WoodRiver Planes.... They're baaaaack....

[Rick Rutten]

So...all joking aside, considering I'm not privy to whatever discussion has gone on prior to this posting, are the planes a joke or a contender?

Bobby, try googling "Wood River Plane reviews." there are quite a few articles out there where plane-heads put them through their paces and compare them to others. From what I have read it is kind of hit and miss for quality. For a nickle more you can get something that is pretty well regarded as being high quality. However, that is a decision you will have to make for yourself based upon the reviews and opinions from here. Although the opinios may be quite hard to find.

If you lined up a string of Woo-Driver planes you would have a plane train that went "wooo wooo."

Rick

[Larry Frank]

This thread should be a model for a lot of other threads. It had humor and even managed to answer the question concerning the planes.

I had a Woodriver plane and after some work, it did a reasonable job. I also have several LN planes and they are pretty much ready out of the box. They feel better, look better and work better than the Wood River but cost a bunch more. Is it worth it? Probably depends on how much is in your wallet and what you using them for.

In my case, it also depends on what my Chief Financial Officer approves. I could not believe it when she got me the LN 4-1/2 for Christmas.

[James Taglienti]

i would like to take this moment to go off on a 7 paragraph tangent that pisses everybody off including myself.

[Bobby O'Neal]

Good info, David and Chris. Thanks for the insight. I am one who is new to woodworking in general and am quickly learning the value and application benefits of good hand tools. So, I don't have any good planes. I wonder how much I would appreciate the difference between a WR or a LN. Would I even have the skills to tune up the WR to make it workable? I doubt it, at least to start with. I am willing to wait for a LN to know that I've got the quality and assurance of a good tool and to be able to trust it. I think in the end, I am not wanting to own two of the same plane, having hated the first (cheap) one the whole time I was waiting to afford the second. I am not sure if that would be the case here. If a WR did a good enough job for a while and the LN is a step up, and I still feel good about the work done with the WR, then ok.

[jerry nazard]

I could not believe it when she got me the LN 4-1/2 for Christmas.

Larry,

That gets you a very serious "Woo"....

-Jerry

_________________________

To add something to the thread: I bought a WR #4 when they first came out. The plane needed a fair bit of tuning, which I spaced out (piddled with) over a period of a year or so. In it's current state, the plane pulls nice sub-.001 shavings and will probably be a keeper. Several well respected fellows of this esteemed community have commented on problems with backlash. This doesn't seem to be an issue with my plane, and perhaps I am just lucky. Just grinding the blade back and getting it square improved the plane immensely.

[Don Dorn]

i would like to take this moment to go off on a 7 paragraph tangent that pisses everybody off including myself.

Go ahead, I probably couldn't keep focused on it anyway. Each time I see a post from you, I can't help but picture your wife waving her plane blade in the air when she wants it sharpened. I really shouldn't have had a mouth full of soda when I read that.

[Chris Griggs]

This thread should be a model for a lot of other threads. It had humor and even managed to answer the question concerning the planes.

I had a Woodriver plane and after some work, it did a reasonable job. I also have several LN planes and they are pretty much ready out of the box. They feel better, look better and work better than the Wood River but cost a bunch more. Is it worth it? Probably depends on how much is in your wallet and what you using them for.

In my case, it also depends on what my Chief Financial Officer approves. I could not believe it when she got me the LN 4-1/2 for Christmas.

Well said Larry. By the way how do you like the larger size of the 4 1/2 compared to a No 4?

Also, how did you get her to get you one? Despite not so subtle hints, I haven't even been able to get my fiance to give me an LV apron plane. Soon after we got engaged she asked me if women ever gave guys engagement gifts. I tried and failed to convince her that an engagement plane would be appropriate. Oh well, looks like I'll have to buy it for myself.

[Harlan Barnhart]

This sounds a lot like the quote I saw yesterday, can't remember where it was from:

Definition of the suburbs - "a place where they cut down all of the trees and then name the streets after them."

In my neighborhood (suburban), the streets are all named after animals and people doing activities that you used to be able to do before the burbs were there, with the obligatory random monopoly game street thrown in the middle - no tree names, though, maybe because most of the trees are still there.

So true. It's almost as if we are trying to compensate for the destruction of these things by memorializing the name. My father-in-law in northern Canada tells me of hunting trips with First Nations people who have cut off the beard of the fallen moose and throw it into the river to appease the spirit of the moose. Perhaps this naming ritual fills a similar purpose.

[Jake Helmboldt]

Well said Larry. By the way how do you like the larger size of the 4 1/2 compared to a No 4?

Also, how did you get her to get you one? Despite not so subtle hints, I haven't even been able to get my fiance to give me an LV apron plane. Soon after we got engaged she asked me if women ever gave guys engagement gifts. I tried and failed to convince her that an engagement plane would be appropriate. Oh well, looks like I'll have to buy it for myself.

My wife and mom went halves on a LN 4 1/2 while in their showroom for my birthday a couple years ago. Then a month later at Christmas the progressive pitch dovetail saw appeared. My wife said "I figured even if you don't use it it is a beautiful tool to have". I like her.

[David Weaver]

Good info, David and Chris. Thanks for the insight. I am one who is new to woodworking in general and am quickly learning the value and application benefits of good hand tools. So, I don't have any good planes. I wonder how much I would appreciate the difference between a WR or a LN. Would I even have the skills to tune up the WR to make it workable? I doubt it, at least to start with. I am willing to wait for a LN to know that I've got the quality and assurance of a good tool and to be able to trust it. I think in the end, I am not wanting to own two of the same plane, having hated the first (cheap) one the whole time I was waiting to afford the second. I am not sure if that would be the case here. If a WR did a good enough job for a while and the LN is a step up, and I still feel good about the work done with the WR, then ok.

It depends on whether or not it's "good", i guess. Some of the reviews say minor tuning, and others say no tuning, and other people felt like they could never get the planes right. I think woodcraft's return policy is pretty liberal, so you could probably return anything you didn't like.

I personally would spend the money on an LN first, just one if money is an object, but not so much so that you couldn't afford one LN, and then get WRs in other sizes. You'll have an excellent benchmark plane to judge all future bench planes by.

[Rick Markham]

Bobby, here is my take on the situation. Take it for what you want. I have gotten the plane bug bad so you are listening to a hardcore addict . Within the last year I have taken a lot of time to research and get very serious about planes and handtools in general. I have been woodworking for about 9 years now as a passion, I was largely a powertool junky until I found Neanderthal haven LOL, now I see the benefits of both.

Now to my point, nothing is more frustrating than having a plane that doesn't work, especially when you don't really fully understand why or how they are supposed to work. With the expense of these things, and since I am a firm believer in a simple fact of ME, is that I generally want something, and if I buy something lesser than what I want... I won't be satisfied with a "stop gap" or "lesser" item. I also believe that a plane should last many lifetimes, if cared for.

I chose as a first plane a LN no.8. The way I figured it, I am in the "hobby" for a lifetime, I'm tired of buying tools I am not going to be satisfied with for my lifetime. I also figured it would give me a great starting point as a reference, right out of the box. I have no one around here to teach me, and show me why my plane isn't performing the way it should. These are things that I have had to learn on my own, through research here, books, and tinkering. Me I fell in love with mine as soon as it glided across a piece of wood. (I knew I was in trouble LOL)

The simple fact that it worked right the first time, and i could figure out what changed during it's use, that caused it to work better, or worse, and because of kind folks here, and many authors, I understand why, and how it all works, and how to adjust everything has been a god send.

My advice, find someone who knows planes who can show you, it's much easier to learn with instruction. If that's not possible, choose something that isn't going to be frustrating and ask as many questions as possible here as you can. Great friendly knowledgeable folks who are willing to nurture (enable) your future addiction.

That being said, one of my favorite planes I have is a #3 Stanley bailey that I fettled myself, no it doesn't perform like my LN 4 1/2, but it is dang close with it's original iron. Learning planes without someone helping me, would that be the outcome with that plane... I doubt it, it would still be rusty and sitting in my tool chest under my Random Orbital Sander.

Take it for what it is... The learning curve exists no matter what you choose, for me with no one around (in person) to explain and show me precisely what's going on, it was better for me to start with something I knew, wouldn't become frustrating and anger me, and just become another unused gadget in a drawer.

[Bobby O'Neal]

Thanks, Rick. I think I'm somewhere in your same line of thinking. Bottom line being, a tool that performs sub par will do more damage than the money it will save me. That being said it doesn't have to be a LN to meet expectations..........or maybe it does. When you're first experience with planes is in the internet age and you can watch Rob Cosman on Youtube doing unbelievable things with hand tools, it sets the bar high.

[Rick Markham]

Yeah, my thing regarding watching someone plane online, you actually get very little from the experience. One of the biggest helps that I got was with Daneb from LN at their tool expo. Even with that, it's still a whole lot better with someone teaching ya hands on one on one.

Yeah, I'm definitely not advocating running out and buying a $475 jointer like I did. But you are doing things right and trying to make a wise choice and get opinions on getting something quality. I would also look at Lee valley, everyone here seems to love them, and they are generally a little less expensive than LN,

Like I said, I have no experience with Wood River, so I can't tell ya anything about them.

The best resources that I can suggest, other than here, are Chris Schwartz Coarse Medium and Fine, and David Charlesworth's three books, A guide to handtools and techniques, Furniture making techniques, and Furniture making techniques II. Charlesworth's books have helped me the most as far as setting planes up, and refining their operation. He is a master furniture maker turned teacher, and a very very detail oriented guy, so the minor details most of us would never consider, he has considered and explains very clearly. The Chris Schwartz video is excellent for becoming efficient with their usage.

[Bobby O'Neal]

Thanks again, Rick. I agree, watching the Coz on Youtube isn't a stand alone teaching method, but it gives you an idea of what the tool is capable of when in skilled hands. I don't have RC's skills but i am sharp enough to learn over time and want a tool that I wont outgrow. Good stuff.

[Rick Markham]

Something I thought about this morning after I made that last post: I don't get to Woodcraft as much as I would like (It's an hour and a half drive for me, but it is close to the beach I go to) and I am heading up there this weekend. I will ask while I am there if they have any of the wood river planes in their teaching room, and see if they will let me give a couple a try. It might be worth asking at your local one, the older fellas there don't always have an answer for me, but they generally do everything they can to help me out when I am there. I know most woodcrafts have a class they offer with hand tools, I would assume (complete assumption) that they would probably have planes that they sell in their teaching workshop. If they do here, I will try and give ya an impression of my take on them. Hopefully your local one will have them available and you can get a first hand impression. Nothing beats trying one yourself!

I'd ask around here in Neanderthal haven and see if there is anyone in your area, that would be willing to spend a little shop time and let ya try theirs, and give ya some first hand advice and tool time.