Reddit reviews Stanley 12-404 No. 4 Adjustable Bench Plane with 2-Inch Cutter

Ok you seem like the right person to ask...

What's the difference between this $120 Stanley number 4, and this $32 Stanley number 4, and this $15 Stanley number 4

Obviously the first one has wooden handles, where the other two are plastic. But is that the only difference? They appear to have different mechanisms securing the iron. Does that really matter, or is it all cosmetic?

Sorry this is probably a stupid question for most people here.

One of the biggest mistakes I see is trying to use too small of plane for the job. The bigger the boards, the bigger the plane.

Most people use a #4 Smooth plane as their starter plane. It's a good overall plane, but if you're trying to get something large flat it's workable but not great.

I usually use a #5 Jack or #7 Jointer plane. I've also replaced most of my irons and chipbreakers with Hocks. This is not a route to take if you don't find hand planing to be a "religious" experience.

Most people think that Hand tools are the "Cheap" way to do it. You can get a cheap #4 hand plane and it will work, but a good quality hand plane will be much more expensive new. See if you can find a Stanley Bailey #4 for a much better plane at a reasonable price. If you find you absolutely love hand planing, I've heard good things about Veritas and using my instructor's bronze Lie Nieson was an amazing experience.

Used planes are hit-and-miss if you don't know what you're looking for. Lots of them are in pretty poor shape, and then you're competing with collectors who want them for decoration. Stanley #4 planes are pretty common on the used market and pretty cheap but anything else gets harder to find quickly (except for Ebay, but then you can't inspect it yourself before buying so it's a gamble). I've found a couple of #5's in decent shape, and I'll occasionally run into something else, but usually too expensive or not in good shape.

Note that you could probably find a decent 4" bench power jointer on craigslist in most areas for less than $100 (usually Craftsman)

If you want to learn how to do lots of traditional woodworking stuff, I'd recommend picking up a copy of Tage Fried Teaches Woodworking. I'm pretty sure he covers planing stock, including winding sticks in there.

For $25 you're not going to get a lot of plane. I bought this plane a few years ago and it's...pretty OK. If you can get the iron really sharp it does decent work but the adjusting is a bit crap because instead of a single wheel like more expensive planes it has 1 screw on either side. I also have a brand new and fairly expensive SB #7 that is having a shit-ton of problems with the adjusting lever and I haven't been able to get much good work out of it. If you can find an old plane on ebay or an antique shop or something for that cheap you might need to do a lot of work to it...though you can get lucky. I got an old SB #220 in perfect condition for like a buck.

Arguably a #7 is more useful for luthiery since the craft lends to needing a lot of large, flat surfaces. You can do the same thing with a #4 which is significantly cheaper for something that works more-or-less but it takes a lot more care than a #7.

I have the crappy Home Depot Stanly #4. People tend to dislike them compared to the older planes, but in my experience it works well enough for a project like this. The main complaint is the difficult to use adjustment mechanism, but here it's not a big deal with the shavings are perfectly even. In fact, it's probably best if they aren't.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FK3WI2?keywords=stanley%20plane&qid=1457219857&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

On the other hand, OP, I think you should get the plane that Guygan links to and then sell it to me cheap when you're done with it. :-)

Used this list for a couple posts, its about $200ish in all to get you started. This list uses chisels in lieu of say a router plane for dados and doesn't have an option for grooves but that's later down the road. I've got a big enthusiast list as well if you'd be interested.


> Crosscut/Ripsaw: Irwin Double Sided Pullsaw https://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-Tools-Double-Edge-9-5-Inch-213103/dp/B0001GLEZ8
> Joinery Saw - I think this is the one Japanese saw I own? works okay https://www.amazon.com/Z-saw-Dozuki-Z-Saw/dp/B001DSY7G6/ref=pd_sbs_469_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001DSY7G6&pd_rd_r=RBVEGF6TKKCZHVCH7WSH&pd_rd_w=16INj&pd_rd_wg=gFI50&psc=1&refRID=RBVEGF6TKKCZHVCH7WSH
> Chisels https://www.amazon.com/Narex-Republic-Woodworking-Chisels-863010/dp/B00GPC74ZQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1499302108&sr=1-1&keywords=narex+chisels
> Marking Gauge https://www.amazon.com/Crown-135-Marking-Gauge-Beech/dp/B00EC9AOZQ/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_lp_t_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZBYMV8TF850C6M5JDGDG
> Bevel Gauge https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XC2NYKS?psc=1
> Mallet - I'd personally make one or buy a used one (of heavier wood, good grain and quality construction.) Amazon has some though. https://www.amazon.com/Narex-gram-Beech-Carving-Mallet/dp/B00L7BQL54/ref=sr_1_11?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1499302341&sr=1-11&keywords=mallet
> Combination square -does the work of several sizes of squares for the price of one - https://www.amazon.com/IRWIN-Combination-Square-Metal-Body-1794469/dp/B005XUHIBG/ref=sr_1_2?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1499302407&sr=1-2&keywords=square
> A No 4 or 5 sized plane - I buy old Stanley's/Bailey's because they're great, and usually cheap for bench planes - Flea Market/Antique stores/ebay -$20 ish --- Amazon also sells new (I give no guarantee on quality however) - https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-12-404-Adjustable-2-Inch-Cutter/dp/B000FK3WI2/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1499302507&sr=1-1&keywords=stanley+plane
> "Workbench" - temporary thing to hold pieces while you make dovetails - https://www.amazon.com/WM125-Workmate-350-Pound-Capacity-Portable/dp/B000077CQ0/ref=pd_cart_vw_2_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CA9X21QD5D7QAXKMGE6S
> Woodscrew clamp, used to clamp peice to workbench while chiseling waste - https://www.amazon.com/ATE-Pro-USA-30143-Handscrew/dp/B0006A4A5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499303583&sr=8-1&keywords=wood+screw+clamp
>
> Other than clamps, glue, mortice gauge, etc, this is good enough to get you started making carcass (dovetailed) pieces of furniture, like a shoe cubby or bookshelf. (Currently making a chimney bookshelf for myself)
>
> Thats around $200 for getting you started. Add a mortise chisel and mortise gauge and you can start mortise and tenon work. Invest in pipe clamps when you reach a glue up point.

This is oddly specific, you can gift him a planer even if he isn't proficient with it. It is very nostalgic and as a woodworker he could understand/appreciate its use.

Or

Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living by Nick Offerman

The bi-folds I just did we’re from Lowe’s. Had the same problem as you.

Unless you have solid core, I don’t think you’ll be able to cut it. My doors are made out of literal cardboard. I used a plainer.

Stanley 12-404 No. 4 Adjustable Bench Plane with 2-Inch Cutter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FK3WI2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Q3H1Ab5G1P1Z4

Can I get some quick advice on getting a wood plane dialed in?

I bought a cheap wood plane just to start down the road of woodworking, and thought I'd try making a cutting board.

My first cutting board went really well, but the pieces I bought were all pretty flat so the plane didn't have to do much work.

My second cutting board isn't going as well, as the pieces are really far off in terms of thickness. Lots of planing to do, and I'm getting really awful runs from my plane.

Here's a quick list of the problems I'm seeing:

• The plane will "skip" along the wood
  
• I'll get jammed up a lot when the plane tries to "bite off too much"
  
• The shavings the plane is taking off are super thin, and short. Which is taking forever and I might as well be sanding the board to flatness.
  
  I tried sharpening it, but sharpened to an angle of 25 degrees, I'm thinking of doing it again and going with 30 degrees. Will that alone solve the problems above? Thanks for any advice you can give me!

Let me start by saying that this would be the bare minimum. This is assuming that you have all the experience to use these tools effectively as someone who has the appropriate skill and knows to do things like not bear down on a saw when cutting, keeping everything square, how to mill boards by hand, how to not kill sandpaper in a few strokes, how to tune and sharpen a hand plane, ETC.


2x$8.69Vise grips Two vise grip clamps. Clamps can be universally adjusted and clamped in almost any direction with some quick thinking. One is never enough.


$9.99Cheap set of chisels Everyone needs a chisel. These will be made from a milder steel, but it's better than nothing.


$22.00Generic ryoba saw A ryoba saw will double for crosscuts and ripcuts. They go as far as you can take them provided you treat them right.


$18.62Bench Plane You need to be able to take down material in terms of thickness. A simple bench plane will due for now.


$20.61Block Plane A block plane will help slightly with end grain smoothing where the bench plane cannot.


$3.47Bundled Sandpaper You need to finish your products somehow. I would get a generic bundle of sandpaper and use it sparingly and tenderly.


$12.85Square Keeping things square is vital.


$6.79Mallet Hammering your chisels is going to be very important since you cannot use a 2x4 reliably.


$3.47Wood Glue Need to be able to glue things together.


$11.80A set of card scrapers Remove material smoother and faster. You don't want to waste sandpaper if you don't have to, and these are quite versatile.


$8.06A bastard file A bastard file will do for now when it comes to heavier shaping and sharpening your card scrapers.


$15.92A small drill viseKeeping something secure in place is very important. A small vise will accommodate small and narrow pieces of lumber and can be bolted to a bench.


$3.97Assorted finer sandpapers You need something to keep your chisels constantly sharp, especially when it is such a mild steel as a set of 9.99 chisels.


$15.59Wipe on polyurethane You need to be able to finish your products somehow.


Comes to $170.52 I would use the rest to make a bench and two sawhorses out of some 2x4's.

Spend a little bit of money (Around $20-$30) to buy a Bench Plane, such as this. I found that this tool works really well for forming boards. However, you need to be really careful that you don't take off too much wood.

Is there a specific type of hand planer i should be using? Without knowing too much, I was looking to get this Stanley no. 4 bench plane.

What kind of finished look you are going for is the first consideration when choosing material. If you are going to paint it, then MDF/plywood (the sanded stuff, not the rough construction grade)/poplar/pine (must be dried, not green lumber) are all fine choices and cheap. If you want a natural finish, then you likely want to use some species of hardwood instead.

In furniture making, we do not really use the construction grade lumber sizing like 2x4 etc. Hardwood lumber generally comes in either rough cut or s4s (surfaced 4 sides) of a given thickness indicated in quarters of an inch, f.x. 4/4 lumber is 1 inch thick, 8/4 is 2 inches thick, etc. Width is generally random unless you specify otherwise and you are expected to cut it down or glue it up to the size needed. You can of course make things out of construction grade lumber but there are issues with doing so, see my other comment in this thread.

Pocket holes could work for the joinery but you would probably want to modify the design of the top a bit to hide the pocket holes. If you want to use pocket holes I would make an apron like this. 30"x30" is a fairly large table surface so you will likely need an apron to prevent sagging if you are using sheet material for the top anyway.

Making the legs will be the hardest part with the tools you have. If you use construction lumber you could use a hand plane to dress them, but it will be a bit of a learning experience. Otherwise, I would recommend you use 8/4 lumber and have the lumber yard or a local cabinet maker square it for you since you do not own a table saw, jointer or planer.

That's a much nicer model, with the usual adjustments.

The 12-404 adjusts more like a spokeshave, with two knurls on threaded posts. Available on-line from several big box home improvement and department stores and "bookstores": https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FK3WI2/

Depending on one's needs and budget, it's not an unreasonable way to get started; unlike some cheap things, it's not so bad as to be unusable, unlike the cheap block plane I bought years ago in-store at a big box home improvement store. (Still need a little setup, of course.)

I think this is the plane you're looking for: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FK3WI2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_g-QZzbFV29TNF

There's also this one if you're willing to pay a bit more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002B56CUO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_9.QZzb1P8J296