Scrub Planes From Common #4 Smoothing Planes

Special planes developed for roughing off coarse, rough-sawn, undulating surfaces were developed by the Stanley Rule and Level Company in the late 1890s. This short-lived, little-needed development resulted in a series of planes known as firring planes and scrub planes. The more commonly used of the two plane types is one we know as the scrub plane. This plane is no longer made by Stanley but it was most likely one of the crudest and skimpiest bare-bones plane Stanley ever made. 

A scrub plane is a simple plane with none of the complexities associated with the normal metal cast planes we know today. You can achieve excellent results with #4 Stanleys and Records or any other #4 including the heavyweights retrofitted with a thinner iron. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN5QSTaVzRQ&list=UUc3EpWncNq5QL0QhwUNQb7w

I think that this video gives the steps to a good alternative scrub plane and one that really works on any wood.