This is for all of you experienced plane owners who wish to enlighten a novice who has just purchased his first "expensive" new plane and has some questions.
I just got my Veritas Low Angle Block plane in the mail yesterday. I have a couple old planes that have seen years of experienced use long before I owned them, but for comparison to new I have no reference. I confess that I debated over and over between going cheaper with a new Stanley and going more expensive to the Lee Nelson. Everything pointed me toward the Veritas in the end, based on the catalog and several reviews.
My question is one of expectation. In this price range should I expect that both side wings of the plane actually be 90 degrees to the sole? One of mine appears dead on while the other wing is off by 1/64 inch across its height; or in other words, about 0.65 degrees away from 90. To actually square this errant wing would likely leave a knife edge at the top of the wing since the sole needs to maintain its relationship with the other wing. Likewise, should I expect a true flat sole or is it normal for there to be very slight hollows along the midline at some points while flat at others? And again, I noticed that the plane iron has a slight central edge hollow on its back as I was honing the edge; it looks like a lot of work to waste away the back of the blade for a true flat surface- not to mention the loss of material.
Is this just normal "tune up" stuff that needs to be done at all price points? I do recognize the huge quality difference between the Veritas and Stanley LA block planes, but I was hoping and expecting a more refined starting point with the Veritas based on its catalog description.
Please help set me straight. What are your experiences and expectations in this price range?