You taught that to your students didn't you Ron?

I know you fellas are showing your hand planes for photo shots, so my next comment is only this; never store or place your sharpened plane on its plane edge . It could damage the honed blade that you just sharpened. Always place it on its side.

I make very extensive use of a small 'Stanley' hand plane that I have had for many years for both DIY and model making. The blade is easy to grind and hone to a very sharp edge and I wouldn't be without it!

It's a genuine Stanley British made tool that cost just a couple of pounds back in the day and after a quick look for a direct equivalent available now it would seem that even the cheap badly made foreign copies are likely to cost £30 or more 😮.

Agree that hand tools are now used far less frequently, but to me the pleasure of using an old hand tool, especially if I have restored it, is unbeatable. I have my father's old hand driven pillar drill - almost unbeatable for very accurate drilling, together with his old wooden plane, which I must admit does sit on the shelf gathering dust! I also have his old taps and dyes, and when you need imperial, they are still perfect.

Bob, I agree about satisfaction with working with hand tools. The point I was trying to make is that old tools are giving way to new tools. Get more done in less time. (Going to be 82 in two months.) Just like my 3D printers have replaced many hand tools. I think the last time I used a slide rule was in HS. Bost tool that I have is my X-acto knife. Even use it on almost all of my 3D prints.
Lew

I don't disagree with your comments about using power tools Lew, but I still find it very satisfying to work with hand tools when I can

........even though it probably take a bit longer.....

Bob.

As time goes on, I have less use for wood planes. Back in the "old days" at my HS (Aviation HS) shop, OK. But with advanced power tools getting close to the shape I want, sandpaper finishes the job. I have a small X-acto plane and a full size one about 100 years old. Both sit on the shelf collecting more dust than wood curls.

Lew

I have 2 of these small planes and use often in all of my wood working projects. Particularly good for planing end grain. Cheers Ian. 👍👍

A one handed plane can be a very useful tool to have when building or restoring a model boat.

This latest addition to my toolbox was seen NEW on eBay for just over £12 .....including delivery by Royal Mail!

There are several different suppliers of what looks to be exactly the same tool, but I can only comment on this one suppled by Toolzone Tools that are based here in the UK.

It is a heavy CAST IRON plane that has machined BRASS adjuster knobs and CHROMIUM plated adjustor levers to open the throat spacing and to adjust the angle of the blade.

This is a LOT of specification for the money (how do they do it?), and although the engineering finish is not as good as the more expensive planes that it is (probably) copied from, it works well and should give many years of good solid service.

The blade (iron) can be sharpened and honed in the usual way and the base of the casting could be fine polished to improve its finish - but as it comes it works well enough.

At just over 6" long it is a handy (but quite heavy) little tool that could easily earn its keep in most model boat workshops (or shed in my case!).

Bob

Hi Ed,

I used to use one of those digital angle gauges quite a lot before I sold my milling machine.

They are very simple to use and work very well....but small enough to loose in an untidy workshop(shed) like mine ! 🤣

Bob.