Key comment: (I paraphrase) “so bad a new woodworker would get discouraged”. Don’t need the best to get started, but do need a tool that will let you develop skills until you outgrow it (if ever) and decide to upgrade.
Your new plane reviews serve a purpose of more than just informing which planes are useful. I’m restoring an old Stanley #3 the was my father's, it rusty and I’m sure it was never set up properly. To restore it I’ve viewed just about every video on plane restoration. Your reviews are the most thorough for proper setup I’ve found, thank you.
Purchased this from Amazon. My experience is much like yours. The installed blade was chipped badly. No quality control on that one. The spare blade was usable but took a lot of work. I needed to prepare the chip breaker and the toad needed some work. I am working with soft wood and the result is ok for me but I will refine my technique. If nothing else I am getting a lot of experience fixing this tool and sharpening. This is my first plane and I am learning to use it. If I am going to do serious woodworking, I will invest in a better plane. Thanks for your videos. Regards, Mike
Thanks Rob, I finally picked up my Woodriver 5-1/2 and absolutely love it! Used your principals to sharpen the blade tho i dont have the glass stones yet (that's coming next). It made such a difference having a quality plane rather than fighting with the cheap plane i had bought years ago but could never get working. I really appreciate all the great information you provide!
Not all planing is for high-end work. As an example I use a Grizzly H7565 - 14" at $50 for hogging off wood. When I have a chance I will find a replacement blade and turn it into an actual scrub plane. For the last couple of passes, if need, be I use an inherited Bailey plane that I keep finish level sharp. It saves time and all I have to do is polish the Bailey to keep it Cosman sharp. Traditionally planes were only sharpened to about 300 grit.
Just about anything can be turned into a scrub plane, even this poorly made plane. But my channel is focused on fine furniture making and woodworking not carpentry. You are not going tomake fine furniture with a scrub and a #4 stanley sharpened to 300. They didnt even do that in 1700's, they used fore plane, jake, and smoother. They traditionally sharpened them to around 300 because thats the highest grade of stones they had (and could not get the finishe we can get today). With our better stones and metals of today you can get a much sharper edge that will last a lot longer and give you a much better finish. I dont drive a horse and buggy becuase thats the way they did it traditionally, and I sharpen to 16K because it leaves a perfect finish in the furniture.
Mr Cosman I’ve heard one statement that ringing true in many cases . Buy once cry once . Spend money on quality and if you use it properly. You can’t go wrong . Thank you
Rob, Thanks for all the comparison. What you should do is interchange the blade with a Woodriver blade so we can see the effect of the blade alone on a cheap plane.
the idea really is to see how each component affects the plane and to what degree. Not really to see if we can make a cheap plane better. The best way is to change out one component at a time.
I don't think there is any snobbery about it, Rob! The word 'snob' comes from Latin, 'sine nobilitate', which translates as 'without nobility'. I think your approach was quite noble and well articulated and just saved me, a noob, $75 and all kinds of heartache. Thanks!
Honesty in your reviews is what makes your videos so valuable. Every manufacturer should be knocking on your door for your thoughts. I would listen!!! Great video as always. Thank you.
Hi Rob. The tool reviews are interesting, but if you're looking for an interesting build idea, how about a bathroom vanity for a single sink, the cabinet about 30" wide, and with three or four (I got four in mine) full width drawers. The feature of interest is that you have the split drawers where they have to clear plumbing and that allows some discussion about glides supporting drawers on the sides versus gliding on the base, as well as other topics.
Great vid as usual Rob, trying not to be over critical but honest in your review! My advice to anyone starting out on a budget of $90 or so is to watch some RUclips videos on restoring old Stanley planes & try to pick one up from flea market/ garage sale ! Once tuned it will work, not like this cheap imposter of a hand plane !!!! 👍🏻
I’ve found good vintage Stanley planes for 1/2 that price at flea markets, even EBay. I know $70 is considered cheap, but I’d actually expect a lot better for $70.
If you cannot afford, or dont want to save up for a nice modern plane an old flea market find is great...but you must replace the blade with a modern thick blade....and now you have enough money in it that you are 1/2 way to buying a Woodriver......
I’ve bought the Stanley new Bailey, and it’s not that bad for a beginner bench plane no.5, still better than whatever this monstrosity is. The Stanley machining is really good, and it’s made in Mexico, so still better quality than Chinese.
Thanks for your tips, I cannot get a good plane so I built a 12 inch krenov style and 20 inch wood plane. These work well enough and cost me scraps and time. I think these would be better than tinkering with cheap planes and would work well enough until I can get my hands on a premium tool.
Wish I had seen this video before I bought the item! This will help me try and set it up better and will follow Rob's suggestion and use it for soft woods but unfortunately my $70 is gone!
No surprise that the plane is not worth purchasing. At this price point the manufacturing shortcuts are common. I have restored my share of vintage Stanley-Bailey bench planes and experienced a mix of manufacturing quality such as sides not being 90 deg to the sole, threaded holes which were oversized. Vintage Stanley blades are a mixed bunch, some good, some not so good. These were mass produced so again not a surprise. I do have some vintage Stanley-Bailey bench planes which perform very well so good to have in the shop. I have to say using a premium plane like my Veritas planes is always a pleasure. Dave.
05:20 In your next video could you show us how to drill a hole with an axe. That must be one of those Old World techniques that was lost in the Dark Ages. :-) Do you think the high blade angle was part of the problem on the Maple. Sounds like that $70 would be better spent on an old Stanley #5. I found a 50s era Stanley #5 new in the box for $45 at a flea market a couple years ago.
As soon as you started retracting the screws holding the frog to the body I knew there was a problem. So much slop in the threads even you were fooled into thinking the first screw was fully extracted. Surface rust all over the place. The slop in the frog hold down screws was probably causing the blade to move as soon as it dug into the wood.
I bought a plane at a big box shop when I was in So. Africa last year, just to have something to play with. Later on I looked up useless and found a pic of the same plane at the top of the list. I couldn't keep the iron in place no matter how much I tightened the lever cap screw. You really do get what you pay for. Next trip I plan to drag a couple Handyman planes (#4 & #5) over with me after I tune em up.
Hi Rob, you are correct, much better to save up and buy a decent tool rather than something cheap and nasty. You end up buying twice at least and paying the same price as a decent plane would have cost originally ( been there, done that ) Regards Jim UK.
I love how diplomatic Rob is being in describing the components of this POS plane! My thought is that even a $20 plane shouldn’t come with chewed up screws. Everything about this product shows how little the manufacturer cares about the customer. I say pay an additional $150 for a WoodRiver and don’t reward the scum that made this garbage.
Other then woodriver and Lee Nelson Is what brand hand planes do you recommend. The Wood River is so far on backwater I can't get one and I would really love to have that one cause I want to 5 and a 1/2 bad
I found an old #5 Craftsman, in the box, obviously a handyman had bought it and fit one door or window (there was a bit of white paint on the sole). $45.00 on Ebay, plastic handles but that thing can cut. And I will replace the knob and tote.
Great video, if you want a quality finish, you need a stable quality blade held to use in comfort. (At the right angle for the wood.) I purchased a fancy plane that has no weight, what a mistake. The weight and balance need to help you flow, Cosman wax give the glide to a heavier plane.
A Woodriver #5 is $220 US at Woodcraft so it's priced a little more than 3 times the plane you reviewed. The Lie Nielsen #5 is $350 US so 5 times as expensive as the Caliastro. I don't take issue with what you found looks like a very cheaply made tool so my issue is it's not a fair comparison. I have several Stanley Bailey hand planes most from around the turn of the century (last one) and all perform wonderfully with the original irons. However the cost of those planes was inversely proportional to the shape they were found in. In other words lots of prep for cheaper planes and much less prep for planes found in good shape. So maybe $50 for one that needs lots of work and $100 for something that needs much less work. One pays either way more money for a new plane which needs only a sharpening or an old plane in fine shape, or more work for a cheap new tool or old worn tool. You may be chasing a unicorn to find a plane priced at $70 either new or old which doesn't need lots of tuning up to function well. They may be out there but certainly not common.
I'd love to see you review the $80 Taytools #4 Smoothing Bench Plane. James Wright from Wood by Wright channel has suggested it as a decent affordable option.
Hey Rob, can you check out the Tay Tools Hand Planes. I recently purchased a # 4 1/2, 5 1/2 and a 7. The 7 and 5 seem to be OKAY but I am having some issues that I didn't think should be common.
Enjoyed the review very much. Could you review the Grizzly 14 inch jack plane, the H7566? Grizzly also offers the Shop Fox D2674 14 inch plane, which is at about the same price point as the Caliastro.
"Would I recommend this. Not if I liked you." :) A couple of years ago I purchase (on Ebay) a Stanley Bailey No. 5. It was made in England around 1919 (unless I mess up my research). The blade seems fine but, would it be recommended to ugrade the blade to a thicker one?
if the iron seems fine,sharpen it up well and use it.unless you're planning to work with some really tricky or dense wood-types you're really not going to feel much difference. i have 2 no.4's of about the same era,one with the original iron and the other with a Hock iron,and the only reason i have that is that the plane were given to me with no iron in it. I work mainly with walnut, but have also tried them on birch,oak and maple, and can honestly not feel much of a difference between them at all. The Hock iron does seem to old the edge a bit better than the original stanley irons though,so there's that.....
Hi Rob and guys in my case I prefer vintage stanley and record bench planes from 50s and 60s .Rob maybe one day could you made a review of stanley low angle bench plane ? Pura vida
Sometimes I wonder if Rob's reviews of some of these tools are a little too critical. Not this time--if anything he was too kind. That $70 plan is overvalued by at least $80.
Don`t worry if the front of the mouth is curved in .Just file it out wide enough to fit an old plane iron from a wooden plane . Drill out the old back iron so a depth adjuster would work and a slot for the cap iron screw . File the blade slot to fit the lateral adjuster .Then you have a massive thick blade made in Sheffield . Now you`re talking . You need to understand how planes work first for that game .Not for beginners though .
I am surprises to actually hear a different pitch in the sound the wood river makes in comparison. Not sure that is present when they compare Stanley planes with woodriver or Lie Nielsen, Veritas
last year I bought one of these planes, knowingly that it was a pos, but, I wanted to see if i could "tune" it up to be acceptable. I could not find any old planes in my area that I could restore. The plane Rob received was way worse than the first one I received. I did all the same checks he did and wrote to Caliastro with my review. They promised that they were aware of the issues and a new "
oops... .. and theyvwere correcting the issues. they refunded my money and sent me a second unit. the second was better with sole flatness and square, but the lateral adjustment was so tight that it sheared the pin when I tried to adjust it. I wound up with 2 planes for free, but havnt had time yet to see if I can "restore" them to usable condition. maybe they can be a scrub plane... James Wright did a comparison video on plane blades. Surprisingly, the Caliastro blades did well in his tests, but obviously different irons than the ones supplied with the plane.
Hey, Rob, thanks for the tool review. The Woodriver costs a good deal more than the Caliastro. Could you do a comparison of these "cheap" planes versus a Stanley No. 5?
Yeah, I would really like a comparison between all the "cheap" versions, rather than having them constantly compared to your own brand of high-end tools.
@@StephenHughesJelen A vintage Stanley in good condition costs about the same if not more than the Caliastro. Paul Sellers has a high opinion on vintage Stanley and Record planes. I would like Rob to contrast and compare the finish and fit of an old Stanley versus the new kit.
Have a look on Rex Krueger's video, he restored even the rusty plane into working conditions. You could learn how to trouble shooting a plane problem and get it fixed.
@@kwong4658 You missed the reason for my request: The standard used for reference by most reviewers are the Bailey bench planes made by Stanley Toolworks. Rob has given a comparison of the Caliastro versus a semi-premium/premium Woodriver bench plane. My ask for Rob is where does the Caliastor stand compared to a No. 5 plane manufactured by the Stanley Toolworks?
Due to VAT and import fees, I think it would be a good idea to make a review of a plane that can be acquired in Europe. I really, really wanted a WoodRiver, but the VAT and import duties would make it way too expensive for me (and as far as I understand, there might be problems importing WoodRiver in some EU countries - this could be misinformation, though). As I know many Chinese planes are just the same (rebranded) "junk", I was very careful regarding this particular tool. So instead I looked around (for a long time) and found Workshop Heaven. Matt there says that the closest you'll get to a WoodRiver, would be a Quangsheng from Workshop Heaven; it does not have the AdjuStar and there are a few other minor differences, but Matt personally check every plane and blade before shipping. -So it would really make sense to compare Quangsheng to the WoodRiver (even though we do know that the WoodRiver will win on quality). The Quangsheng comes with two blades (but since they're checked by the shop owner before shipping, you know they're both usable). If anyone read my comment so far and would like to vote for a test, please click the thumbs up button. Also take a look at the comments below, there are others that could use a thumbs-up 'vote' (like Axminster Rider - but I do not know if Axminster checks the plane before shipping).
Seems both Quangsheng and WoodRiver products together with Lie Nielsen and Veritas products are not available at the moment in the UK,, is it world supply or just Crazy Brexit Rules??
We did do a review of planes avalible in the UK. We reviewed a Luban plane we purchase from Workshop Heaven and had shipped to us. Here is the video link: ruclips.net/video/5a7IJu4hDWM/видео.html Quangsheng cannot be sold or shipped to North America, we tried. If you want to buy one and ship it to me I will review it. My suspicion is that Quangsheng is a WoodRiver that Woodcraft allows the manufacturer to sell in certain places around the world, but thats just a guess. I have no inside info and have never gotten my hands on one.
@@RobCosmanWoodworking Thank you for clarifying these things. =) "My suspicion is that Quangsheng is a WoodRiver that Woodcraft allows the manufacturer to sell in certain places around the world" - Yes, I think you're right; I recall Matt mentioning Woodcraft. I'll definitely watch the video you linked to. =)
Even if you can get the plane iron sharp and even if the sole is flat, the side plates being not 90 degrees should have been a killer. True? Also the slop in the adjusting screw would be unacceptable. To top is all off the adjusting lever is almost all the way to the left. I should think it would much closer to center when the iron cuts square. And of course the rust should be a killer too. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.
Sides not at 90 degrees is irrelevant to most people, since the sides never touches anything when planing. Normal consumers don't know what a shooting board is - then just plane endgrain in a standard fashion. The surface rust is also irrelevant to most people, the plsne will be as rusty as hell within a few month's use. I live in Sydney AU and even with surface treatment with Lanolin spray, everything rusts within weeks due to the humid climate (we don't have air conditioned workshops here). As for the screws, if you have ever taken apart an old Stanley / Bailey you'd see equally bad or worse slop. I am currently restoring an exceptionally original and well-kept English Bailey 5 1/2 that my dad used to build his house, and it has horrendously loose bolts. The rods holding the handle and tote can wobble about 3/8" but they use that to allow alignment for the mismatched angles!
As I enjoy buying and restoring old planes, the rust wouldnt bother me even on a new piece, but the sloppy tolerance on the screw holes is unacceptable. Adjustment lever all the way to the left to me just means I didnt check for the blades edge being square before I started the sharpening process. Out of square sides, on a no name plane? Thats where I sent it back or tossed it in the trash. Im a tool snob as well. Good tools dramatically reduce input effort and increase quality output. We all want to save money but a WR quality plane cant be had for a harbor freight price.
Worked for me. Just cleaned, reassembled and sharpened ala Paul Sellers (or Rob, James Wright etc. as they are all better than I am) The one hardware store budget plane among my haul of planes is the scrubber/fore plane. Just find one that is not cracked or too rusty. And enjoy.
Absolutely it is. The only issue then is by the time you are done, especially if you count the value of your time, you are 1/2 to 3/4 the way to purchasing a premium new plane which is why I recommend that route. The exception is now when it is so had to purchase a premium plane.
Yes, very true Rob. Although I would add that for a beginner or amateur the time spent on an old plane is a good learning experience and thus well spent. For your class of craftsman, well, you told us. Keep it up.
I don't think you even get what you pay for with that one. If it was a house they'd be selling it as a handyman's delight, but no handyman is going to delight using that. And thanks for impartial review.
5':18 / 20"... "Trying not to be over critical here..." one second later... "looks like it was drilled with an axe." Love it. But It just goes to show as always, you get what you pay for...
With the lateral adjuster leaning left so much you would need to file some of the blade slot to get the adjuster straight . That`s really too much for beginners . The only good feature is the brass cap iron adjuster . Do a video about the comparison with lever caps . Apart from a nice sounding name this plane gets a big thumbs down .
This at least has straight iron. I bought Silverline no.6 for 50 euros and iron was winded so badly, I replaced it. Stanley no.6 price here is about 85 euros, so, counting hours of work to get Silverline to work acceptably, prices are equal. In general Silverline seems from the same factory as Caliastro, the same loose threads, low quality machining
![[RU] Winline EPIC Standoff 2 Major | Group Stage - Day 1](/img/1.gif)
Check out Rob's review of the Bench Dog 5-1/2 plane: ruclips.net/video/oarPIBbllj4/видео.html
“Not overly critical, but drilled with an axe.” And off- center too.
Key comment: (I paraphrase) “so bad a new woodworker would get discouraged”. Don’t need the best to get started, but do need a tool that will let you develop skills until you outgrow it (if ever) and decide to upgrade.
yes i agree! that tool's way too good for anyone that's new to woodworking
5:15 - “I’m trying not to be overly critical but that looks like it was drilled with an axe”. Genuinely made me laugh out loud.
Have you ever seen a hole drilled with an axe? Not good
Rob... you are a tool snob, and we absolutely appreciate you for it. My favorite by far was the "not if I like you" 😂
Your new plane reviews serve a purpose of more than just informing which planes are useful. I’m restoring an old Stanley #3 the was my father's, it rusty and I’m sure it was never set up properly. To restore it I’ve viewed just about every video on plane restoration. Your reviews are the most thorough for proper setup I’ve found, thank you.
"Would I recommend it to someone? Not if I like you." I have to say I laughed out loud at that.
Purchased this from Amazon. My experience is much like yours. The installed blade was chipped badly. No quality control on that one. The spare blade was usable but took a lot of work. I needed to prepare the chip breaker and the toad needed some work. I am working with soft wood and the result is ok for me but I will refine my technique. If nothing else I am getting a lot of experience fixing this tool and sharpening. This is my first plane and I am learning to use it. If I am going to do serious woodworking, I will invest in a better plane.
Thanks for your videos.
Regards,
Mike
Thanks Rob, I finally picked up my Woodriver 5-1/2 and absolutely love it! Used your principals to sharpen the blade tho i dont have the glass stones yet (that's coming next). It made such a difference having a quality plane rather than fighting with the cheap plane i had bought years ago but could never get working. I really appreciate all the great information you provide!
Great honest opinion on a tool. As always thank you Mr. Cosman.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge and the performance of this cheap plane
Not all planing is for high-end work. As an example I use a Grizzly H7565 - 14" at $50 for hogging off wood. When I have a chance I will find a replacement blade and turn it into an actual scrub plane. For the last couple of passes, if need, be I use an inherited Bailey plane that I keep finish level sharp. It saves time and all I have to do is polish the Bailey to keep it Cosman sharp. Traditionally planes were only sharpened to about 300 grit.
Just about anything can be turned into a scrub plane, even this poorly made plane. But my channel is focused on fine furniture making and woodworking not carpentry. You are not going tomake fine furniture with a scrub and a #4 stanley sharpened to 300. They didnt even do that in 1700's, they used fore plane, jake, and smoother. They traditionally sharpened them to around 300 because thats the highest grade of stones they had (and could not get the finishe we can get today). With our better stones and metals of today you can get a much sharper edge that will last a lot longer and give you a much better finish. I dont drive a horse and buggy becuase thats the way they did it traditionally, and I sharpen to 16K because it leaves a perfect finish in the furniture.
Thanks for the useful info on this relatively cheap plane.
Mr Cosman I’ve heard one statement that ringing true in many cases . Buy once cry once . Spend money on quality and if you use it properly. You can’t go wrong . Thank you
Rob, Thanks for all the comparison. What you should do is interchange the blade with a Woodriver blade so we can see the effect of the blade alone on a cheap plane.
It would significantly improve it but not to the point that its worth doing. Dont throw good money after bad
Vince you can’t polish a t**d!
the idea really is to see how each component affects the plane and to what degree. Not really to see if we can make a cheap plane better. The best way is to change out one component at a time.
@@alimaleki217 Didn't Mythbusters show that you actually could? 🤷♂️
I wish I could sharpen any type of blade like you do it’s incredible
Practice. I was the same as you before I practiced the same techniques. Now, all of my pals as me to “look at their work” almost weekly. Stay on it
HI rob ur so so rite about saving money and buying better tools.
I don't think there is any snobbery about it, Rob! The word 'snob' comes from Latin, 'sine nobilitate', which translates as 'without nobility'. I think your approach was quite noble and well articulated and just saved me, a noob, $75 and all kinds of heartache. Thanks!
Great job! Thank you
Good and honest review!
David Charlesworth God rest his soul.
He made me love the chipbreaker and treat it as good as I treat the iron when sharpening ❤
Best review 👍
Honesty in your reviews is what makes your videos so valuable. Every manufacturer should be knocking on your door for your thoughts. I would listen!!! Great video as always. Thank you.
I think so too. Only one has evey asked
Hi Rob. The tool reviews are interesting, but if you're looking for an interesting build idea, how about a bathroom vanity for a single sink, the cabinet about 30" wide, and with three or four (I got four in mine) full width drawers. The feature of interest is that you have the split drawers where they have to clear plumbing and that allows some discussion about glides supporting drawers on the sides versus gliding on the base, as well as other topics.
Great vid as usual Rob, trying not to be over critical but honest in your review! My advice to anyone starting out on a budget of $90 or so is to watch some RUclips videos on restoring old Stanley planes & try to pick one up from flea market/ garage sale ! Once tuned it will work, not like this cheap imposter of a hand plane !!!! 👍🏻
But you need to add a modern blade to an old stanley
I like the budget reviews
Love it when Rob says '2 blades! I wonder if they're talking about the blade and chip breaker without knowing it' haha .. love those reviews sir
You keep watching and we will keep filming
Hat Rob is a powerful alternate attire.
You should buy one so you can have it too!
I’ve found good vintage Stanley planes for 1/2 that price at flea markets, even EBay. I know $70 is considered cheap, but I’d actually expect a lot better for $70.
That's the best route to go. Even the worst stanley handymans can be fixed up better than this
If you cannot afford, or dont want to save up for a nice modern plane an old flea market find is great...but you must replace the blade with a modern thick blade....and now you have enough money in it that you are 1/2 way to buying a Woodriver......
I’ve bought the Stanley new Bailey, and it’s not that bad for a beginner bench plane no.5, still better than whatever this monstrosity is. The Stanley machining is really good, and it’s made in Mexico, so still better quality than Chinese.
Thanks for your tips, I cannot get a good plane so I built a 12 inch krenov style and 20 inch wood plane. These work well enough and cost me scraps and time. I think these would be better than tinkering with cheap planes and would work well enough until I can get my hands on a premium tool.
A well made kenov style plane can be a thing of beauty and a great user
Would love a similar series on dove tail saws
Wish I had seen this video before I bought the item! This will help me try and set it up better and will follow Rob's suggestion and use it for soft woods but unfortunately my $70 is gone!
Paul; purchase IBC or Hock blade and chip breaker that should help considerably.
No surprise that the plane is not worth purchasing. At this price point the manufacturing shortcuts are common.
I have restored my share of vintage Stanley-Bailey bench planes and experienced a mix of manufacturing quality such as sides not being 90 deg to the sole, threaded holes which were oversized. Vintage Stanley blades are a mixed bunch, some good, some not so good.
These were mass produced so again not a surprise. I do have some vintage Stanley-Bailey bench planes which perform very well so good to have in the shop.
I have to say using a premium plane like my Veritas planes is always a pleasure.
Dave.
How do you cut dovetails on long boards? ie boards that are too long to put in the vice vertically?
05:20 In your next video could you show us how to drill a hole with an axe. That must be one of those Old World techniques that was lost in the Dark Ages. :-)
Do you think the high blade angle was part of the problem on the Maple.
Sounds like that $70 would be better spent on an old Stanley #5. I found a 50s era Stanley #5 new in the box for $45 at a flea market a couple years ago.
The 49 degree angle certianly added to the problem on the maple
Lucky you that you have cootie-markets in your part of the world...we here disinfected all the markets so we have no cootie-markets at all...🤦🏿♂️
As soon as you started retracting the screws holding the frog to the body I knew there was a problem. So much slop in the threads even you were fooled into thinking the first screw was fully extracted. Surface rust all over the place. The slop in the frog hold down screws was probably causing the blade to move as soon as it dug into the wood.
I bought a plane at a big box shop when I was in So. Africa last year, just to have something to play with. Later on I looked up useless and found a pic of the same plane at the top of the list. I couldn't keep the iron in place no matter how much I tightened the lever cap screw. You really do get what you pay for.
Next trip I plan to drag a couple Handyman planes (#4 & #5) over with me after I tune em up.
That was funny. Go with Stanly bedrock as the first choice, next is stanley bailey. stay away from the handyman line
These are great reviews! Do the Grizzly No. 7 next!
Hi Rob, you are correct, much better to save up and buy a decent tool rather than something cheap and nasty. You end up buying twice at least and paying the same price as a decent plane would have cost originally ( been there, done that ) Regards Jim UK.
Hi, thank you for sharing all your experience, it's priceless. Would you review a taytool 5 1/2 one day ? Have a nice day
I love how diplomatic Rob is being in describing the components of this POS plane!
My thought is that even a $20 plane shouldn’t come with chewed up screws. Everything about this product shows how little the manufacturer cares about the customer. I say pay an additional $150 for a WoodRiver and don’t reward the scum that made this garbage.
Other then woodriver and Lee Nelson Is what brand hand planes do you recommend. The Wood River is so far on backwater I can't get one and I would really love to have that one cause I want to 5 and a 1/2 bad
Would you consider if possible to review an axminster rider plane? Axminster is the uk equivalent of woodcraft or rockler
I would do any plane...can you send me one?
“Not if I like you” love that.
I found an old #5 Craftsman, in the box, obviously a handyman had bought it and fit one door or window (there was a bit of white paint on the sole). $45.00 on Ebay, plastic handles but that thing can cut. And I will replace the knob and tote.
Great video, if you want a quality finish, you need a stable quality blade held to use in comfort. (At the right angle for the wood.) I purchased a fancy plane that has no weight, what a mistake. The weight and balance need to help you flow, Cosman wax give the glide to a heavier plane.
i never seen you compare anything to a stanley bailey, plane, are those any better then avg? thank you
A Woodriver #5 is $220 US at Woodcraft so it's priced a little more than 3 times the plane you reviewed. The Lie Nielsen #5 is $350 US so 5 times as expensive as the Caliastro.
I don't take issue with what you found looks like a very cheaply made tool so my issue is it's not a fair comparison. I have several Stanley Bailey hand planes most from around the turn of the century (last one) and all perform wonderfully with the original irons. However the cost of those planes was inversely proportional to the shape they were found in. In other words lots of prep for cheaper planes and much less prep for planes found in good shape. So maybe $50 for one that needs lots of work and $100 for something that needs much less work.
One pays either way more money for a new plane which needs only a sharpening or an old plane in fine shape, or more work for a cheap new tool or old worn tool.
You may be chasing a unicorn to find a plane priced at $70 either new or old which doesn't need lots of tuning up to function well. They may be out there but certainly not common.
I'd love to see you review the $80 Taytools #4 Smoothing Bench Plane. James Wright from Wood by Wright channel has suggested it as a decent affordable option.
Good Info. I would like to see a review of the Tay Tools 5 1/2.
As recommended by Jay Bates.
Me too.
Hey Rob, can you check out the Tay Tools Hand Planes. I recently purchased a # 4 1/2, 5 1/2 and a 7. The 7 and 5 seem to be OKAY but I am having some issues that I didn't think should be common.
Could you review the Grizzly 10” smoothing plane or the 14” ?
Enjoyed the review very much. Could you review the Grizzly 14 inch jack plane, the H7566? Grizzly also offers the Shop Fox D2674 14 inch plane, which is at about the same price point as the Caliastro.
We will add them to the list
It would be cool to see this compared to the modern Stanley’s since they’re around the same price point
Maybe soon
I sure like my Wood River hand planes.
Me too
The skew countersink was on account of the bumpy conyerer belt
"Would I recommend this. Not if I liked you." :)
A couple of years ago I purchase (on Ebay) a Stanley Bailey No. 5. It was made in England around 1919 (unless I mess up my research). The blade seems fine but, would it be recommended to ugrade the blade to a thicker one?
if the iron seems fine,sharpen it up well and use it.unless you're planning to work with some really tricky or dense wood-types you're really not going to feel much difference. i have 2 no.4's of about the same era,one with the original iron and the other with a Hock iron,and the only reason i have that is that the plane were given to me with no iron in it. I work mainly with walnut, but have also tried them on birch,oak and maple, and can honestly not feel much of a difference between them at all. The Hock iron does seem to old the edge a bit better than the original stanley irons though,so there's that.....
I've got a couple early Stanley planes from around 1900 but never gotta play with a wood river to test between
Try a WR you will be happy
Hey look at the bright side... The washer is quite usable and the front knob could be used for a cupboard handle.
And the plane could be used as a weight for my crab pot buoy!!!!
Hi Rob and guys in my case I prefer vintage stanley and record bench planes from 50s and 60s .Rob maybe one day could you made a review of stanley low angle bench plane ? Pura vida
I will tell you now I do not like the design or feel of low angle bench planes
Have you reviewed any wood body planes? I personally like the feel but it's not everyone's bag
I dont relly like wood body planes, just not for me. Wood moves so you have to deal with that. And I even make and sell a wood moulding plane!!!!
Sometimes I wonder if Rob's reviews of some of these tools are a little too critical. Not this time--if anything he was too kind. That $70 plan is overvalued by at least $80.
Sorry, but I expect quality for my money. Thats how I approach the tools I make and I expect others to do the same. But you are right, they do not
“Im trying not to be over critical, that looks like that was drilled with an axe.” 😂😂😂
That would be a plane that someone would recommend to anyone they never wanted to see again.
"I'm not trying to be overly critical.... that looks like it was drilled with an axe". - LMAO.
I'd be interested in a review of the Busy Bee bench planes, particularly the 5 1/2.
Based on what we’ve seen, it appears to be a re-branded Bench Dog plane.
@@RobCosmanWoodworking Agreed, it looks identical to the Bench Dog.
Any chance you guys could get your hands in a new Clifton hand plane to do a comparison?
We would have to bring it in from overseas
Mr Cosman, if possible, install IBC blade and chip breaker in this and see how much difference it can or cannot make.
Might as well just buy a wood river at that point
It would make a significant improvement, but as artful science says, rather put the money toward a well built WoodRiver of Lie Nielsen
Don`t worry if the front of the mouth is curved in .Just file it out wide enough to fit an old plane iron from a wooden plane . Drill out the old back iron so a depth adjuster would work and a slot for the cap iron screw . File the blade slot to fit the lateral adjuster .Then you have a massive thick blade made in Sheffield . Now you`re talking . You need to understand how planes work first for that game .Not for beginners though .
FYI, it appears Caliastro Planes are made by Ludhra Overseas, a supplier based in India
I am surprises to actually hear a different pitch in the sound the wood river makes in comparison. Not sure that is present when they compare Stanley planes with woodriver or Lie Nielsen, Veritas
It was very noticable with this plane
Can you do a video comparing Clifton lie Nielsen.
very predicable.
"Looks like that was drilled with an axe" 😂😂😂
10:13 - Rob goes straight down the line of three screwdrivers before grabbing the right one lol
last year I bought one of these planes, knowingly that it was a pos, but, I wanted to see if i could "tune" it up to be acceptable. I could not find any old planes in my area that I could restore.
The plane Rob received was way worse than the first one I received. I did all the same checks he did and wrote to Caliastro with my review. They promised that they were aware of the issues and a new "
oops... .. and theyvwere correcting the issues. they refunded my money and sent me a second unit.
the second was better with sole flatness and square, but the lateral adjustment was so tight that it sheared the pin when I tried to adjust it.
I wound up with 2 planes for free, but havnt had time yet to see if I can "restore" them to usable condition. maybe they can be a scrub plane...
James Wright did a comparison video on plane blades. Surprisingly, the Caliastro blades did well in his tests, but obviously different irons than the ones supplied with the plane.
Rob, you could make a millstone work!
Never tried that yet!!!!!
Hey, Rob, thanks for the tool review. The Woodriver costs a good deal more than the Caliastro. Could you do a comparison of these "cheap" planes versus a Stanley No. 5?
Yeah, I would really like a comparison between all the "cheap" versions, rather than having them constantly compared to your own brand of high-end tools.
@@StephenHughesJelen A vintage Stanley in good condition costs about the same if not more than the Caliastro. Paul Sellers has a high opinion on vintage Stanley and Record planes. I would like Rob to contrast and compare the finish and fit of an old Stanley versus the new kit.
@@kamleo1685 yep. I splurged on a new Stanley Sweetheart.... oops....
Have a look on Rex Krueger's video, he restored even the rusty plane into working conditions. You could learn how to trouble shooting a plane problem and get it fixed.
@@kwong4658 You missed the reason for my request: The standard used for reference by most reviewers are the Bailey bench planes made by Stanley Toolworks. Rob has given a comparison of the Caliastro versus a semi-premium/premium Woodriver bench plane. My ask for Rob is where does the Caliastor stand compared to a No. 5 plane manufactured by the Stanley Toolworks?
I’d like to see the tay tools plane
DO you really think it will be any better?
Due to VAT and import fees, I think it would be a good idea to make a review of a plane that can be acquired in Europe.
I really, really wanted a WoodRiver, but the VAT and import duties would make it way too expensive for me (and as far as I understand, there might be problems importing WoodRiver in some EU countries - this could be misinformation, though).
As I know many Chinese planes are just the same (rebranded) "junk", I was very careful regarding this particular tool.
So instead I looked around (for a long time) and found Workshop Heaven.
Matt there says that the closest you'll get to a WoodRiver, would be a Quangsheng from Workshop Heaven; it does not have the AdjuStar and there are a few other minor differences, but Matt personally check every plane and blade before shipping.
-So it would really make sense to compare Quangsheng to the WoodRiver (even though we do know that the WoodRiver will win on quality).
The Quangsheng comes with two blades (but since they're checked by the shop owner before shipping, you know they're both usable).
If anyone read my comment so far and would like to vote for a test, please click the thumbs up button. Also take a look at the comments below, there are others that could use a thumbs-up 'vote' (like Axminster Rider - but I do not know if Axminster checks the plane before shipping).
Seems both Quangsheng and WoodRiver products together with Lie Nielsen and Veritas products are not available at the moment in the UK,, is it world supply or just Crazy Brexit Rules??
@@kierannolan8859 I'm not exactly sure why those are not available in the UK and I don't want to pollute Rob's channel with politics. ;)
When they're available you can get WR planes here in the UK, I've got one
We did do a review of planes avalible in the UK. We reviewed a Luban plane we purchase from Workshop Heaven and had shipped to us. Here is the video link: ruclips.net/video/5a7IJu4hDWM/видео.html Quangsheng cannot be sold or shipped to North America, we tried. If you want to buy one and ship it to me I will review it. My suspicion is that Quangsheng is a WoodRiver that Woodcraft allows the manufacturer to sell in certain places around the world, but thats just a guess. I have no inside info and have never gotten my hands on one.
@@RobCosmanWoodworking Thank you for clarifying these things. =)
"My suspicion is that Quangsheng is a WoodRiver that Woodcraft allows the manufacturer to sell in certain places around the world" - Yes, I think you're right; I recall Matt mentioning Woodcraft.
I'll definitely watch the video you linked to. =)
Honestly, you could get a vintage plane for cheaper (even off ebay!), spend the same time and effort tuning it up, and end up with a superior plane.
Even if you can get the plane iron sharp and even if the sole is flat, the side plates being not 90 degrees should have been a killer. True? Also the slop in the adjusting screw would be unacceptable. To top is all off the adjusting lever is almost all the way to the left. I should think it would much closer to center when the iron cuts square. And of course the rust should be a killer too. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.
I agree with your assessements
Sides not at 90 degrees is irrelevant to most people, since the sides never touches anything when planing. Normal consumers don't know what a shooting board is - then just plane endgrain in a standard fashion.
The surface rust is also irrelevant to most people, the plsne will be as rusty as hell within a few month's use. I live in Sydney AU and even with surface treatment with Lanolin spray, everything rusts within weeks due to the humid climate (we don't have air conditioned workshops here).
As for the screws, if you have ever taken apart an old Stanley / Bailey you'd see equally bad or worse slop. I am currently restoring an exceptionally original and well-kept English Bailey 5 1/2 that my dad used to build his house, and it has horrendously loose bolts. The rods holding the handle and tote can wobble about 3/8" but they use that to allow alignment for the mismatched angles!
As I enjoy buying and restoring old planes, the rust wouldnt bother me even on a new piece, but the sloppy tolerance on the screw holes is unacceptable. Adjustment lever all the way to the left to me just means I didnt check for the blades edge being square before I started the sharpening process. Out of square sides, on a no name plane? Thats where I sent it back or tossed it in the trash. Im a tool snob as well. Good tools dramatically reduce input effort and increase quality output. We all want to save money but a WR quality plane cant be had for a harbor freight price.
Well said. I should have checked the blade edge for square. Why didint I do that?
Dont mistake my comment for critique, most of my plane skills have come from watching YOU.
Did anything ever indicate where this thing was made??
You are not a tool snob, from what i've seen in the video, this Calistro bench plane is exactly what we can find at big box hardware stores.
I agree and I would not touch those big box store planes
I don't even need to watch this to know what Rob thinks, but I'm still gonna.
Maybe one day we will find a nice cheap one.....probably not
‘Drilled with an axe’, love a terse put down.It is a shame for $5 more it could have been a much better plane.
Looks just like the shop fox brand I got from amazon for $54
$70.00 is much less than a WR or LN but still a chunk of change for most. I'll save up for the better tools any time.
Save up until you can buy a tool that will last you a lifetime
So maybe it's better to buy an old Stanley or Record, restore it and maybe buying an high quality replacement blade like an Hock or a Lie Nilsen?
Worked for me. Just cleaned, reassembled and sharpened ala Paul Sellers (or Rob, James Wright etc. as they are all better than I am) The one hardware store budget plane among my haul of planes is the scrubber/fore plane. Just find one that is not cracked or too rusty. And enjoy.
Absolutely it is. The only issue then is by the time you are done, especially if you count the value of your time, you are 1/2 to 3/4 the way to purchasing a premium new plane which is why I recommend that route. The exception is now when it is so had to purchase a premium plane.
Yes, very true Rob. Although I would add that for a beginner or amateur the time spent on an old plane is a good learning experience and thus well spent. For your class of craftsman, well, you told us. Keep it up.
I don't think you even get what you pay for with that one. If it was a house they'd be selling it as a handyman's delight, but no handyman is going to delight using that. And thanks for impartial review.
I would have sent it back as soon as I saw the rust.
Isent it to the trash can !!!!
Before I even watch the video… I’m going to say that it’s not as good as a Wood River 😉
And you would be right
Gah! The first shavings with the cheap plane sounded like nails on a chalk board! -_-
Seems like for $75 you could find an old used Stanley and clean it up and have a better plane than that. 🤷♂️
I am certain of that
5':18 / 20"... "Trying not to be over critical here..." one second later... "looks like it was drilled with an axe." Love it. But It just goes to show as always, you get what you pay for...
With the lateral adjuster leaning left so much you would need to file some of the blade slot to get the adjuster straight . That`s really too much for beginners . The only good feature is the brass cap iron adjuster . Do a video about the comparison with lever caps . Apart from a nice sounding name this plane gets a big thumbs down .
HAHAHAHAHA! Looks like it was drilled with an ax. Too funny!!
First!
two gold stars
This at least has straight iron. I bought Silverline no.6 for 50 euros and iron was winded so badly, I replaced it. Stanley no.6 price here is about 85 euros, so, counting hours of work to get Silverline to work acceptably, prices are equal. In general Silverline seems from the same factory as Caliastro, the same loose threads, low quality machining