Stanley 5-12-060 Plane Review By: I.Ball
Category: Block Planes
Extra Info: What is a Block Plane? Block Plane Videos
Manufacturer: Stanley
Plane Type: Block
Model No: 60 1/2 / 5-12-060
The new Stanley 60 1/2 Plane review covers the latest adjustable Stanley 60 1/2
Block Plane also called the Stanley 60 1/2 Low Angle Block Plane.
If you are looking for info / review on the old versions of this plane, see the
Old Stanley 60 1/2 Plane review.
The Stanley 60 1/2 plane has been used by woodworkers for over 125 years. In
this time the design stayed pretty much the same until its modern design update.
The core of the new Stanley 60 1/2 planes features / functionality stayed the same.
125+ years of feedback from woodworkers gives great confidence the tool design
does the job.
The new Stanley 60 1/2 plane is a narrow low angle block plane with a 35mm wide
cutter and a 13 degree bed.
The low angle bed makes this plane ideal for end grain work.
The 60 1/2 is fully adjustable with an adjustable mouth, adjustable depth of cut
and adjustable lateral blade alignment.
The mouth is adjusted by releasing the front knob slightly and then turning the
lever located under the front knob, then tighten knob to lock in the mouth position.
The blade is adjusted by releasing the lever cap and then using the adjuster mechanism
at the rear. Move the adjuster left and right to make lateral positioning adjustments
of the plane blade. Turn the brass knob at the rear to make depth of cut adjustments.
The blade on the 60 1/2 plane is placed in the plane with the blades bevel facing
upwards (bevel-up).
Spare / replacement Stanley 60 1/2 plane blades are readily available and no doubt will
be for many years to come.
This Stanley block plane sits comfortably in the hand with its compact size and its
rounded and curved parts.
The Stanley 60 1/2 is supplied with a block plane sock / pouch (at the time of writing
this). The plane sock offers some protection to the plane including helping to reduce
risk of tarnish / rust.
The RRP is a well priced, good value for money plane making it the go to plane for many
woodworkers, carpenters, hobbyists and DIY'ers.
If you are looking for a higher-end block plane and you can afford the steeper price,
you may wish to consider one of the
Veritas block planes.
* Important: please refer to the 'disclaimer' at the foot of this review.
* Wearing safety clothing and eye protection is usually a good idea to help protect against injury.
- The blade(s)/cutter(s) is very sharp, take suitable precautions when using/handling/storing
the plane/cutter(s) to prevent injury.
- Failure to loosen parts when making adjustments to the plane can result in damage
to the plane such as cross-threading screw threads. Never force a part to move.
- Overtightening parts can cause damage to the plane and the plane threads.
Body:
fine grey cast iron
Lever cap:
fine grey cast iron
Blade adjuster knob:
brass
Knob:
brass
Plane finish:
black
Construction Origin:
?
Plane Length:
150mm (6 inch)
Plane Blade Width:
35mm (1 3/8 inch)
The new Stanley 60 1/2 block plane and the
new Stanley 9 1/2 block plane
are very similar in appearance with a few subtle differences:
The Stanley 60 1/2 is a smaller, narrower plane with a length of 150mm and housing a blade
width of 35mm whereas the Stanley 9 1/2 plane is a bit longer and wider with a length of
160mm and housing a blade width of 40mm.
The other difference is the Stanley 60 1/2 has a lower angle bed of 13 degrees which the
plane blade lays on whereas the Stanley 9 1/2 has a slightly steeper but still low 20 degree
bed.
<1999 - Today
For info on older 60 1/2 block plane versions see the Old Stanley 60 1/2 Plane review.
....
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Please Contact Us
- Stanley Tools Inc.
(i) Please always refer to and follow the manufacturer's instructions / guidelines /
safety notices / cautions and similar notices as the manufacturer's instructions
may contain important information on safety, personal safety and the good health of your tool,
something to which this review's scope does not guarantee to extend to.
(ii) This review may give warning(s) / advisory notes / cautions / guidelines given
in good faith however any such information should not be solely relied upon and should not be seen
as the exhaustive list of warnings / advisory notes / cautions / guidelines.
Refer to disclaimer note (i) for information on safety, as well as the
good health of your tool.
In addition refer to good safety practices for the safety of you and others. Refer to good practices
for the good health of your tool and property.
(iii) The details here are given in good faith, there is scope for error and shouldn't
be fully relied upon, please be aware the details may also become out of date due to manufacturer
changes to the product, please confirm any details for yourself by performing additional
research from reliable sources.
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