But in the flesh, the plane is quite handsome, and slightly smaller than I was expecting. That’s not to say it is small – it was modelled after the Record #44 which is a fair sized plane. I got my other plough planes out just to give a comparison.
The first thing that struck me was how well engineered it was – the casting is cleanly machined and the various threaded parts and brass knobs are nicely finished. The tote is a comfortable size and shape – seems Veritas have been listening to feedback. The polished Bubinga tote, satin black finish and plenty of brass makes for a purposeful looking tool.
The plane comes supplied with a ¼ inch wide iron – for the money (£134) I would have expected a couple more. Needless to say, there are other sized irons available as extras. The iron comes lapped flat which means minimal preparation is needed to get the cutter ready for action. Adjustment and locking down of the iron, fence and depth stop is all done with finger pressure – no screwdrivers needed here. And this brings us to the “special touch” Veritas have given this plane – the fence locking mechanism. Instead of a thumbscrew tightening against the fence rod to lock it in place the plane features two collet style locks which work on a the same principle as a router collet. Another benefit of this is that the fence stays parallel to the skate of the plane when you move it, such is the precision fit of the components. Simple, yet impressive.
So how does the plane work? Very well. Set the fence, adjust the depth stop, set the iron and off you go. Depending on how friendly the timber is you're working you may need to define the outer edges of the groove with a cutting gauge to ensure a clean cut – there are no nicker irons fitted to this plane. I found the plane to be well balanced and comfortable to use. The fence has holes drilled so you can attach a wooden face, giving a larger bearing surface to guide the plane.
With the capacities of the fence and the plane itself you would use this plane for making grooves for drawer bottoms and cabinet backs, smaller work like box making. It makes a pleasant change from the nervous scream of a router!
So - well done to Veritas on a well made tool that has some neat new touches to bring it up to date. My only reservation is with the price and single cutter supplied – you can easily get hold of an antique example in excellent condition for a third of the price that will work just as well.
