They certainly can if the wood isn't properly seasoned, or is cut improperly (pith down the middle of the body, that sort of thing), etc. Any or all of those could be true of a plane made by somebody lacking in experience.
It's probably worth noting that over the course of history the vast majority of fine hand-tool woodworking was done in uncontrolled environments with wooden planes. They can't be *that* susceptible :-).
Last edited by Patrick Chase; 09-28-2017 at 1:28 PM.
I have the LN 7 1/2 low angle jointer and it is amazing for edge jointing.
This one is way subjective, as you might imagine. FWIW I initially preferred bevel-down planes because they felt more balanced. I now prefer planes with higher center-of-gravity because they feel more sensitive, i.e. the plane feels more obviously unbalanced if it's tipped one way or the other. I don't think that either impression has much to do with my actual results, though :-)
There is usually free shipping at these events, so the savings on shipping might be an incentive to try and get by with your #6 until then.LN is having their Hand Tool Events and will be in Nashville in November which is about 5 hours away from me. Not sure I can get the will power to wait that long though.
This gets into the realm of an individual's own 'feel' of a tool. To me it is very important a tool feels right in my hand. An uncomfortable feeling tool is fettled to make it feel better or it may sit unused.Originally Posted by Matthew Hills
I've heard some people prefer a low-angle jointer because it has a lower mass and might be easier to keep balanced on an edge. I only have a bevel-up #5 and the bevel-down #7.
The wood one works is another important factor. Some woods need a high angle approach. Some woods are rather behaved and can be controlled with sharp edges and a close set chip breaker.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Well I ended up with the #8. It was delivered today and I'm pretty disappointed. The lever on the lever cap doesn't function without A LOT of force. The shipping box was fine, but the Lie-Nielsen box was messed up so I'm not sure if it was damaged in transit. I ordered it from Craftsman Studio so I'm waiting to hear back from them to see if I need to contact Lie-Nielsen directly
Are you trying to work the lever with the lever cap removed from the plane and it's still tight? If so that's a problem, but if it works freely off the plane, then you can loosen the mounting screws a bit and you should be able to adjust the lever force.
Per that too tight lever cap: L-N always cranks the bolt down as tight as it will go, to prevent things from shifting around while in transit. Loosen the bolt a 1/2 turn, and try again....may need a full turn.
Last edited by Jim Koepke; 10-21-2017 at 12:17 PM. Reason: Removed original message
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Here's some pictures. Scott from Craftsman Studio contacted me last night and is going to get a replacement sent. The lever looks like it's bent to one side which is causing it to bind IMG_20171020_212917.jpgIMG_20171020_212952.jpg
I am not familiar with LN toold, but it looks like the radius ( roundover) is missing from the lever. Someone with a similar plane could comment or post a picture of theirs.