Reddit reviews Stanley 12-136 No. 4 Smoothing Bench Plane

Harbor Freight - Clamps. Maybe some nitrile gloves. The wood handled 2.5 mini sledge hammer is a must have unless you are one of those that think chisels explode and kill 3 generations of your family when hit with metal.

Rockler - See if they sell Lee Valley gift cards. Otherwise it's an amazon showroom.The markup is so high it's almost comical

Also, can we trade Lee Valley for Rockler?

Ok you seem like the right person to ask...

What's the difference between this $120 Stanley number 4, and this $32 Stanley number 4, and this $15 Stanley number 4

Obviously the first one has wooden handles, where the other two are plastic. But is that the only difference? They appear to have different mechanisms securing the iron. Does that really matter, or is it all cosmetic?

Sorry this is probably a stupid question for most people here.

This is just my experience (~2yrs woodworking) but it might help you. You hear opinions often of people way more advanced and while they can be very accurate, they also are much more sensitive to the finer details that aren't as important right now for us.

I went with the Stanley 4 for my 1st and if I could do it again I would go probably go Stanley Jack instead. They're both super comfortably priced (the jack spiked for the holidays but it'll drop in a week or two, use this to check the price. Those are more than high enough quality for our skills. It's hard to justify the price of a premium plane (LN/V) when starting out.

YES they are nice and incredible quality and will last generations, but it's fun to learn on something you aren't afraid to mess up but that also has some quality to it (yes, it will take some tune up, but it's really fun to learn, scour youtube). I know people will rag on the modern Stanleys, but I absolutely love mine. I'll be going Veritas/LN when the time is right.

Finding an old one to refurbish can be overwhelming especially when starting out. There's a ton all over the place and it's hard to know what to look for and what is the right condition it should be in etc —if anyone wants to chime in here; please do.

That's it from me, good luck!

I have this and am quite happy with it http://www.amazon.com/Stanley-12-136-Smoothing-Bench-Plane/dp/B002B56CUO .

I don't think you need to spend that much. This is the #4 I got: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002B56CUO?pc_redir=1409749742&robot_redir=1

It's great. Kind of the spiritual successor to the old Stanley sweetheart planes. $120 including shipping. Not peanuts, but nowhere near the $300+ lee valley/lie nielsen would charge you for a #4.

I've used that plane a lot for about a year and a half now. I'm not incredibly experienced, but I get great results with it. I've also bought 3 or 4 used planes in that time, and this is definitely still my favorite for working.

A #4 or #4.5 bench plane would be good, not necessarily that particular one. A generic block plane would do in a pinch, again not necessarily that particular one, just one like that. They can be had for relatively cheap.

What is your opinion of this?

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B002B56CUO/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1BEI1HAXXJGD1&coliid=I1D9M5TYC79WE9

It looks like this guy, $120 before shipping:

Stanley 12-136 No. 4 Smoothing Bench Plane https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002B56CUO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_HS.xub020YHD7

A vintage Stanley no 4 from the 50s or 60s (sometimes earlier) will run you $40-60, will need more tuning than a new plane, but is really fantastic. Couldn't say how it compares to this new Stanley.

I think this is the plane you're looking for: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FK3WI2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_g-QZzbFV29TNF

There's also this one if you're willing to pay a bit more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002B56CUO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_9.QZzb1P8J296