ISO opinions on Stanley 62 low angle jack plane

[zzdodge]

According to my wife, I have enough planes. However, my eyes wander, and I have thought about a Stanley 62 low angle jack plane. I have a #4 smoother, a #5 jack, and a #7 that is older than my parents, and is a wonderful plane. But the only low angle planes I have are block planes.

My excuse is that I need some legs for a couple of benches in my shop. The benches are sitting on saw horses. However, my brother and a friend are cutting some of the many dead Ash trees we have, and the friend has a portable saw mill. So I thought I would try to get enough 5x5 pieces to use for legs and cross members, and then put them in the top of my garage to dry. Ash is pretty dry to begin with, and perhaps just the summer sitting in the top of my garage might dry it enough for a square-up and feed through a surface planer. If I get cracks, it is just shop furniture, not something on parlor display.

So as I was dreaming about this, the thought of a new jack plane, and specifically a low angle one came to mind. I know that there are better planes than the Stanley, but I am getting older, and none of my kids are particularly interested in doing more than hanging pictures and putting up utility shelves in their laundry area, so I have been backing off of tool acquisitions. With a modest collection of 8 routers, I can't find any one of four kids who would like one of them.

So stories aside, has anyone used this plane, or even own one who can comment on the good and bad points of it, and what they like to use it for?

[TENdriver]

ZZ, Generally speaking, a low angle plane is still a block plane for doing end grain. I’m pretty sure the vintage Stanley No. 62 was originally considered a butcher block plane.

The modern Veritas and Lie Nielsen low angle jacks also have high angle blades to do long grain. Not sure if the modern Stanley and WoodRiver may also have high angle blades.

I’m kind of curious what you haven’t been able to do with the #5 jack.

[Graywolf]

The good news is a low angle jack plane is a good plane to have in your arsenal. I use mine almost exclusively as a shooting board plane. The bad news is I can't recommend the new Stanley. The blade bed is cast out of square with the sole of the plane. The one I have I had to file the blade bed down on one side to get it close to square. I have thought about taking it to a machine shop and having it milled. That said, when I have the money I'm going to buy the Lie Nelson product and sale the other. So think about it, approximately $170.00 for the Stanley and you have to screw with it, or add approximately $200.00 and it's what you want when you want it. It's your call. I know I wish I had spent the extra the first time.
i also know of other people that had the same problem including the guys from Popular Woodworking.

[frankc4113]

Don't worry about age, children, health, number of planes, router or other tools you already have, etc. I bought the Stanley #62 a couple of years ago from Home Depot when they had it for $159. I've been using it with a shooting board and it does a nice job. If you want it, just buy it. I'm sure the Veritas low angle jack plane may have a better finish or possibly a better steel used in the blade and also is nicer looking. However, for what I needed (it was really want), the Stanley fits right in.
I also have children and grandchildren who have no desire to get into woodworking but personally, I'm not going to let that be the deciding factor if I want or need another tool. I just bought the Grizzly G0490X jointer without a thought as to anyone using it after I pass on. Enjoy yourself in your shop and have a good time making "stuff".

[Tarhead]

It can be a block plane, jack plane, shooting plane and it's long enough to do a decent job as a jointer for 99% of the lengths I use. If I put a 35-50 degree beveled iron on it and close down the mouth it can be a smoother or a scraper plane. It can also use a toothed iron. The great thing is it has no frog so iron and bevel changes are fast and easy. I'm not sure about the Stanley version but if you go with Lee Valley version the blade is the same in the Bevel Up Smoother and Bevel Up Jointer.
The only downside, if this is one for you, grinding a cambered edge is a more of a challenge than a bevel down iron so you might want to dedicate one blade for this.

[Opensightryan]

I have it. I think I like it alot, I say I think because I have very little experience with hand planes. I will warn you finding a replacement blade for it is darn near impossible, I have 2 on order for about three months now. Grizzly has them but want between 20 and 30 bucks more for them than anyone else.

[McRabbet]

I have the Lee Valley Veritas Low Angle Jack Plane and it is a very versatile plane at $245 to $257 depending on which blade you select. Be sure to watch the short video to see a few of the things it does. Like the original #62, it has an adjustable mouth but is 1" longer than the 62. As Graywolf suggested, it is a great plane for shooting board use, but also excels as a great surface flattening plane. As others have suggested, the modern Stanley version is not of adequate quality by comparison to the original Stanley 62 planes which went out of production in the early 1940's. Plus the old ones are hard to find (none currently on eBay or at Jim Bode Tools).