About an hour after removing the paint, leveling the soleplate and sharpening the blade, everything was up and running. I used it to shape the handle of an oak hammer. The settings are not precise, so it takes time to get the blade depth right for use. Now I understand why other brands sell them in pairs. I won't be a daily user but this did the work I needed to do. Given the low cost, the prep time was worth it. The only problem was that after a few days on the bench the sole had already started to oxidize so I re-sanded and waxed which I forgot at first. I see that I have to wax it between jobs to prevent rust.