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I saw this on woodnet yesterday. http://www.forums.woodnet.net/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=3889643&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1



I picked one up today (the only one they had) and spent the afternoon working on it. The sole needed a lot of work as the front part of the plane was milled close to 1/16 lower then the back half of the sole. After some time on the belt sander and more time on my granite plate I came up with this. Still needs some work, there's a small dip at the front left and right rear corners.



I then went to work on the blade using scary sharp. Sorry no pics of the blade. It's a pain to set the blade so it won't be coming out until it needs to be resharpened.

Here's the result on curly maple. Surprised there was no tear out given the size of the mouth.




Pros -
Stupid cheap.
Can be made to perform well.
Nice alternative to a block plane, where appropriate.

Cons -
Harbor Freight fit and finish.
Blade adjustment is very finicky due to the coarse pitch of the threads on the adjustment screws. But once locked in place the blade is held solid.
Unknown quality/durability of the blade.

Verdict-
Think of it as a partially finished kit. For ~$10.00 and a few hours work you get a nice little plane. It's a steal for anyone one a tight budget.

Looks like the cap and thumbscrews came from a Stanley 151 spokeshave. It's OK to adjust on a spokeshave, but I think it would be a real challenge on a plane.

Tub 'o lard for diligence, Bob!

Pat

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com