The author of this post talks about their recent purchase of an Australian hand plane, a Turner no 4 smoothing plane. They state that although it has plastic handles and an aluminum frog, the overall quality of the hand plane is impressive. The author mentions that the translucent handles feel good in their hands, and the inclusion of an Erik Anton Berg cutter made specifically for the Turner tool company is a plus. They also note that the plane has some shallow pitting on the sole and cheeks, as well as rust on the handle bolts and bolt housing, likely due to being stored improperly.
The author is optimistic about the functionality of the plane, although they mention the cutter needs a proper resharpening. They compared the weight of the Turner to a MF no 9 and a Stanley low knob no 4, with the Turner being the heaviest of the three. Despite the imperfections, the author appreciates the solid construction and ingenuity of the design, specifically mentioning the recess cut into the raised housing on the body for the front knob to prevent over-tightening. The author acquired the plane from an Englishman who believes his father must have bought it during his time in Australia.
Posted by Finnberg68 on 2013-10-30 21:42:04