Llama Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I love my low angle planes.When I started handplaning, I bought a few old regular Stanley planes. They got the job done, sure. But it wasn't until I bought my LN #62 low angle jack before I reached planing nirvana. I am hooked on low angle planes now. Now I have the LN low angle smoother and LN low angle jointer. I'm ready for everything!I love the feel, the added room for my hand, how easy the bevel adjustments are, the mouth adjustment is super quick and easy.Yeah, no lateral adjustment. I just keep a plastic hammer near by and give it a tap. Stays put too! In short, the planes act like they should, less messing around and let's me get down to business quicker. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pwalter5110 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Obviously I am comparing apples to oranges, but when my wife bought me the Lee Valley low angle smooth plane I also fell in love with it. Before I had a groz smooth plane that just wasn't cutting it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Thanks for starting the thread Mel. Whenever I am in Wisconsin, or you are within 50 miles of Baltimore, I'll be sure to make good on that beer. Do you ever find yourself going back to a standard plane for particular tasks? I think I have just been worried about buying a low angle jack and finding that it's only really great for shooting end grain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted January 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Chuck,My Stanley #5 is set as a true jack plane. Really takes a big bite when needed! This is really because I have one blade for my low angle jack now. I plan on getting another blade and putting a nice camber on it for true jack use.And yes, the shooting is great with this plane! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Mel, you should also grab the toothed blade for your LA jack, I plan to get one soon. I also wonder how the scraper blades make the plane perform as opposed to a true scraper plane. Sometimes it comes to scraping with a seriously gnarly figured board 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulMarcel Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 For gnarly grain, get a blade that gives you a 55º+ attack angle. I have one setup this way and can plane highly-figured curly maple and it comes off polished smooth. With a scraper blade, it will go much slower and have that dull matte scraped look. Your arms look big enough for a 55º+ attack blade... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brooklyngohardwood Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 I just purchased the LV low angle jack. At first I didn't realize you could adjust the depth without loosening the cap iron screw (or whatever you call it) and I was seriously frustrated with the how much of a pain it was to adjust. But once I realized you could just keep that cap screw less tight and adjust with only the depth know I'm loving it a lot more. It's my first new/premium plane but I do find my self wanting to use it for everything (I bought it mostly for shooting/end grain). I don't think it actually cuts long grain that much better than my old Stanleys but it feels so much more solid. I'm still undecided if I want to get the Bevel Up Smoother for my premium smoothing plane or a LN 4 1/2 with 50° frog. I'm leaning towards the 4 1/2 right now because I just love the heft and class of that plane, but maybe I'll have a change of heart (especially considering price). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g_glasson Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 I have a LV LA jack plane that I use for just about everything. I use the A2 blade that came with it for most things, but purchased a 38 degree PVM-11 blade for smoothing. I'm still learning how to camber the smoothing blade but I'm starting to get some very nice results with it on narrow stock. I like the flexibility that this tool gives me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derekcohen Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 There are a few advantages a BU plane has over a BD plane. One is that there are fewer parts to set up, so it is easier to use. A second is the low centre of effort, which makes it easier to push, even with high cutting angles. The third advantage is the wider range of cutting angles it has. From a low 37 degrees for end grain to as high as you like for smoothing interlocked grain. If you are planning to use a BU plane as a smoother, then you should also be cambering the blade, that is, giving it a little curve (not a lot, as with a jack plane). Now this is the point of my writing - to make cambering easier, only purchase the blades with 25 degree promary bevels and add a high secondary micro bevel to this. Attempting to add a camber to a, say, 38 or 50 degree primary bevel, is hard work. adding the camber at 50 degrees to a 25 degree primar bevel is quite easy. See here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/TheSecretToCamberinBUPlaneBlades.html Regards from Perth Derek 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted January 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 If you have a wife that loves you, then you have already won. No argument necessary Ok, that was my sappy side...For the planes, I understand the bevel down use, and don't have a problem using them, I simply prefer the low angle but yes, they are more user friendly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calix Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 Greetings everyone! After buying for the first time a smoother and a jointer planes and going through all the tune up, man it was so nice to start using my first BU LV plane, it is a skew block plane, and after that the BU LV jack plane and now I am saving money for the BU jointer. There is no going back now that I have use them. I guess my Record jointer plane will stay aside with the LV jointer fence attached always just, for edge planning. Oh boy! so many nice tools, not enough money... Have a nice weekend everyone!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 I have to say, today I rekindled my love for my LA jack. I had a nice big chunk of 8/4 bubinga sitting in my shop with a ton of tearout in it staring at me. I plopped it on the bench, put my 54* iron in my plane, and took thin shavings with the mouth closed. Took all the tearout right off the board and looks and feels like glass. No camber, no tracks. Beautiful, I felt so alive today 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Nice! Awesome looking piece of Bubinga Freddie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Just ordered the toothed blade for my Ln low angle jack and the brass cross peen hammer. Hopefully see them by weds or thurs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted January 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Looking sexy!! Love bubinga!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madkrafter Posted January 29, 2014 Report Share Posted January 29, 2014 I just love my LN 102 low angle block plane. The only other plane I have is the LN low angle jack. I saw it as a versatile plane to have. My problem is that it has been gathering rust and dust for YEARS. I've never been a hand-plane kinda guy. I dream about it but never commit to it. Guitars and Baltic birch don't require the low angle Jack too much. I hope to build some actual furniture again and put it to some good use! Just have to decide which is the next best one to add to the bunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 I thought buying a new snow blower ate up my tool budget for a little while but due to a few small windfalls (Thank you escrow refund and forgotten expense check!) I am getting ready to buy a LV low angle jack. The question is, do I immediately grab the 38 and 50 degree blades? If you were going to grab one extra which would it be? I am thinking the 38 for general purpose is the way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted February 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 If you're doing edge work, and a little face work get the 38. If you're smoothing get the 50. Although if you just get another 25 degree, it's not much work at all to establish a secondary bevel at either of those numbers. That's the genius of the low angle. I don't even think LN offers different angle blades for that reason. It's simple to establish the new bevel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 The LV is out of stock until 3/5... might have to order the LN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted February 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 The LV is out of stock until 3/5... might have to order the LN. Don't act like that's a bad thing! I love mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 I always sigh when it comes to settling for lie nielsen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted February 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 I always sigh when it comes to settling for lie nielsen. Life is tough! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Melton Posted February 12, 2014 Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 LN doesn't seem to offer the blades preground to 38 and 50. I am just going to wait the three weeks for the LV. PMV11 is also a selling point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Llama Posted February 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2014 LN doesn't seem to offer the blades preground to 38 and 50. I am just going to wait the three weeks for the LV. PMV11 is also a selling point. They don't sell them pre ground, but establishing the bevel is the same process as you would use by adding a secondary bevel on a regular plane blade. So, I see that as a non issue. If you are leaning towards the LV for the different steel, then I can't say much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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