Early Access Video: Are Bedrock Planes Really Better?
Added 2020-06-06 11:01:00 +0000 UTCFriends:
If you've bought ANY old woodwork tools, you've heard the name Bedrock. It was Stanley's premium line and the basis for some of today's most expensive planes. The Bedrock name is spoken in hushed and reverent tones....except when it comes to price. Then, tool dealers speak up loud as they demand $200 or more for these planes, even in mediocre condition.
Despite owning a lot of planes, I'd never had one...until last week when I shelled out good money to finally get to the bottom of the whole Bedrock thing.
Are these planes really any better than the faithful Bailey designs? Are they really worth 5 or 6 TIMES the price of more standard tools?
I tried like hell to find out.
Hope you enjoy the video!
--Rex
Comments
Oh god, I had too many planes years ago. Now it's insane.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-23 11:42:35 +0000 UTCThere are some bed rocks on ebay lately that are reasonably priced when compared to a lie-neilson or veritas... From a restoration perspective they are much easier to restore and retune. Just my humble opinion. As for performance, I agree with Rex, not much better than a well maintained "modern" plane. I have too many planes, yet find they all perform well when sharp and setup with care.
David Brawner
2020-06-21 11:53:33 +0000 UTCGo wild, at the time of writing just $15 (plus in my case $66 shipping to the Netherlands plus customs so no thanks, but shipping in the US should be a lot cheaper) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Stanley-Bedrock-605-Plane-for-Restoration-or-Parts-Type-5-1911/254620658304?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3Dbd2ad223ff65487da3751c5b99a248fd%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D254620658304%26itm%3D254620658304%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DStanley&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A59e35d34-acf1-11ea-81ef-74dbd180c680%7Cparentrq%3Aaa6002401720aad0c18800fafff927bc%7Ciid%3A1
Agnes
2020-06-12 21:18:06 +0000 UTCIt's be pleasure! I used to be very confused about this very issue.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-12 13:10:12 +0000 UTCAgreed! I think the price on these will only go up over time.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-12 13:09:46 +0000 UTCOh, if you find one cheap, then go crazy. This has never happened to me.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-12 13:09:13 +0000 UTCSo yeah bedrocks are technically cool and have a most excellent adjustment mechanism. Yet you prove there is really not functional advantage to using them. I can see why the line went extinct at the start of WW2. I will pass on them, unless I find one to restore for cheap!
The Super-wrench Garage
2020-06-10 23:58:39 +0000 UTCBrad, if you're making new handles and totes for your planes, I think a lot of us would appreciate seeing your process over on the discourse forum!
Nic Beurskens
2020-06-09 08:59:49 +0000 UTCI have a deep dislike of my handyman number 4. Overall, it's really not a garbage plane. The wheel is sloppy because of the two piece yoke. Just everything about it is a little crappy compared to me older planes. Even just going back 1 or two types in the line makes a huge difference to me. That said, I haven't bothered to replace mine. It gets regular use.
Nic Beurskens
2020-06-09 08:51:46 +0000 UTCHere in The Netherlands we have a saying: "Wat de gek er voor geeft!" (In English: "Whatever a fool is willing to pay!"). Which actually means that any object is worth as much as anyone is willing to pay for it. If salesmen want to ask close to 200 dollars for a plane (or any item), but no one is willing to pay that amount, its value will rapidly drop. However, when everyone races to those salesmen and keep on bidding, the future price for this item will probably skyrocket...
Frans van Ballegooijen
2020-06-08 20:51:34 +0000 UTCRex - Before the craziness I would see all kinds of planes at estate sales but never knew why some were 2-3x's as much. I think I know now why :) - thanks for the review.
Steven Sherrill
2020-06-08 19:53:39 +0000 UTCI sand when necessary, but I hate the dust
David Coxon
2020-06-07 21:44:59 +0000 UTCThat's very kind of you! I'm always going for unbiased, but it's hard.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-07 14:06:25 +0000 UTCI can't decide!!! I don't think I'll use it much, but I'm such a tool hoarder that it's hard to let it go.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-07 14:05:54 +0000 UTCA couple of planes will really get you by. Any for the record, I still sand, just not all the time.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-07 14:05:20 +0000 UTCI would pick maple for those totes. It's got a close grain, it's hard, and it resists splitting. Cherry is a good choice, too.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-07 14:04:44 +0000 UTCO Lord, don’t get me started on guitars! It’s absolutely ridiculous. Talk about cork-sniffing!!! OY!!!!
Alton Plummer
2020-06-07 10:52:35 +0000 UTCYou could also run into the situation that the yoke - the thing that hooks into the chipbreaker and moves the iron back and forth - will no longer engage the chipbreaker correctly because of a blade that is too thick. I had that once when I got a #6 from the flea market and upgraded it with an aftermarket blade which was for one of those Quangsheng (Woodriver etc.) planes. I helped myself by modifying the chipbreaker, but I wouldn't have done that to an original, vintage one.
Christoph Schmitz
2020-06-07 06:03:27 +0000 UTCI like my low-angle plane particularly because of the ease of mouth adjustment; I almost never move the frogs on Bailey type planes since it's too tedious. So a Bedrock might be a "middle ground" in that regard.
Christoph Schmitz
2020-06-07 06:00:05 +0000 UTCVintage guitars, yeah. There's a joke about the guy who bought one of those "road-worn" custom shop guitars, and when he got a real scratch in it, he took it to the luthier to get that repaired. Unfortunately, the luthier repaired one of the custom-shop dings.
Christoph Schmitz
2020-06-07 05:57:22 +0000 UTCRex, this is one of your best videos! Straight to the point, unbiased and honest. (Maybe it could be I enjoyed it so much because you have now educated me so well). :D Well worth my patronage.
Wayne Kitt
2020-06-07 04:13:22 +0000 UTCFor sure. I play a 1962 Conn 8B that looks somewhat worse for wear but plays just fine. I am just now learning guitar and I refuse to get into any kind of vintage chasing until I can actually play. As Harry Glantz used to say when asked about what trumpet he played, he'd respond, "It's the man behind the gun that counts."
Sean McGown
2020-06-07 00:52:07 +0000 UTCSo, are you going to keep the bedrock or let a collector update his collection?
Rick Prosser
2020-06-07 00:41:30 +0000 UTCI'm sure Rex's plate is full but if he wants ideas we will help anyway we can
Shanni Marmen
2020-06-06 20:04:57 +0000 UTCI have two Stanley #4 Bailey plans over 40 years old - one I bought new, the other I inherited from my father. I was never sure what to do with two, but after watching your various videos on setting up planes, I now have one with the frog set for a tight mouth for fine work, and the other more like a scrub plane. These plus a longer wooden plane my grandfather made, that I recently restored, and a card scraper seem to do everything I want. Like you I really like to avoid sanding.
David Coxon
2020-06-06 19:33:03 +0000 UTCI wonder if a comparison video like this one would be interesting - one in which you try to hot-rod the Handyman to see how close you can get it to the regular Stanley Bailey line.
Yohann_M
2020-06-06 19:20:45 +0000 UTCThank you i learned that extra money wont get me much more performance. My current #4 & #5 baileys i bought a year ago from home depot online. They may have composite handles but i have replaced one with poplar after it cracked. They only cost about $50 each and got me going. Between cherry, walnut, and maple which is best for new knobs and totes? Or is there another wood you would use?
Brad Stein
2020-06-06 16:43:16 +0000 UTCThat man wields a #4 like a neurosurgeon.
WhatMeWorry
2020-06-06 16:34:12 +0000 UTCYou know, every time you pop up, it's gold. Thanks for being here.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:29:53 +0000 UTCInteresting! I wonder if Stanley UK ever made them? I'm pretty sure Record never had a comparable line.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:29:14 +0000 UTCIn fact, it was Mr. Sellers' comments on the subject that got me thinking.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:28:27 +0000 UTCGod, it's exactly the same in the vintage guitar world. The thing I've always found curious is that with any collector item, the "best" is always the most expensive. You almost never hear people saying that a common, everyday tool or instrument is better than a pricey one, even though I think we know examples where the cheap one is also the best one.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:27:49 +0000 UTCAnother missed opportunity!
Matthew Leigh
2020-06-06 16:27:27 +0000 UTC🎶 Hail corkmaster, the master of the cork. He knows which wine goes with fish or pork 🎶
Matthew Leigh
2020-06-06 16:26:23 +0000 UTCWell, that's a VERY good reason to have one! And if you have the cash, it's not a bad thing to get one of these. I mean, I bought one and I don't think of myself as a cork-sniffer.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:26:06 +0000 UTCWhen that happens, you surely have had a lucky day.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:25:13 +0000 UTCMy pleasure. "Cork sniffer" is a term I'm bringing over from the vintage guitar world. Turns out that vintage guitars and vintage tools are shockingly similar.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:24:52 +0000 UTCYou think? I just told people to NOT waste extra money on these.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:24:08 +0000 UTCI'm really glad you liked it!
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:23:45 +0000 UTCI swear, it never even occured to me!
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:23:31 +0000 UTCI'm glad I could help. It's awful to hold back your questions, but we all do it.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:23:20 +0000 UTCThere isn't much to be done about that wheel, but many people report liking the handyman line. They have fewer features, but all the important stuff is there.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:22:50 +0000 UTCI don't think my explanation is the only one, but it's the best I can figure out.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:22:08 +0000 UTCIt's totally possible that Stanley put more fit and finish into this upper line. Good point!
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:21:40 +0000 UTCI would absolutely snap up a Bedrock for anything under $100, but I never see that deal in all my hunting.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 16:21:13 +0000 UTC> I shelled out good money to finally get to the bottom of the whole Bedrock thing. so you got to the bottom of it and hit bedrock?
LiraNuna
2020-06-06 16:03:54 +0000 UTCIf it's a new, thicker blade, moving the frog probably won't do it. Move the frog back too far and the bed will catch the edge of the blade, keeping it from sitting flat. Instead, you probably need to file the mouth open a little more. Personally, I hate doing that to an old plane. That's one of the reasons I just use stock blades. But if the plane's not precious to you, then go ahead and widen that mouth a little. It's your tool; you decide what to do with it.
Rex Krueger
2020-06-06 15:15:50 +0000 UTCQuick update, tried to find a bedrock in the UK, I found 1 priced at £225 ($285) maybe that's why I've never heard of them, perhaps they didn't make it to the UK in great numbers. I'd be interested to know if any other brits on here know more?
Mad Hamish
2020-06-06 15:13:12 +0000 UTCSorry, never heard of the bedrock, was I interested, not terribly, did I watch it, of course, did I enjoy it, hell yes. I'm starting to think that Rex could make a video on paint drying and it would be fun to watch. I have to admit having watched it I now feel I've learnt some interesting lessons about planes in general, regardless of your interest Rex manages to put something in for everyone.
Mad Hamish
2020-06-06 14:55:52 +0000 UTCGreat comparison. When asked, Sellers always says he prefers the Bailey #4 and like you and many others, never adjust the mouth. My limited experience is a sharp blade with a tight fiting cap iron set very close to the edge will take care of most situations.
WhatMeWorry
2020-06-06 14:05:57 +0000 UTCYou just showed me what I had done wrong! Until last week I didn’t realize I could move the frog (or what that did) - I bought a new blade set from WoodCraft and, after a four hour drive, got it home only to find out it would not go through the mouth of my old No 5 Bailey/Stanley plane. I returned it. It just dawned on me after watching your video that I probably could have adjusted the FROG in order for it to fit! Oh well, after removing the frog, cleaning/sharpening (because it was dinged up) the plane works way better than before! Video idea: Which size plane do I need for what kind of work? I need to decide which plane to buy next and was going to buy a No 7 because ‘bigger is better’, right?
Adrian Abshire
2020-06-06 13:43:26 +0000 UTCI'm a trumpet player and I also buy old cameras from time to time. Every word you said applies to both those collector-driven products. Agree with Christoph Schmitz above that "cork sniffers" was gold. As always, thanks for the great content from us in the "screw top" crowd.
Sean McGown
2020-06-06 12:48:19 +0000 UTCRex, I agree that bedrocks are “better” only by their finer adjustments. I also agree that they’re cost is driven by availability - they’re rare. I have a Bedrock #603 (#3 bailey) as my bench plane. I’ve been using it for over forty years. I’m not a “cork sniffer”. My dad bought it at a yard sale for $3.00 long before they became collectible like they are today. They were however, still higher priced even they for they collectors then As they were rare. Not better. I love my little bedrock. Not for elitism , but sentiment and tradition.
Alton Plummer
2020-06-06 12:28:47 +0000 UTCAlways up for some good Tool Porn... lol. Besides the Flintstones I've never heard of Bedrock and with a price like that I won't be seeking them out. But another yard sale season is upon us so who knows what might be hidden in that box of grandpa's old woodworking "junk" someone is trying to hock.
MyEvilBanana
2020-06-06 12:25:35 +0000 UTC"Cork sniffers" alone is worth the price of admission. Thanks for letting a bit of the air out of these mystery tools.
Christoph Schmitz
2020-06-06 12:14:28 +0000 UTCOh great, now Bedrock planes are going to double in price yet again! Forget the Paul Sellers effect, the Rex-Effect is going to take over the world!
Martin Hartley
2020-06-06 12:02:11 +0000 UTCIt seems in my area that everyone that has a plane for sale has got to make rich on one sale of that plane. My smoothing plane is the SB-4, with plastic handles, for now it is working, but I hate that two screw adjustment. To be honest even if I would have heard of a Bedrock plane, I would have never bought it just because of the price and would have told myself that I would just get by with the cheaper one and never experienced the Bedrock. But thanks to you I don't have too. You just explain quite clearly that the performance is pretty much the same between the two planes. So why in my mind would I want to spend more for the same results. I am not a production shop so it really doesn't matter that it takes me a while longer to adjust the mouth, which seems like the only real advantage here. Thanks for the history and informative video, very much appreciated!
Deron Kosloski
2020-06-06 11:42:50 +0000 UTCNot one Flintstones joke? Oh, Rex!
Matthew Leigh
2020-06-06 11:35:57 +0000 UTCBrilliant, Rex. I often wondered what the bedrock was all about but as a complete novice I felt asking was a clear indication I was a complete tool. (Sorry, had to get that in there sooner or later). I will stick with something i can buy cheap, restore and tune so i can enjoy having some input in to the usefulness of the tool.
Grant Badesso
2020-06-06 11:35:23 +0000 UTCWhat about the handyman line of stanley planes. I have one. It's sloppy adjustment wheel is the only downside I can see. Maybe I dont know how to tune it...
Shanni Marmen
2020-06-06 11:30:50 +0000 UTCGreat Video! Thanks for that in-depth explanation of the differences between these two. I've been wondering why there was such a huge price disparity. Now I know.
Kevin S Thomas
2020-06-06 11:25:24 +0000 UTCThanks for the in depth look. Much appreciated and well done. I do wonder if the Bedrocks initial quality from the factory was better when they were made, requiring less “tuning and tweaking” to get them dialed in? This may also be a reason for their higher cost initially.
Robert Bullock
2020-06-06 11:21:18 +0000 UTCReally appreciate the honest review of the Bedrock. I've heard about them and how people will get so excited when they score one, but never really knew why. As a user (not a collector) I think I'll stay with my Baileys. If I come across a Bedrock for a good price I'll pick one up and sell it to a collector and use the extra money I make on buying more usable tools. Its going to be fun reading the comments you get from this video.
Kirk von der Heydt
2020-06-06 11:20:05 +0000 UTC
