Customer Reviews

Stanley 12-220 Block Plane

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this plane simply for trimming edges to fit when I screwed up a cut. It does this fantastically...And much more than it was ever made to do.

I recently found a sawmill that sells rough white oak for $2 a boardfoot. Nifty price, big pain, as I have no large hand plane or electric planer. I picked up 50 bdft in widths of around 24".

I planed all 50 feet using this little plane. Took some time (about 30 hours with tons of sweat and some very sore hands), but with the proper edge on the blade, I didn't even need to sand the wood after building. It was all done. ;)

To get the perfect edge to make this tiny plane a perfect finishing machine (throw away your power sanders!), visit http://www.shavings.net/SCARY.HTM.

As for construction of this plane...It's solid. I've dropped it many times onto a concrete floor with no damage at all. It's a trooper of a plane.

I worked it so that I can see my reflection in the bottom and it does a remarkably good job for such an inexpensive plane. I was able to plane both across and even with the grain of some Cherry to the point that it didn't even need to be sanded. Good weight on it too for such a little thing. I liked that.

A really nice moderately priced block plane. Once set up the fine edge preforms in a really excellent manner and is a good value. Had to true the sole, file the mouth adjustment to allow closer tolerance, and of course, sharpen the iron. When complete, this plane works quite well. The 1/8" iron and approximately 2lb overall weight makes this plane a rock-solid performer.
Don't let the pre-use adjustments discourage you. It is a necessity for all but the most expensive of planes.
Great job, Stanley. Keep 'em coming!

I've trued a few doors and done some small projects with it and it works fine. I thought it was a little difficult to set up. Once you have it where you want it, don't mess with it. Not for large or serious projects.

I've been a serious hobbyist woodworker for many years , but really haven't used hand planes very much, since I've been more of a power tool guy. I found this plane one day this week when going through some storage bins I hadn't checked in a while, so I thought I would give it a go. I'm not sure if I inherited this plane or purchased it many years back and just set it aside. Either way I adjusted it and found that it works very very well for edge trimming. Really well made, solid little plane and easy to take to the job site.

Worth the price, good workhorse yet finer cuts are smooth. Had it for about 6 months no complaints. Lever on front can get stuck if not properly set ahead of time for blade adjustment. I prefer wood block planes, but for fast work it does a good job.

Very solid feeling, planed wood as it should, easy to adjust depth, sharp blade, good price, very satisfied. Used it on a couple doors and door jams as well as a non-compliant floor board.

I like the Stanley planes for their combination of quality and price. I had another Stanley Block Plane that I used for years as I learned more about planes. That one had finally gotten to the point that it could still be saved but wasn't worth the effort when I saw the price on this one. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.