I liked the initial video you made with this plane but I am now loving the quality of it. It looks every inch a very good plane and going by your account, it is obviously well made in every respect. I know they are available here in UK but I seem to remember that they go under another name (I saw them on one of the retail sites here a while back); nevertheless, I will get one soon because I am really impressed. When buying a vintage Stanley, you know what you are going to get. When buying a new Veritas, you know what you are going to get. When buying a Luban (or whatever name they go by here, I can't remember what it is - a long Chinese name as I recall)...well, you don't quite know what to expect - but if this is anything to go by, forget vintage and premium, just go for the Luban/long Chinese name!
If there's one detail I don't like, it is the same elephant in the room that all others fail to include - the kidney bean. My Axminster-Rider #5 became a wonderful plane after a whole day of working on it to get it right - but it is let down in use by not having a kidney bean so the lever cap annoyingly slides up every time I retract the blade assembly. That single manufacture detail not being present - to me - makes what should be a great plane become a not very good plane, in use. In fact, I now rarely use it for that one annoying fault.
This one is definitely a lot better than i was expecting when i purchased it. As you say though i'm not sure on the quality control of all the plane batches, but from what others have said too everyone seems to like their Luban hand planes. The name you were probably trying to think of was Quangsheng Planes.
@@PeteLewisWoodwork I have found with the planes i have that some without the kidney shape move and some don't and I'm not sure why. I set them up the same but some require more pressure to not move than others.
@@AussieWoodshed Yes, that's what I mean. I have another plane without a kidney bean and while it does eventually creep, it is nowhere near as much as the Ax-Rider plane, for some reason.
Yes, it would definitely be a good comparison. The MTC planes are also all low angle bevel up planes, whereas luban are mainly bevel down. Comparing the Luban low angle jack vs the MTC jack, the luban is slightly more expensive. Otherwise you are correct the MTC are slightly more expensive when compared to the rest of the Luban range, i think this is due to requiring more machining to the plane sole vs using a frog on the bevel down planes. I think a lot of hand planes in this range are made in the same factory so wouldn't surprise me.
Good video!! Luban also make separate parts - blades, chip breakers, yoke if you want to make some upgrades to cheap planes or upgrade the new - that's what i did to upgrade my old planes. The thing is that the quality control of a whole plane is better than buying separately parts.
Thanks, i knew they sold blades and chip breakers and lever caps, i was unaware they sold yokes. It would be an interesting video to buy all the parts and upgrade a poorer quality stanley.
Really good planes for the money. I have their #1 with the bronze body. Took all of 10 minutes to get that puppy singing. With the cap iron bevel face, it really doesnt need to be dead flat. A slight rounding of the face won't have a negative effect on perfomance.
I'm really impressed with Luban planes.I have their block- rebate plane and it compares well to the Lie Neilsen block.Lovely to use, easy to sharpen- a favourite.
sounds like you need better quality diamond stones, try ATOMA stones. They have not developed a hollow nor should they. I have had issue with DMT diamond stones cupping so i no longer use them.
Hi mate, bit too late I guess for comments but the aluminium Atomas can dish very badly indeed. No reprieve there. My one on the wild side- I now have a cheap steel stone for Sydney tools it is perfect and the diamonds have stayed stuck as well. might be luck...
I liked the initial video you made with this plane but I am now loving the quality of it. It looks every inch a very good plane and going by your account, it is obviously well made in every respect. I know they are available here in UK but I seem to remember that they go under another name (I saw them on one of the retail sites here a while back); nevertheless, I will get one soon because I am really impressed. When buying a vintage Stanley, you know what you are going to get. When buying a new Veritas, you know what you are going to get. When buying a Luban (or whatever name they go by here, I can't remember what it is - a long Chinese name as I recall)...well, you don't quite know what to expect - but if this is anything to go by, forget vintage and premium, just go for the Luban/long Chinese name!
If there's one detail I don't like, it is the same elephant in the room that all others fail to include - the kidney bean. My Axminster-Rider #5 became a wonderful plane after a whole day of working on it to get it right - but it is let down in use by not having a kidney bean so the lever cap annoyingly slides up every time I retract the blade assembly. That single manufacture detail not being present - to me - makes what should be a great plane become a not very good plane, in use. In fact, I now rarely use it for that one annoying fault.
This one is definitely a lot better than i was expecting when i purchased it. As you say though i'm not sure on the quality control of all the plane batches, but from what others have said too everyone seems to like their Luban hand planes.
The name you were probably trying to think of was Quangsheng Planes.
@@PeteLewisWoodwork I have found with the planes i have that some without the kidney shape move and some don't and I'm not sure why. I set them up the same but some require more pressure to not move than others.
@@AussieWoodshed Yes, that's what I mean. I have another plane without a kidney bean and while it does eventually creep, it is nowhere near as much as the Ax-Rider plane, for some reason.
Thanks mate.
Thanks for watching
Would be interesting to see these up against the MTC planes. I think they come from the same factory, but the MTC a touch more expensive.
Yes, it would definitely be a good comparison. The MTC planes are also all low angle bevel up planes, whereas luban are mainly bevel down.
Comparing the Luban low angle jack vs the MTC jack, the luban is slightly more expensive. Otherwise you are correct the MTC are slightly more expensive when compared to the rest of the Luban range, i think this is due to requiring more machining to the plane sole vs using a frog on the bevel down planes.
I think a lot of hand planes in this range are made in the same factory so wouldn't surprise me.
Good video!! Luban also make separate parts - blades, chip breakers, yoke if you want to make some upgrades to cheap planes or upgrade the new - that's what i did to upgrade my old planes. The thing is that the quality control of a whole plane is better than buying separately parts.
Thanks, i knew they sold blades and chip breakers and lever caps, i was unaware they sold yokes. It would be an interesting video to buy all the parts and upgrade a poorer quality stanley.
Happy Easter Luke, hope the Easter bunny was generous.
Thanks Anthony, happy Easter to you too.
Really good planes for the money. I have their #1 with the bronze body. Took all of 10 minutes to get that puppy singing. With the cap iron bevel face, it really doesnt need to be dead flat. A slight rounding of the face won't have a negative effect on perfomance.
Thanks, your correct a slight rounding perfectly fine. Also thanks for adding you thoughts on the Luban planes
I'm really impressed with Luban planes.I have their block- rebate plane and it compares well to the Lie Neilsen block.Lovely to use, easy to sharpen- a favourite.
@@SimonHoning excellent, thanks for sharing your experience with everyone.
Great video!
Thankyou
Believe it or not diamond stones do develop a slight hollow over time, so i would not trust them.
sounds like you need better quality diamond stones, try ATOMA stones. They have not developed a hollow nor should they. I have had issue with DMT diamond stones cupping so i no longer use them.
Hi mate, bit too late I guess for comments but the aluminium Atomas can dish very badly indeed. No reprieve there. My one on the wild side- I now have a cheap steel stone for Sydney tools it is perfect and the diamonds have stayed stuck as well. might be luck...