Question 1

Is this a good starter/beginner plane to use? Looking for inexpensive plane for shelves, tabletops and some other jointed surfaces.

Accepted Answer

I think it is. Others might not like it but I do. It does not have a chip breaker, which is something that is very helpful when dealing with certain types of woods and grain patterns. It struggles with those. I've used it, and was careful, and it does pretty well on pine and "whitewood" (whatever that is). Occasional problems with tear out but just planed in the opposite direction in those spots. When I started using it, I was struggling to get the edge on the iron squared off. The two adjustment nuts made it easy to adjust for the off square edge. Even if/when you graduate to other planes, it makes a good scrub plane. Sharpen and hone a cambered edge on the iron and you can take off a lot of material in a hurry.As far as doing jointing,  again, not the best plane for that but take your time, use straight edges and squares to check progress frequently and you can accomplish what you want to do. If you look at jointer planes you'll see prices 6 - 8 times what this plane will cost.All in all, I'd call it a good buy for the money. Probably not a plane you'd want to use for everything but you can get the job done if you take your time. It is handy to have.

Question 2

Just looking for something to trim doors to close properly. Will I need to prepare it first or can I just use it as is?

Accepted Answer

Mine worked out of the box.  All I did was set the iron depth.   I use it about every other day on mostly pine and red oak.  Three months later and I haven't sharpened it yet.

I've been woodworking for over 30 years and using hand planes almost from day one.  On my bench, I have a vintage bailey pattern type number 4 set as a smoothing plane and this sits next to it as an all purpose bench plane.

With S4S lumber,  you rarely need a scrub plane - just something for flattening - getting material tried and true.  This fits the bill straight out of the box.

Question 3

Can this work to help flatten out warped/twisted [reclaimed] wood planks?

Accepted Answer

Yes. However, I suggest a plane with a Bailey style adjuster rather this plane. The two thumbscrews that control depth of cut are finicky. I would probably steer you toward a Stanley No. 5 with a longer sole. As with any reclaimed wood project; make sure your work is clear of nails and other embedded metal.

Question 4

This plane has "plastic" handles, not "resin", correct? I only want it for a cheap set of non-resin/non-wood handles..

Accepted Answer

It has a resin handle.  It is highly recommended that you get a machine shop to re machine bottom of the plane.   And also if you are not familiar with how to correctly sharpen the blades have somebody do it who is.

ASIN	B000FK3WI2
Base Material	Cast Iron
Best Sellers Rank	#611,836 in Tools & Home Improvement ( See Top 100 in Tools & Home Improvement ) #8 in Jack Planes
Brand Name	STANLEY
Color	Black, Yellow
Customer Reviews	4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (967)
Cutting Depth	2 inches
Cutting width	2 inches
Global Trade Identification Number	00076174124040
Included Components	STANLEY - 12-404
Item Type Name	STANLEY Hand Planer, No.4, Adjustable, 2-Inch Cutter (12-404)
Item Weight	2.8 pounds
Manufacturer	STANLEY
Manufacturer Part Number	12-404
Material Type	Cast Iron, epoxy coating
Model Number	12-404
Number of Items	1
Number of Packs	1
Power Source	manual
Style Name	Tool,Woodworking,Adjustable
UPC	724137883618 078433295126 076174124040 757073229936
Unit Count	1 Count

STANLEY No. 4 Adjustable Bench Plane

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