Comments on: Stanley 21-399 6-Inch Surform Pocket Plane

By: KRASSEL

KRASSEL — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 00:05:13 +0000

I’ve had a couple of these for quite a few years. I mainly use them for putting contours on jewelry box lids. I start in the middle of the lid, going with the grain, and dig deeper as I get to the edge, then “lip” it up a little. This little plane allows me to adjust the flare of the cut as I go along, makes a more random looking contour. Trying to do this with a regular handplane takes twice the work because you can’t make those flare turns in the middle of the cut. Hope that made sense to the reader. Guess ya gotta be there. At any rate this is a great little tool, for not a lot of money. I have quite a few hand planes, and use them all the time. This is more of a carving tool for me than a plane. You can get very nice results with just a little practice. Highly recommend.

By: J. Hart

J. Hart — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:11:45 +0000

So, it’s light, it’s small, and therefore, it’s deceptive. I work in a frame shop, and these little guys will trim plexi (acrylic sheeting) without cracking it, and in no time. Took one to a block of white oak today, and shaped it no problem. Second test: Honduran Mahogany. Same result, aquick removal of material (even with a well-worn blade) and a relatively smooth surface after.

By: Judi

Judi — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:47:28 +0000

I’ve been cutting beadboard paneling with a small circular saw in order to use the pieces to resurface the inside sides and backs of some kitchen cabinets. I’m so glad to have stumbled across this tool. It allows me to really fine tune the edges, after I cut so as to get a perfect fit. You can take off just very thin slivers of material, and very rapidly. For this application, it has worked so much smoother than a regular plane and so much faster than just corse sand paper. And it’s cheap, too! Thanks, Stanley.

By: eyez wide open

eyez wide open — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:32:10 +0000

Another tool that just works. I edged up some pine shelf boards just the other day that I had cut a bit lazily with my jigsaw. The little pocket plane shaved that excess edge off with gusto and left an edge that only needed a few strokes with a fine file and some sandpaper to be perfectly smooth and ready for primer and paint. This tool fills up with wood shavings quickly when used, but its no trouble emptying it a few times as you work. I have a much larger plane for bigger jobs but for smallish planing jobs I just grab this. It’s works fast and works well.

By: Rusty

Rusty — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:54:17 +0000

this is really not even a plane; it works more like a gouge and scaper. If you plan to use it on wood, don’t! Don’t make the same mistake I did. All I got was gouges all over my board. The ergonomics of this unit is just horrid. Your hand will get tired after a few strokes. Buy a real planer if you want to work on wood.