Stanley Block Plane .... Which ... one ...

[hbmcc]

Hah! I think you have had a while to collect and build your library. The truth is, I'm not a collector. I've spent two or more years looking for a block just a "smidge" under a Stanley #65 in size. The knuckle cap version. And, the cap can't be skinny, like the one I just returned to H.D..

Why back to the store?

That "new 'block'" may look like a 60-and-half, in a fuzzy image, but that is where the similarity ends. I have used the old original dry-blood-colored models, years ago. The beat-to-adjust lateral shift is replaced by a sliding disk adjusted via those shiny chrome elephant ears which float over the new sliding depth adjuster. The depth adjuster barely catches the blade indent at one point; while the loose lateral plate needs to push against the depth adjuster while the cap lever (cam) cinches all this clutter at the back sixty, or so, of the tool lock down. But, entrapment is not complete.

The lever cap(?) including the substantial slot lips must slide under the traditional locking(?) bolt head while the depth adjuster and lateral adjuster plates are fighting to spring everything out of the body ... because.... Because, the traditional bolt head must accept the lever cap first. Thus, a loose bolt must be tightened, it must cling to the lipped slot at full closure before tightening the sprung-back cam of the cap. Guess what? 

The threads of the traditional bolt and body receiver are looser than bad dentures borrowed from a giant.  [This is the PG rated version.] That round head screwed bolt is flopping around under the screwdriver and just so happens to be under leverage from the forward collar of the lateral adjuster plate shoved into the screw-bolt. 

Once everything is booby trap triggered--hairier than a Victor rat trap--the back lever-cap cam needs to be tightened, slightly; then, the forward cap screw needs to be tightened ... slightly. It's now the moment of truth.

Fully tighten the lever cap cam. 

_)&&_&^(*&*^$W&$)#!!!! 

The lever cap twisted into the sidewall of the body! The lateral adjustment is not working. There is a huge gap between the blade bottom and body ramp. This is the best result yet.

I now have the opportunity to focus on the iron. It glows and glitters back at me, much like the chromed lateral adjuster and depth adjuster beneath. But, the iron's bevel is also shiny, so I think we have stainless steel contrasting with lots of black enamel paint. It's all quite a jaunty look with knurled brass accents. And, coarse gouged steel (iron?) castings.

The tool exploded into four highly contrived pieces of ballistics when I tried to shift the alignment of the lever cap to center on the blade.

[JohnnyEgo]

That reminds me of my Craftsman branded Stanley 220 clone from the early 90s. Black paint everywhere, applied with the care of a sugar-high 8 year old who may have also been suffering a seizure. Then there is the delicate ballet of advancing the blade while carefully adjusting the lateral movement, the efforts of which are inevitably destroyed the moment one then tries to lock them in place with the lever cap. An 'iron', quite possibly devoid of any actual iron, that is about the weight and thickness of a human hair, but hard as a diamond during the eon it takes to sharpen it. Everything about this plane sucked from the moment I pried it out of it's blister pack, but my father gave it to me, so it has survived every shop culling ever. Recently, I grit my teeth and sharpened the hell out of it, and it works surprisingly well, though the blade dulls quicker than I'd like for the effort to keep it sharp. This year, I've given it to my son for his toolbox, and bought myself a DX60, because suffering builds character in the young.

[hbmcc]

This year, I've given it to my son for his toolbox, and bought myself a DX60, because suffering builds character in the young.

It took me a few years to even consider hand tools other than sandpaper and pocket knife after my experience with a modern Blister Pack #4. And, I was an adult. Children must have something that works, or you will lose them. As much as he groused, Dad always had an open tool box. Not much in it, but we shared; and that made it ok.

[JohnnyEgo]

I appreciate the concern, but I think he will be ok. He has an advantage I definitely didn't at his age (9); a parent with some knowledge of hand tools and the ability to sharpen. As long as I keep it sharp for him for now, and teach him how to sharpen as he gets older, I think he will be fine. And he will always have access to anything in my shop he can use responsibly, to include my nicer LN and LV planes.

I posted this last year, but I hosted his Cub Scout pack for their woodworking badge last spring, and they all built tool boxes. This year, they have a home maintenance badge, part of which was assembling a tool kit. It was incredibly satisfying to see that they all elected to use the totes they built last year, instead of just buying a tool box. They are only allowed to use hand tools in that age group, which is a mixed blessing, but it did familiarize them with a cross-cut saw, a hand drill, a hammer, and a plane.



Anyways, I have had the DX60 for about two weeks now, and it is awesome. Little things like the set screws to return the blade to position after sharpening. Makes it less of a hassle to pop it off and hone mid project, which means it's more likely to be sharp when I need it.

[hbmcc]

You featured your boy in another post, Johnny. It's cool to mentor youngsters. And, watch them too. So, thanks for sharing! 

My DX-60 order came yesterday. Still fondling it. I have always liked the Veritas attention to details. I may try Lie-Nielsen's.

[dave brown]

Purchasing a new Stanley block plane is what led me to Lie Nielsen and Veritas. The initial purchase of the Stanley wasn't too bad. $40 for something that (sort of) cut wood. It needed a decent blade that was flat and would hold an edge so there went another $30. It needed the paint removed from the lever cap to make things fit more precisely, the bed wasn't seating well with the new blade and the adjustable mouth didn't work properly. That took an hour or so of fettling. After that it worked pretty well. But the blade adjuster was imprecise and the lateral adjust had too much slop. So, I decided to look at a Lie Nielsen block plane at Woodcraft. I kept the Stanley but I use it primarily for coarse work outside or removing dried glue and paint.

[hbmcc]

Purchasing a new Stanley block plane is what led me to Lie Nielsen and Veritas. The initial purchase of the Stanley wasn't too bad. $40 for something that (sort of) cut wood. It needed a decent blade that was flat and would hold an edge so there went another $30. It needed the paint removed from the lever cap to make things fit more precisely, the bed wasn't seating well with the new blade and the adjustable mouth didn't work properly. That took an hour or so of fettling. After that it worked pretty well. But the blade adjuster was imprecise and the lateral adjust had too much slop. So, I decided to look at a Lie Nielsen block plane at Woodcraft. I kept the Stanley but I use it primarily for coarse work outside or removing dried glue and paint.

A lot of stories about Stanley tools end well after fiddling. Many end the way your's and mine do. I have nice Stanley tools that someone else breathed magic onto. I appreciate those tools, but mostly; I appreciate and thank the folks who turned them into what they should be.

[hbmcc]

    I am playing with the Dx60. It's not perfect. In fact, I expected the palm-to-finger rest to be shorter than my hybrid 7-inch; but, the two are nearly identical in span length. 

   

It was an impasse a while back when Veritas-made replacement blades became available for Stanley blocks (or, I first noticed them). They almost work, but it was a fiddly filing fix to mate the strange blade adjuster to a Craftsman blade on my #57. That tuning does not work for the new blades.

I don't like to collect multiple planes of one size. And, I worry that #57 will fail one day. I want a replacement. The standard Veritas block (three finger dimples) was a non-starter. I think I will try Lie-Nielsen's block.

[bandit571]

Gave mine a work out, today...

   
Plywood needed beveled, to better fit into the grooves.   Edge and end grain, no problems....

[Mike in kc]

I have collected a few block planes over the years at the local swap meets.



A 60 1/2 is a good little plane to use and does ok on end grain as well.  I have an old one and a modern one.    The modern one can't hold a candle to the older version so far as workmanship is concerned.



I also have a few other stanleys.   I just wish I had a number one, but they are a bit pricey and so I don't think it would get used much.