Block Plane - Stanley, RB5, 152 mm, 51 mm Blade, 0-12-105

Stanley RB5 Block Plane, 152 mm, 51 mm Blade, 0-12-105

Stanley RB5 0-12-105 is a small block plane, 152 mm long with a 51 mm blade set at 45 degrees. The blade is replaceable, and the handle carries storage for spare blades.

What a block plane is for

A block plane is held in one hand and made for finishing, not for taking off thick material. The usual jobs are chamfering an edge, cleaning up a cut edge, easing a door or drawer that binds, and smoothing end grain. A full-size plane is awkward for those, because it wants two hands and will not reach into tight places.

Two blade positions

The blade mounts in two different positions. In the usual one it sits back and the tool works as a normal block plane. In the second the blade moves forward to the very nose - so the plane cuts right into an internal corner, which an ordinary plane cannot. That is the reason to choose this model: fitting a threshold or a jamb up to a corner is done with one tool.

Replaceable blades

The blade is not sharpened - it is replaced. The practical advantage is that the plane always cuts like new, with no stones and no sharpening skill. Changing is quick, and spare blades live in the handle, so they travel with the tool.

Depth adjustment

Cutting depth is set with a knurled screw on top. It adjusts by hand with no spanner, and is checked with a test pass on offcut - a fine shaving means a clean surface, a thick one leaves marks.

The body

The body is cast with a flat sole. The small size lets the plane travel in a bag or a belt pouch - for a joinery and door fitter it is an everyday tool rather than one that lives in the workshop.

Technical specifications

Questions and Answers