Another twenty-one dollar plane

[Timberwolf]

Harbor Fright's answer to Lie-Nielsen's legendary #3...like new...never used condition....probably because it is a PITA to adjust..It does actually feel pretty good in the hand while it is not working...Purchased when they first came on the market about ten years ago...I forgot the price but I'm guessing it was less than fifteen bucks. I think it could be made to work halfway decently if one took the time to properly fettle it...I'll keep it along with the set of HF chisels I have that are in the original packaging, costing the tidy sum of about six bucks...Strangely enough, I have heard they hold an edge quite well..Along with the #3, they shall remain unused and properly preserved for posterity.

[bandit571]

The Windsor pattern No. 33....still runs about $15....first came out, they were $9.95.    Forget trying to make a smoother out of it, it ain't going to happen..
It was in answer to the Stanley SB4 plane.
However...IF you grind a 3" radius to the edge of the iron...it does make a very HUNGRY scrub plane....VOE.

The one I had and USED for a while ( from when they first came out)  was "retired"...as another  hand plane needed those very nice handles..

Rex Krueger I think also tried a Stanley version of this plane, in the No. 4 size.....and did a video about it.

H-F Chisels....bought my first set of 6 a LONG time ago...almost 40 years...

   
The 1/2" wide one was worn out about 10 years ago
The 5/8" wide one has a new handle..
The 1/4" wide one was reground into a triangular shape, to work better in tight Dovetail corners..
The 2 chisels in the photo are the 3/4" and 1" wide versions...

Not too bad for CHEAP chisels? YMMV, Of course...

[tablesawtom]

The chisels are about 10 dollars  and yes they hold an edge fairly well. I especially like them for glue clean up. When I glue up a panel I wait about an hour  for the glue to set up and then I use one of the chisels to slice off the glue, It is hard to get all the glue off without having water in the shop so as it builds up I remove it with a wire wheel on a bench grinder. They are also good for rough work where you do not want to use the good chisels.

They are called Windsor or something like that and for $10 I strongly recommend them. Where else can you get a set of 1/4- 1 1/2 for $10. Cheap screw drivers work better at opening paint cans, than the chisels.

Tom

[Stwood_]

Harbor Fright's  answer to Lie-Nielsen's legendary #3...like new...never used condition....probably because it is a PITA to adjust..It does actually feel pretty good in the hand while it is not working...Purchased when they first came on the market about ten years ago...I forgot the price but I'm guessing it was less than fifteen bucks. I think it could be made to work halfway decently if one took the time to properly fettle it...I'll keep it along with the set of HF chisels I have that are in the original packaging, costing the tidy sum of about six bucks...Strangely enough, I have heard they hold an edge quite well..Along with the #3, they shall remain unused and properly preserved for posterity.

One of our tool makers on the forum here made some quality blades for those planes and offered em up.
Trying to remember who that was.

[Tony Z]

One of our tool makers on the forum here made some quality blades for those planes and offered em up.
Trying to remember who that was.

Was Jim Reed that made the blades. I purchased one for the HF plane I played with: had one of my machinists grind the sole flat. I bedded the blade better to the frog, using epoxy, covered with cellophane between it and the blade until it hardened. Seem to remember changing the threaded rods. Refinished the wood and painted Clifton green. The blade adjustment was still fiddly, but once adjusted, easily took .0015" shavings on cherry.

Gave the plane away/shipped to S. American aspiring woodworker w/some other tools.

[bandit571]

James Hamilton ( Stumpy Nubs) did a video about that plane, when they first came out....and showed how he changed it over to work as a Scrub Plane.  

Rex Krueger made a video about the Stanley #4 sized version of the Windsor No. 33....and his efforts to at least TRY to make it a decent, cheap plane...

I used the #33 for a couple of years...mainly because I could not get a Stanley No. 40.....wound up changing a #5 sized jack into a #5 sized Scrub Plane...and it seemed to do a better job.

   
7 planes in this photo...some are #3 sized, some are #4 sized...all had a price tag of $19 each....I bought the #3 on the top of the "hamper"....turned out to be..

   
A Sargent Made for Montgomery Wards "Lakeside No. 3"

And, it was "only" $5 more than the Harbor Freight No. 33...and still under $21, to boot...

[Stwood_]

I made a scrub from a 5-1/4 that has a couple of side rail pieces gone. Wasn't a shelf queen, just a good user.