MTC Large Router Plane - Better than Veritas?

[@TheWoodKnight]

A note from Geoff Doube about the thread pitch _The pitch on the MTC version is coarser but the blade is not being raised vertically like the Veritas. For each 1mm you advance the screw, the blade moves 0.77mm downwards_ That means if it was as fine as the Veritas it’d then end up being much more work to adjust with the angle

[@elijahwilliams7975]

Nice review and I don't care much about what the country of origin is for tools as long as it works and gets the job done.

[@fantomcircuitoctopus]

The plane itself looks very nice. I already have a Stanley but I might pick this up as well. Frequently I've found on a job I'll need to keep re-setting it to different depths when fine-tuning mortises etc, so having an extra plane I can leave set for the finishing cut would save a lot of time. Currently on special for $215 which I think is an absolute steal, especially given how much good condition models go for on the second hand market. One thing I'd love to know is if it's still able to be used as a makeshift marking gauge? The L-shaped blade on the traditional models means it's very easy to set a depth on the router plane, then bring it to the wood and use it as a marking gauge to run a light cut along the edges. This saves having to set up a marking gauge, and ensures that the depth you cut will match whatever you marked. It seems like the large, straight angled cutter on the MTC plane would make this difficult or impossible.

[@graduallywizardly]

That’s brilliant. I never would have thought to use a router plane as a marking gauge!

[@fantomcircuitoctopus]

@@graduallywizardly yeah it works well! I think I picked it up from Paul Sellers

[@TheWoodKnight]

I *think* I get what you mean - I'll give it a shot later today and compare the two for marking gaugeability. I think if the router was skewed slightly (so cutting more on a point) it should go reasonably well

[@TheWoodKnight]

Just to clarify you mean this technique? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qF6TaYOPaNinndE If so, it was marginally easier on the MTC plane. The wider surface and handle position got less in the way of my hands, but both marked just fine. The geometry of the MTC's blade/bed angle causes slightly more of a depression/cut on the waste side. I don't think thats really an issue since it *is* on the waste side.

[@fantomcircuitoctopus]

@@TheWoodKnightthanks! Yep that’s it. I actually ended up buying one anyway and tried it out this morning and yeah it worked perfectly well for setting and marking the depth. Pretty happy with it overall, just need to hone the edge a little. My hands are used to shorter handles but I think that’ll just take time to get used to it.

[@Cynyr]

Looks like highspeed tool steel blanks and a grinder and you can have all sorts of custom blades for the MTC.

[@TheWoodKnight]

Hah, more than likely! Cutting the slot for the adjuster might be a bit tricky - it might just be easier to buy a few 12mm cutters and grind down.

[@idontthinkso666]

Nice review. I wonder how long before they are available in the USA?

[@TheWoodKnight]

From the MTC website, looks like 31st Jan 2024 for NA melbournetool.com/melbourne-tool-company-large-router-plane/ I'm not sure if prices are showing in AUD or USD on that site though

[@melbournetoolcompany]

Yes, MTC is available in the USA!

[@paulwier7005]

Great review, Sir Wood Knight!

[@FixitFingers]

Glad to hear! I bought one from the store when I visited the Maker Meetup late October. It's still in the box thanks to new dad duties slightly limiting workshop time but I can't wait to crack it out and this video has really helped me understand to set up and use the thing... (I just bought it cause it looked so damn cool :P)

[@TheWoodKnight]

STILL IN ITS BOX?! You have self control I could only dream of, most tools start getting unboxed still in the driveway here 🤣

[@FixitFingers]

@@TheWoodKnight well it took a while to get my hands on it and I bought it then realised I can't take it on carry on and had to wait for Small Fry Creations to visit and drop it off :P But yes, bubba girl is keeping me out of the shop a bit at the moment ;)

[@SoundsToBlowYourMind]

Nice looking plane. It reminds me of the Paul Sellers design, but all metal! I built a wood body for my router plane that accepts the Veritas blades, works great. Maybe one day I'll post a video about it!

[@rossmcleod7983]

Sold ! Thanks for this.

[@kz.irudimen]

Seems great for the price. It's priced right in between the cheap ones like Cowryman and the Veritas, but seems more comparable to the Veritas. If this was available for a similar price in Europe I bet it would sell well. IMO there is definitely a niche to be filled with a router plane like this. I got lucky and found a complete/basically as new Record 071 for a really good price but deals on used routers are extremely rare, the prices are crazy.

[@TheWoodKnight]

Cowryman are interesting - they have so many different models! They've done away with casting by having everything be machined from blocks/plates and then bolt together. I have no insider information, but I wouldn't be shocked if MTC planes appear in Europe if they go well in the North American market. Dictum sell the JKM router plane, but for more than Veritas! I bet Dieter Schmid/Fine Tools would love to have a router plane around the price point of JUUMA

[@VasilyChekalkin]

That's Paul Sellers router plane with a full metal body.

[@tommanseau6277]

Looks a whole lot like the Paul Sellers router plane kit except you make the body out of wood. The blade and adjuster are identical.

[@brianbarney1885]

Excellent review! Here in the USA the MTC plane is $10.00 more than the Veritas so while it looks to be a good tool I would get a second Veritas before I would buy the MTC. Frankly I don’t find it a problem to sharpen the Veritas blades; even the solid blades. It just takes a bit of practice.

[@TheWoodKnight]

Absolutely, at less than Veritas it makes sense, at more than it really doesn't. I wonder if they're shipping from China -> Australia -> US, or whether it's US tariffs that are driving the price up.

[@cobberpete1]

I have had the Veritas for many years. I agree it is a pain in the Butt to sharpen. I have never used the fence. I have also made my own to the Paul Sellers design, which has the same blade (but home made) design as the MTC router. I find I use it more often purely because it is easier to sharpen.

[@AussieWoodshed]

Good review, they seem well made. Their design seems to be very similar to the wooden router kits available in various places, but just with a metal body and the flexibility of a fence. I think the blade being easier to sharpen is a big plus, as you said and i agree the original 71 blade is rather annoying to get sharp and get co-plainer to the sole. Having a more simple design in my view just means they are easier to understand and use.

[@CraigJBrain]

Thanks for doing the review. Where are the planes made? I saw they are designed in Australia.

[@TheWoodKnight]

They're made in China

[@iancraigen]

Nice router plane, nice to see a design that isn't a copy of the Stanley.

[@graduallywizardly]

Yeah man. Great unit. There’s a bunch of tiny cutters for the small router plane. 1-6mm and a 1/16”-1/4”. They might be a better call for inlay work. The little guy’s weirdly comfy in the hands.

[@TheWoodKnight]

Half the stringing I've done so far has benefited from having a fence which the little guy lacks (I think *all* small planes do?). Maybe I can 3D print some sort of adapter 😆

[@graduallywizardly]

Yeah man, like a sole plate of some kind? To be honest, I mostly just use my little rp to hack off the atb tooth pattern left behind if I’ve cut a dado at the table saw without first swapping to a flat top blade. It’s excellent for that sort of thing. If i’ve only got a couple little grooves to do, it’s usually not worth the hassle of swapping out the blade and back again for the next cut.

[@reepy2]

I looked around for ages for a router plane. They were all too expensive new and the old 71s were even more expensive. I ended up buying the Katz-Moses one a year ago, but it is AU$100 more than this one. I wish this one was available at the time.

[@christopherharrison6724]

The Melbourne company has basically taken the old grandmother’s tooth designe

[@anthonyseiver7000]

Decent looking router plane. M2 HSS isn’t great for hand tools because they are harder to sharpen than O1 or A2 steel.

[@TheWoodKnight]

It wasn't *too* bad on shaptons - I'd imagine it'd be the same on any other hard ceramics and diamond stones. If you use scarysharp, oilstones or soft water stones, I agree, it'd be a bit too slow that sharpening would be a nightmare

[@DuncanEdwards.]

That's a disguised plough plane

[@Roadsaftyslowdown]

MeizhouTC planer is such a basic inexpensive tool it could of and should of been made in Australia. Very small cnc lathe could of pumped out the brass and a copy lathe pump out the handles. Plenty of small foundries in Melbourne and Victoria that could of batched out the base, I know because I use them in the water industry. I was sold until the communists stuck their heads up.