Stanley 5-12-020 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: 9 1/2 / 5-12-020
The new Stanley 9 1/2 / 5-12-020 Block Plane review covers the latest
adjustable Stanley 5-12-020 Block Plane which Stanley also refers to and
advertises as the new Stanley 9 1/2 Block Plane.
If you are looking for info / review on the old versions of this plane, see the
Old Stanley 9 1/2 Plane review,
old Stanley 9 1/2A Plane review.
and the
old Stanley 9 1/2G / G12-020 Plane review.
The Stanley 9 1/2 plane has been used by woodworkers for over 140 years.
In this time the design stayed the same for many decades.
140+ years of feedback from woodworkers gives great confidence the tool design
does the job.
The 9 1/2 plane has seen a modern design update with the core of the features /
functionality staying the same. With this modern update Stanley updated the
product number to 5-12-020.
The Stanley 9 1/2 is a fully adjustable plane with an adjustable mouth and
adjustable cutter mechanism.
The blade lays on top of the cutter adjuster which offers lateral blade adjustments
and depth of cut adjustments, this allows quick and easy blade positioning.
The mouth can be adjusted offering a range from a fine mouth to a deep mouth. The mouth
is adjusted by loosening the front knob and rotating the arm under the front knob
which in turn moves the front sole forwards and backwards giving the mouth size,
finally tighten the front knob to secure and lock in the mouth size.
Spare / replacement Stanley 5-12-020 / 9 1/2 plane blades / cutters 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 9 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:
?
The
new Stanley 220 block plane
is similar to the
new Stanley 9 1/2 block plane
with the core differences being the Stanley 9 1/2 has an ajustable mouth whereas
the Stanley 220 has a fixed mouth.
There is a difference in the front knobs with the 220 having a fixed moulded front knob and
the 9 1/2 / G12-020 having a metal front knob.
The final difference is the Stanley 9 1/2 has side wall depressions, originally
called the "Hand-Y" feature, whereas the 220 has flat sides.
<1999 - Today
For info on older 9 1/2 block plane versions see the Old Stanley 9 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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