Review: Melbourne Tools – Excellent new aircraft from Australia

Melbourne Tool Company, based in Australia, has recently entered the North American hand tool market with a wide range of planes and shavings, designed for dense Australian timber as well as American and European hardwoods. Having worked with both the low-angle plane and the small guide plane, I would say that MTC has achieved its goals of high performance at a relatively affordable price.

Fit and finish on both planes is very good. It took me 15 minutes to flatten the sole of the block plane on 320 grit paper, and I found it necessary to smooth out the edges of both planes with a fine file. Then I turned on the planes, which performed beautifully.

The little guidance plane is a gem. The standard barbell is ¼ inch wide, but narrower widths are available. Unlike most other routers, their irons are straight rather than L-shaped, which not only makes them easier to sharpen, but also allows them to fit into tight spaces. The iron beds are precisely fixed to the body, preventing any lateral movement, and the depth of cut is easy to adjust.

The unusual shape of the body keeps your fingers low, making controlling the plane very easy – with push and pull movements – and the throat allows a clear view of the cutting process.

The mass level is equally good. It has a very strong feel, and the high-speed steel iron requires only light sharpening, resulting in a fine edge that holds up well. I’ve worked with the plane on many types of wood, and it handled them all with ease. The three adjustments – mouth, side, and depth – are precise and intuitive. Taking advantage of the beveled design, I replaced the 25-degree iron with a 50-degree iron (also available from MTC) to handle some of the tougher, rougher woods. With a tight mouth, the surface is left smooth and clean without snagging.

-Dave Fisher is a carpenter and sculptor
In Greenville, Pennsylvania

STL: MTC, not the way it was always done

Melbourne Tool’s Hague Haswell and Vic Tesolin join Ben to discuss how to start a hand tool company from scratch.

Sharpening the guide plane with Vic Tesolin

Hollow grinding makes a difficult task simple and fast.

Why do you need a router?

This underappreciated tool will make you a better woodworker.