Stanley 12-978 10 in. Bullnose Rabbet Plane

I'd been wanting a Stanley #78 plane for some time, (#12-978) and I saw one available from Walmart. It was $55 delivered. I was reluctant to make the purchase due to some negative reviews, but since I started making and refurbishing some handplanes in my shop, I felt that if it was in any kind of shape, I could get it to work. This is a plane that's been manufactured since the 1910's. The box said "Contractor Grade". The grind was coarse but flat, the depth adjustment lever scraped the plane near the handle. I sharpened the blade, you'll want to do that before you use it. I placed the iron in the plane, but retracted to protect it, tensioned the cap iron and ran the plane over some 220 grit sandpaper stuck to a ceramic tile to smooth it. I used a couple of files to relieve the places the blade adjustment lever and handle scraped. I also smoothed up the depth stop and rabbet fence too. So far, I've only used it on a Spruce 2 X 6, but I have to say it works pretty well. I was afraid that I'd have to send it back as junk. Don't be afraid to give it a try, but then I tune ALL of my planes, this one is a piece of cake 8-)

The blade is pretty sharp out of the box and after minimal honing and flattening you can make some nice shavings. Tuning this plane took some work though. I had to spend about twenty minutes flattening the sole and about ten on each side. Not bad. The fence doesn't ride perfectly square but with some work I fixed that problem. I didn't have any issues with the spur but the screw could be a little easier to deal with. The weight is good and it feels comfortable in my hand. Bottom line, after some tuning this plane is a solid tool. I'll still keep my eyes out for a vintage one that I can restore but until that time, I have enjoyed using it. [This review was collected as part of a promotion.]