"new" edition of 043 plow plane

[Rob Young]

http://www.workshopheaven.com/tools/Quan...html#SID=4

About $220US (give or take a little based on exchange rates) plus whatever the overseas shipping would be. Given who is making this for Workshop Heaven, I'd expect to see it at Woodcraft in the next year.

Haven't had my hands on one and probably won't as I have a Record 043 NOS one I got for much less than $220US...

Should also mention, Quansheng is also making a copy of the Stanley #112. Again, haven't seen a closeup to determine if it is the heavier casting & blade like the LN112. Fairly certain the QS112 blade is closer to the thickness of the Stanley based on what little I've read.

[AHill]

Soon to find its way into a Woodcraft store with a Woodriver moniker? Anyway, of interest to some might be its ability to clamp a saw blade to it to use as a kerf starter. Something that was mentioned in another recent thread.

[Rob Young]

AHill said:

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Soon to find its way into a Woodcraft store with a Woodriver moniker? Anyway, of interest to some might be its ability to clamp a saw blade to it to use as a kerf starter. Something that was mentioned in another recent thread.

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Yep. I believe Quansheng is the maker for Woodcraft (relabeled as Woodriver).

Still of mixed feelings about the QS planes. I see they also list a spoke shave that looks like a knock-off of the Boggs shave. I don't know the history of the Boggs design though. Is it "innovative" or "improved"?

[Mike Brady]

My hand got sore just looking at it. What's the thinking re no rear handle? Holes are provided for one, but are we looking at a kit or a finished project? I'd trade the wood fence for a handle

[Rob Young]

Mike Brady said:

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My hand got sore just looking at it. What's the thinking re no rear handle? Holes are provided for one, but are looking at a kit or a finished project? I'd trade the fence for a handle

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If it was from Veritas, it would come with a roll of hockey tape for the handle.

It is a bit odd. Reduces the metal in the casting but a a price. However a "real" 043 is pretty dang small.

Mostly you push with your right palm against the rounded part and grip the body with your fingertips. Left hand still steadies the fence and provides lateral force as with most all plow-plane designs.

One think I like about my 044R is that it came with both imperial and metric blades. A few times that has been convenient for quick-and-dirty box making where I was going to use plywood for the bottom/top.

[Wilbur Pan]

I agree. The “handle” in the Quangsheng plow plane is meant to go into the palm of your hand. I have a Record No. 043 and that’s exactly how I use it.

[AHill]

Quangsheng doesn't have all that great a reputation for manufacturing quality. A recent review of jack planes (both traditional bevel down and bevel up) by FWW indicated some quality issues with Woodriver planes. Either way, I already have the Veritas small plow. It's a pleasure to use. Some day, Lie-Nielsen will get their plow to market, but I think LN measures time in geological terms. It's nice to have choices.

[Rob Young]

AHill said:

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Quangsheng doesn't have all that great a reputation for manufacturing quality. A recent review of jack planes (both traditional bevel down and bevel up) by FWW indicated some quality issues with Woodriver planes. Either way, I already have the Veritas small plow. It's a pleasure to use. Some day, Lie-Nielsen will get their plow to market, but I think LN measures time in geological terms. It's nice to have choices.

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The last "shoot-out" I remember FWW writing about was in 2011. Chris Gochner (spelling?) was the author. Is there a newer one?

FWIW, I've helped people set up some V3 Woodriver smoothing planes and they were quite good for the money. Minimal work to get quality results. My preference is for LN when buying new.

[brofessor]

I kind of like it. At least it adds more blade options than the standard 3 that the original 043 came with. Side note I did buy once the Woodriver wood marking gauge. I thought it was an exact copy to the quangsheng marking gauge that has the micro adjust. Well after opening it in the car and trying it out it does not have micro adjustment. So maybe that feature was dropped in later models or perhaps was dropped for woodriver?

[Arlin Eastman]

Is a 43 the work the same as the 45, 50, and 55? If so I would like to have one and I could make my own handle out of Cocobolo.

Arlin