To choose the right plane....????

[John A. Callaway]

I will have to make a few purchases here in the next few days.... I am having trouble though... A big part of me wants the LN 5 & 1/2 ... it seems like a fantastic first premium plane... and I can get the high angle frog to go with it... to help those tear out spots.... I was considering buying the LV low angle Jack and getting the LN 4& 1/2 as a set... but I just don't know.... The budget is pretty much open here... I want a Low angle jack for a shooting plane as well as other uses... but I could probably slip by doing a lot of those things with the 5 & 1/2 as well.... part of me want to just buy the jack and the LN ..... what to do ?

[Joel Goodman]

How familiar are you with planes? For me the LN low angle jack is my least fiddly plane -- as well as the one I go to for difficult grain. I expect the LV (which is more 5 1/2 size) is similar. I would get one plane and work with it for a while -- either BU or BD -- get to know how to make it sing. If you go BU get two irons that are ground at 25 degrees and give one a higher bevel for face grain -- start w 35 degrees and see how you like it. If I had to have only two planes my Stanley #7 and the LN low jack would be the ones I kept. But a 5 or 5 1/2 BD can also do a great deal. If you go BD I would hold off on the hi angle frog till you see if you really need it. Learning to set up and sharpen one plane properly is not trivial and adding another variable will only slow down the process.

[Jim Koepke]

John,

It is difficult to comment without knowing the kind of work you have in mind for using these planes.

My guess is that you like the idea of a wider plane for wide boards and panel work.

My #5-1/2 gets a little work at this, but the #6 does more duty here. My #5-1/2 is an earlier model that is a narrower blade than the #6. The #4-1/2 gets a lot of work smoothing the larger boards and panels.

My LA BU Jack gets a lot of work, mostly shooting end grain. In my case it is an LN #62. It does get some work on edges and faces of boards. Currently it only has one blade.

What ever your choice you will have some good tools. Knowing a bit more about the woods you work and what you make might be useful in making recommendations.

jtk

[Jim Barrett]

I was looking at buying my first "premium" plane a few years ago and spoke to Rob Cosman. He recommended a LN 5 1/2 with a HA frog...I purchased it and couldn't be happier.

JIm

[Pam Niedermayer]

For a first plane I always recommend the LN/LV LA jack. They can do the jobs of many planes (trying to smoothing) and work right out of the box. As you refine your needs, you can substitute more specialized planes to do individual tasks like smoothing.

Pam

[Johnny Kleso]

I would say the 5 1/2 is a Fore Plane and the LA frog would be a better choice as its eaiser to push roughing lumber with a cambered blade..

The 4 1/2 with HA makes more sense to me

[John A. Callaway]

This won't be my first plane.... I have a corrugated number 8 Stanley as well as a number 3 .... also a LN 102 block. I guess I was a little vague about that.... I attempt smaller case work so far... think krenov as a inspiration.... so I want to get that super smooth hand plane finish with out working through sand paper grit....I won't buy the extra frog right away but having the option is nice and makes the tool that much more versatile. Actually .... the 5&1/2 got my attention after seeing cosman use it in one of his videos. It seems like a fine shooting plane as well as a smoother .... and I honestly don't know if I would really benefit from a LA jack since I can adjust my #8 to take a little variety in shaving thickness..... I know a lot of folks have LA jacks and that is what I really want to know... what all do you do with them that I could not do between a #8 and a 5&1/2 ? Does having the low angle really help that often and that much to warrant two tools basically the same length with angle of attack being the only difference? Or should I go after the 4 & 1/2 and a LA jack ? The HAF is available for it too so it can be as versatile as the 5&1/2 in that aspect .....I have this #3 but it could benefit from a better blade set but it works okay .... maybe this will help you see my confusion or thought process here.... also has anybody used both the LN and the LV low angle jack planes? I am worried about all the people talking about the totes not being very comfy in the hands..... but I like the LV low angle jointer and the fence system.... so if I buy that later on at least my low angle planes would match..... I know a trivial worry about matching tools :)

[Casey Gooding]

My advise would be to get the low angle jack and a #4 smoother. Though I have a 4 1/2, I find myself reaching for my 3 and 4 much more often. The 5 1/2 is pretty similar in size to the low angle jack and extra blades are a lot cheaper than extra frogs. Just my thoughts.

[Joel Goodman]

... also has anybody used both the LN and the LV low angle jack planes?

Other than the LV tote being less traditionally shaped and more vertical the main difference is that the LV is a 5 1/2 sized plane while the LN is 5 sized. So the LN is shorter, a little narrower and a bit lighter. Also the LN has an adjuster for the mouth opening like an adjustable mouth block plane with a little lever that moves the shoe that closes the mouth; the LV has no lever but has a setscrew to limit closing that you can adjust.

If you have an 8 why would you need a BU jointer?

[Rick Erickson]

If I was forced to sell off all my planes and keep only one it would be the LN 5 1/2. It's my absolute favorite. You can shoot with it with ease. I bought the 55-degree frog with it and found I never needed it. I sold it hear on the creek a few days ago.

[Jim Koepke]

I know a lot of folks have LA jacks and that is what I really want to know... what all do you do with them that I could not do between a #8 and a 5&1/2 ? Does having the low angle really help that often and that much to warrant two tools basically the same length with angle of attack being the only difference? Or should I go after the 4 & 1/2 and a LA jack ?

Now knowing what you already have, my suggestion would be for the LA jack and the #4-1/2.

Between the #3 and the #4-1/2 you would have too very good very different smoothers.

The #3 may just need some fine tuning to make it a fine smoother.

The LA jack is a lot better for shooting than the #8. Due to the lower angle of attack, it is less effort to push through end grain than the #8. It can also leave a smoother finish than a Bevel Down plane. LN also sells a hot dog that makes the plane more comfortable to use for shooting. It is fairly easy to make your own hot dog handle for shooting use.

For me the lower impact on the body of the LA jack is important since suffering from a shoulder injury many years ago. My shoulder can really feel the difference after just a few trims on the shooting board.

jtk

[James Baker SD]

Years ago (when I was attempting to be a pro woodworker) I got a commission to build a conference table from Cocobola. The client supplied the wood and it was too wide for my planer so I had to flatten it by hand. I called Lie-Nielsen and spoke with them about my needs and they recommended the 5-1/2. I used it to joint the edges, joint a face of each board and flatten the overall table after it was glued up. It started down the slippery slope of handplanes, but the 5-1/2 still get used more than any two others together. I gave up being a pro (could not turn a profit) and now have a very nicely outfitted hobbyist shop.

[Pam Niedermayer]

If your goal is super smooth, might want to start looking at wooden planes. I'd also say quality Japanese, but western planes also do almost super smooth. No sandpaper required, or finish for that matter, assuming wise choices of wood and good sharpening skills.

Pam

[John A. Callaway]

Well I kinda thought about it some more... I think my logic is going like this so far... I want to skip a 4&1/2 because I really plan to get a bronze bodied #3 and #4 ... maybe even the #1 and #2 later on.... So my thinking is If I end up with the #4 and the 5&1/2 I couldn't really justify a 4&1/2 .... so I think based on the number of folks here who give such good reviews of the 5&1/2 I will go ahead and jump on the that when the check shows up middle of this week... I wont have it christmas day.... but soon enough... I am still not totally sold on needing a low angle jack right yet... maybe later on... Now... I still need to decide rather to get the veritas small plow plane first or the veritas DX60 block plane.... something I wanted for a long time.... And one of the two of these choices will be ordered on the same day as my 5&1/2 .....YAY

[John A. Callaway]

I'm sorry... I must have missed your post about the wooden planes there Pam..... I have David Fink's book on wooden planes.... I also have a nice piece of Orange osage the is a little over 12 inches long...and 4 inches square... my next project after the cabinet I am working on now is a krenov plane. I have been reading that book over and over trying to make sure I have the process down. I am actually pretty excited about making my first plane. Let's hope it is not a flop.

[Pam Niedermayer]

The Krenov planes are fairly easy to make. My problem with them is they use more or less the same blades as metal planes. I much prefer the Japanese irons, thick, heavy, and cushioned with soft iron.

That said, go for hard woods at least for the soles, which I think necessary for the super smooth results.

Pam