Stanley 12-204 No 4 Smoothing Bench Plane

by Stanley

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Gray, cast-iron base with precision-ground sides and bottom. Durable epoxy coating provides long-lasting protection. Hardened, tempered steel gives precision-ground cutter edge durability. Cutter adjusts for depth and alignment, offering precise control. Quick-release cam-lock makes iron removal easy. High-impact polymer handles and knobs are contoured and polished.

Product Description

Stanley Tools 12-204 9 3/4" No. 4 Smooth Bench Plane Stanley Tools 12-204 9 3/4" No. 4 Smooth Bench Plane Features: Grey cast iron base with sides and bottom machined smooth and true Durable epoxy coating for long-lasting protection Hardened and tempered tool steel cutter for cutting edge durability Cutter is fully adjustable for depth of cut and alignment Quick release cam-lock for easy blade removal Contoured polymer handles and knobs Replacement Blade 12-313 (2510-0595) 9-3/4" length 2" cutter width Carded

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00002X1Z6
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 12-204
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #136,014 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #89 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Hand Tools > Hand Planes
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars BUY A VINTAGE PLANE, June 26, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Stanley 12-204 No 4 Smoothing Bench Plane (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is definitely not the Stanley of old. Do yourself a favor and search a popular online auction site and buy a vintage plane, you will not regret it. I received one of these for a gift, and believe me, it's the gift that keeps on giving (...) Even low end vintage planes perform better than this one. Cheap hardware, plastic handles... (...)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not an Heirloom...but a tool., February 8, 2011

By 

Bryan Allen White "BW" (Spokane, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stanley 12-204 No 4 Smoothing Bench Plane (Tools & Home Improvement)

I recently purchased this model, and within 2 hours while was also grilling chicken, I had this set up and functioning ideally. I found the sole not flat, but that is common in Stanley planes dating back to the 60's. The casting process introductes internal stresses that change over the early life of a casting, the green phase. For this reason many old engine block manufactures let their casting "season" for a period of time outside before they send them out for machining to ensure dimmensional accuracy. Planes are no different. It seems that they are a little green when they are machined, probably due to trying to cut down on inventory I would guess. It is possible at this time, that the casting may still be green and may need a second flattening later.

I digress, I had mine flat with about an hours worth of work. Lots of methods exist, I used my table saw top with some spray adhesive on the back of successive grits of sandpaper...I didn't have glass handy. Tip: Get good sandpaper for the task, it will make your job a whole lot easier. They come with a 25 deg. bevel on the cutting iron, and state in the instructions to hone this to 30 degrees. This took minimal time. I rounded the corners, as I am going to use it for smoothing. The frog was close, but again with carefull use of a file, and some jigging on my workbench, I had this flat and making great contact in little time. Wisp thin continuous ribbon cutting is possible and not all that difficult to achieve.

I needed a tool, not a peice of artwork for my shop and this is going to work perfectly for my tasks. If anyone without experience were to go pick it up and try to take off mill marks from my jointer, they would find it up for the task.

Great value for the dollar, and if you educate yourself on how to properly set it up for your use, and have some basic skills with a file and sandpaper you will find this tool very well suited for your use.

If you ware looking for an heirloom and one tuned perfectly from the manufacture, this may not be what you are looking for. The value of that added cost was not there in the high end planes in my opinion.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars don't waste your time, December 29, 2009

By 

D.W. (D.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stanley 12-204 No 4 Smoothing Bench Plane (Tools & Home Improvement)

This is a very cheap product. One of my most regretable purchases. Not even good for on site rough work.