Favourite Plane

[phil harold]

I am talking about the one you use the most

Mine got a fresh coat of motor paint and back in the nail pouch it will go.

I like this Sargent 530 plane it fits my hand so much better than my Stanley 60 or 60 1/2, about an inch longer.
Blade seems to last longer and seems easier to adjust.

[Tony Zaffuto]

It seems I'm always reaching for my LN low angle jack. But I'm also reaching as much for my LN 102 block.

[Casey Gooding]

Hard to pick. Either my Lie-Nielsen 102 or my 55 degree Krenov.

[Raney Nelson]

My most-used is probably a LN #8. My new favorite, though, is a 47.5-degree toted coffin infill. Great plane for 90% of the domestic woods, both hard and soft, that I like to work with.

[Danny Thompson]

Favorite:
LN #40 1/2 Scrub Plane. Maybe because it is my latest acquisition. The swoosh of it is amazing!

Most used:
LN 102 Bronze Low Angle Block Plane--great for knocking down corners and smoothing small areas

Veritas Low-angle Jack Plane--great for flattening and smoothing just about any kind of wood by adjusting the mouth, camber, and microbevel; also a useful shooter

First Love:
LN #140 Bronze Skew Block Plane w/ nicker--my first modern plane; blonde, beautiful, and does lots of tricks

[jim hedgpeth]

I have only had it a week, but I find myself grabbing the Veritas LA. jack more than I have ever grabbed any plane. Very useful for flattening, shooting, trimming, and jointing. It seems to straighten edges almost by itself compared to any of my old planes. I grip the front with 2 fingers under, using my knuckles as a fence. Read that somewhere here, works like a charm.

Jim

[phil harold]

All these LN planes are they really that good and would they survive a drop from the peak of a two story house when planing the rake boards, facia crown and cornice.


This old plane cost me 10 dollars at a yardsale 17 years ago and has withstood more abuse than I would like to admit

I would feel uncomfortable with a $200 plane that miight take a long walk of a short plank.

Are these lie-nelson planes really worth it?
Or are they a status symbol?

[george wilson]

I use my block plane more than any other. I don't really count,though,because I mostly make guitars,not furniture too often. Somehow,though,I have made a lot of our furniture.

[Danny Thompson]

All these LN planes are they really that good and would they survive a drop from the peak of a two story house when planing the rake boards, facia crown and cornice.

This old plane cost me 10 dollars at a yardsale 17 years ago and has withstood more abuse than I would like to admit

I would feel uncomfortable with a $200 plane that miight take a long walk of a short plank.

Are these lie-nelson planes really worth it?
Or are they a status symbol?

And so it begins . . .

[Frank Drew]

I think my favorite plane is my Spiers panel plane although I haven't put a ton of use on it. My favorite to use that I've actually used a lot is my Record 05 jack plane, and the plane I've probably used the most, both in the shop and on the job, is my Record 9-1/2 block plane. Both Records are 30+ years old.

[Danny Thompson]

It's a "time is money" proposition, for me. I just don't have the skills to restore an old plane quickly or the time to do it slowly. Before I spent any money on a modern plane, I tried restoring a Stanley/Bailey #4 Type 11 off they 'bay. After losing about a month of woodworking time (I only get a few hours/week). the LN's and LV's started looking like a better deal.

The Lie-Nielsen's and Veritas's (Lee Valley's) come in great working order--flat, square, and sharpened--a quck hone and they are ready to fly. They usually have thicker irons. Plus, they are backed up with a pretty stellar customer service ethic. Recently, I sent a plane to Lie-Nielsen with a bent cap screw and cracked knob that most likely resulted from taking a header off the bench. LN diagnosed the problems, replaced the broken parts, and polished it up. No charge, only $6 for shipping. Stunning!

And when I was having trouble with tearout, Rob Lee from Lee Valley talked me through some Low-angle Jack tricks that made a huge difference. What can you say about that?

That said, a lot of Creekers do more with a razor blade, a toothpick, and a puddle of spit than I'll ever pull out of one of these babies. So it is as much about you, the work you do, and the time you have to do it as any anything else.

[Raney Nelson]

All these LN planes are they really that good and would they survive a drop from the peak of a two story house when planing the rake boards, facia crown and cornice.


This old plane cost me 10 dollars at a yardsale 17 years ago and has withstood more abuse than I would like to admit

I would feel uncomfortable with a $200 plane that miight take a long walk of a short plank.

Are these lie-nelson planes really worth it?
Or are they a status symbol?

Are they worth it? To me, yes. To you, apparently no. Personally, I doubt I'd be using them for finish carpentry if that's the work I did. I'd probably have a plane that I wouldn't mind dropping two stories.

Most of my work is done on a bench, not a scaffold. In fact, come to think of it, NONE of the work I do is done on a scaffold. Or a ladder. So it appears we probably have different needs.

Status symbol? Yeah - the ladies' auxiliary in my town swoons at those of us who have LN planes. You can't even think about joining the local country club without one. Who on earth would I be buying these tools to impress? You? The Internet community?

Nope. Not me.

Now THIS is a status symbol. It gets me chicks all the time. I keep it parked right next to my porsche.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d17/rckt/DSCN3396.jpg

[George Clark]

Touche!!!!

[phil harold]

I have never had a Lie-Nielsen in my hands so I am more curious about why everyone raves about them


Recently, I sent a plane to Lie-Nielsen with a bent cap screw and cracked knob that most likely resulted from taking a header off the bench. LN diagnosed the problems, replaced the broken parts, and polished it up. No charge, only $6 for shipping.


Customer service after the sale is a good reason to praise them




I thought my #92 cabinet makers' rabbet plane was sexy but yours is hotter



http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d17/rckt/DSCN3396.jpg

[philip marcou]

:DRegarding the , er, chick magnet/status symbol: you need to do something about the ugly cap pin screw(s): the visible one looks like a cheese head self tapping screw.See to it-now.:D

[scott spencer]

I don't own any LN or Veritas planes to turn to, but always enjoy using my Record 05-1/2 with a Lee Valley blade.

[Derek Cohen]

Raney

Get that piece of trash outa here!

Now this is a plane ... actually it is an incredible performer and ultra reliable.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/Stanley3infill1.jpg

60 degree BU smoother (from a #3 Stanley).

And you know I have others .... :)

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Caspar Hauser]

Are they worth it? To me, yes. To you, apparently no. Personally, I doubt I'd be using them for finish carpentry if that's the work I did. I'd probably have a plane that I wouldn't mind dropping two stories.

Most of my work is done on a bench, not a scaffold. In fact, come to think of it, NONE of the work I do is done on a scaffold. Or a ladder. So it appears we probably have different needs.

Status symbol? Yeah - the ladies' auxiliary in my town swoons at those of us who have LN planes. You can't even think about joining the local country club without one. Who on earth would I be buying these tools to impress? You? The Internet community?

Nope. Not me.

Now THIS is a status symbol. It gets me chicks all the time. I keep it parked right next to my porsche.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d17/rckt/DSCN3396.jpg

Irony right?

or would it be Bronzy?

[Doug Shepard]

:DRegarding the , er, chick magnet/status symbol: you need to do something about the ugly cap pin screw(s): the visible one looks like a cheese head self tapping screw.See to it-now.:D

Amen. Since pimping out my plane, I cant hardly get no work done with all these babes runnin their hands all over me:D Smilin Bob aint got nuthin on this:D
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=98117&d=1223257134

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=93312

[Aled Dafis]

Hi, I'm a long time lurker but haven't posted much for quite a while. I thought that this thread was quite an opportune moment for me to come out of the woodwork as it were.

As of last week, my new favourite plane is this beast.

http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii265/aledafis/Large%20Smoother/IMG_56861.jpg

It's vital statistics are:

Sole length - 215mm (8 1/2")
Overall length - 235mm (9 1/4")
Iron - 60mm (2 3/8") wide by 6mm (1/4") thick
Sole - 10mm (3/8") O1 tool steel
Sides - 5mm Brass
Pitch - 50 deg
Mouth opening - about 3 or 4 thou (pretty dammed tight)
Mass - 2.8kg (6lb 4oz)

Cheers

Aled

[Brian Ashton]

I guess my favs are the bedrock 605 with an A2 blade, stanley 10 and the LV LA block plane with the handle on the back. The two stanleys have not had any tuning by me except for the A2 blade but they both sing when used over pretty much any grain, especially the bedrock. I have heaps of other planes like low angles, asian... but the two stanleys are the best in my stable and then the block comes up as the one that fills in where the other two can't. The handle on the block really extends its functionality but it doesn't do difficult grain well. And if that weren't enough they're my cheapest purchases by far. The A2 blade cost more than the bedrock. But! don't in anyway think I'm bagging anyone that has the real high end gear. I say if you can afford it go for it - someones got to give this economy a kick start. And I'm sure they're a treat to use also.

Holy Toledo! Just as I was writing this we had a lightning strike just outside the house. I thought at first something hit the house. I think I'll wait till the morning to have a look at what got smoked. I'm hoping it's the 86 corolla I drive that took the hit...

The tv is also rolling across a warning that it's gonna get worse in the next half hour: very high winds, hail and an even more intense light show. Maybe I should go out and put the antenna up on the corolla...

[Raney Nelson]

:DRegarding the , er, chick magnet/status symbol: you need to do something about the ugly cap pin screw(s): the visible one looks like a cheese head self tapping screw.See to it-now.:D
:D Consider it done.

[Bob Strawn]

http://toolmakingart.com/images/Compass%20and%20%20Spill%20Plane/Spill%20Plane%2004%20side.JPG

In this case it is a proof of concept, so it is more artistic than functional. Just a conic hole and slot cut in a small block. A wedge and a piece of m2 with a 45 degree skew. It is a bear to adjust, and has a few issues, but with it as an example, the next generation spill rabbet should be a user. I like the skewed side escarpment, it seems to jam less, even with a really tight mouth.

Bob

[Dan Carroll]

My favorite is a Sargent knuckle block plane. It has been around since my greatfather bought it new in about 1910. Works well and has a new coat of paint, been lapped recently and is shape as all get out. It is a joy to pick up and use on wood and evokes memories everytime....:)

[Sean Hughto]

The one that happens to be sharpest at the moment I need it.

[george wilson]

An excellent point,Sean!!

[Jim Koepke]

All these LN planes are they really that good and would they survive a drop from the peak of a two story house when planing the rake boards, facia crown and cornice.

This old plane cost me 10 dollars at a yardsale 17 years ago and has withstood more abuse than I would like to admit

I would feel uncomfortable with a $200 plane that miight take a long walk of a short plank.

Are these lie-nelson planes really worth it?
Or are they a status symbol?

I am not sure if the performance is much better than a well tuned Bedrock or even a Stanley/Bailey made plane. Surely, the Millers Falls, the Sargents and many others will all do great jobs when carefully tuned. There are some cheap planes out there that just do not fit together right and will be difficult, at best, to make work.

Having time and a fondness for working on metallic things has me preferring to buy old used Stanley/Bailey planes and bringing them back from the scrap heap of plane history.

Others take a different view:


It's a "time is money" proposition, for me. I just don't have the skills to restore an old plane quickly or the time to do it slowly. Before I spent any money on a modern plane, I tried restoring a Stanley/Bailey #4 Type 11 off they 'bay. After losing about a month of woodworking time (I only get a few hours/week). the LN's and LV's started looking like a better deal.

The Lie-Nielsen's and Veritas's (Lee Valley's) come in great working order--flat, square, and sharpened--a quck hone and they are ready to fly. They usually have thicker irons. Plus, they are backed up with a pretty stellar customer service ethic. Recently, I sent a plane to Lie-Nielsen with a bent cap screw and cracked knob that most likely resulted from taking a header off the bench. LN diagnosed the problems, replaced the broken parts, and polished it up. No charge, only $6 for shipping. Stunning!

And when I was having trouble with tearout, Rob Lee from Lee Valley talked me through some Low-angle Jack tricks that made a huge difference. What can you say about that?

That said, a lot of Creekers do more with a razor blade, a toothpick, and a puddle of spit than I'll ever pull out of one of these babies. So it is as much about you, the work you do, and the time you have to do it as any anything else.

An amazing experience with customer service. I have never talked to Rob Lee, but his company gave me excellent service when a shipper lost my order.

When buying old planes off of eBay, about the best you get in customer service is timely shipping or your money back on a bad deal.
For me, if there was not a lot of time and the funds were available, the planes made by today's top end makers seem like a fantastic deal. One of my favorite sayings about business people is it is not how they treat you before you have spent your money with them, but how they treat you after the deal has been made.

For me, how a tool feels in the hands, how it does its job and its appearance all come into play when using them. It is the overall aura of the work being done at the time.

There are a few planes resting on a shelf close to my bench that are the most reached for. They are all Stanley's. A type 6 #4, a type 9 #5, a type 2 or 3 #65, a later #65-1/2 and a maroon #60-1/2.
The block planes are mostly used for end grain or chamfering edges.

When it comes to the joiners, recently it has been the one that is being fettled and fine tuned. This is often the case when a new acquisition comes along. It gets used a lot while being tuned just to get the feel of what it needs.

jim

[Joel Goodman]

My type 15 #7 Stanley with a thick TWW iron because it has the patina of history and works wonderfully.
My LN #62 because it works wonderfully and did right out of the box!

[Rick Erickson]

Favorite? The one I'm using at the time. They ALL bring such joy. If I could only chose one to purchase it would have to be the LN 5 1/2.

[Keith Christopher]

I use my LN rabbeting block plane by far the most. I love that little plane.

[paul cottingham]

Lee Valley bevel up jack, hands down.

[philip marcou]

I don't own any LN or Veritas planes to turn to, but always enjoy using my Record 05-1/2 with a Lee Valley blade.
Scott,
That is a good combination-but if you can get hold of a StaySet back iron it will also make a difference-as much as the Lv blade.

[Stu Gillard]

Definitely my Millers Falls 14.

It's the goto plane for jointing on small runs, general smoothing (iron corners are relieved slightly), and shooting board jobs.

I had no idea how good MF planes are. We don't see too many of them here in Australia.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=118175&d=1242174173

Still looking for a Norris or a Spiers at garage sales though...;)

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I guess my favs are the bedrock 605 with an A2 blade, stanley 10 and the LV LA block plane with the handle on the back. The two stanleys have not had any tuning by me except for the A2 blade but they both sing when used over pretty much any grain, especially the bedrock. I have heaps of other planes like low angles, asian... but the two stanleys are the best in my stable and then the block comes up as the one that fills in where the other two can't. The handle on the block really extends its functionality but it doesn't do difficult grain well. And if that weren't enough they're my cheapest purchases by far. The A2 blade cost more than the bedrock. But! don't in anyway think I'm bagging anyone that has the real high end gear. I say if you can afford it go for it - someones got to give this economy a kick start. And I'm sure they're a treat to use also.

Holy Toledo! Just as I was writing this we had a lightning strike just outside the house. I thought at first something hit the house. I think I'll wait till the morning to have a look at what got smoked. I'm hoping it's the 86 corolla I drive that took the hit...

The tv is also rolling across a warning that it's gonna get worse in the next half hour: very high winds, hail and an even more intense light show. Maybe I should go out and put the antenna up on the corolla...

Just curious if you got the lightning rod up on the Corolla in time to catch a bolt?

My favorite plane is my Norris A5, BTW.

[Matt Evans]

Currently?

The #4 Stanley handyman I just turned into a scrub plane. Man that thing works nice!

Other than that, probably a small wooden shoulder plane I made a a little over a year ago.

[Derek Cohen]

Here's another of my favourite planes, the Veritas LA Smoother.

This #4-sized smoother tends to be forgotten as it is overshadowed by the reputation of its bigger sibling, the BU Smoother. However the LAS is a remarkable plane. A superb smoother on difficult grain and an excellent tool for the shooting board.

I was using it yesterday to finish panels of Tasmanian Oak. This wood is medium hard and has striations of reversed softwood which tear out easily. The LAS did a wonderful job using a 62 degree cutting angle.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/LV%20planes/VeritasLASmoother2.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/LV%20planes/VeritasLASmoother1.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Brian Ashton]

Just curious if you got the lightning rod up on the Corolla in time to catch a bolt?

My favorite plane is my Norris A5, BTW.


No such luck - would have been good though. But! I talked to the neighbor a few days later and the strike blew out most of everything he had plugged in. So I guess he took a direct hit. He says even some of the wall sockets don't work anymore.