I obviously misinterpreted your reply to my observation on the Footprints and Woodriver planes in the Stanley No. 4 vs No. 4 1/2 thread, so please consider my good natured ribbing retracted. The last thing I want to do is offend! The important part is that you have a plane you like, and that that you were kind enough to share your experience with it.

Thanks again for the review.


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## b2rtch (Jan 20, 2010)

David, 
No arm done and thank you.


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## skeeter (Apr 2, 2009)

I just got a #3 today and after I fettered with it for a while I was super impressed. I made sure the blade was square in the store and looked at the mouth and it was setup with an almost unperseptible mouth. It was perfect. The only thing I don't like about is the same thing Chris Gouchnor said that you have to leave the lever slightly to the side to get it straight. I honed it to 6000 grit on the face and the bevel and did the ruler trick and I am sold. The only thing I have to say is don't buy them online go to woodcraft and look them over. Remember it isn't a LN. Quality control must be suspect. Oh, I got shaving off of it that would make Rob cosman blush. Very recommended.


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