The angle by itself is not an issue, but with a BU plane you can easily get tearout at lower cutting angles. And if you are getting tearout you will...
One thing I learned from this thread is that some of you guys can spend money fast.
A bolt together metal stand, a thin top and a fence for $550, no...
The 2 ¼" blades that Joel had were 3/16" thick (or thereabouts) and are intended for the Norris type infill smoother to be used with a chip breaker....
I purchased my walnut rake from Ace Hardware several years ago. If the handle broke for any reason I would buy a ground rod and drill and tap the end...