Stanley no 3
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Picked up a Stanley no 3, quite an early model as it does not have the frog adjustment screws of a later vintage. After a bit of cleaning, flattening of the sole and sharpening of the cutter I have been giving it a try.
First impressions; lighter than the no 4, gets in to tighter areas and best of all you can target smaller problem area. I suspect it may become my smoother”.
Looks like a nice find and a good addition to your collection…comes in very handy…
I have a #3 that I found at a garage sale last year. It’s a type 19 from 1948-1961 time frame. I cleaned it up and sharpened and it works fine. I like it, but I find I don’t use it much. I pick up my #4 95% of the time and other planes after that. If I need something smaller, I use a block plane. Not sure what I’d use the #3 for that I couldn’t use the #4. I’m still glad to have it, though.
My go to plane is a Veritas small bevel up smoother, which is the same size as a no. 3. I really like the size.
I must say that my #3 is still my go to plane for most tasks. I can get it cutting faster, better, then any of my others, even my #4s. The #4 may have more scope then any other, but the #3 is lighter and handier but still big enough to register well on the work. I usually keep a #4 with a scrub blade in it handy for heavier work.
Some will tell you that the #5 is the best but I must not be big enough to use it because I seldom due. Guess it’s personal taste like “what’s your favorite necktie.”Cheers
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