LV-Veritas Low Angle Jack Plane

[Prashun Patel]

Darn free shipping @ LV!

Anyone who owns this plane, please offer feedback. I'm thinking to pull the trigger.

[David Weaver]

It's an excellent plane. Versatile. Great shooter and great to have around if you want to trim endgrain off of something large.

Also works well as a substitute for a high angle smoother if you don't have a shorter high angle smoother or don't want to keep a bunch of planes around.

Plus, it's got one of the more inexpensive toothed blades that you'll find anywhere.

I have pretty much gotten individual planes to replace most of its functions (high angle smoothers, a dedicated shooter, etc), but I will not ever get rid of mine because of both the toothed blade and rare time that I need to do more endgrain work off the shooting board than is appropriate for a block plane.

[Sam Takeuchi]

You should get it. It's a superbly made and great performing plane with serious versatility. If this plane can't plane a wood and leave a smooth glassy surface, there aren't a lot of other planes that can.

But if you want a jack plane to do rough work, you might be better served by getting a bevel down jack plane. Cambering bevel up plane blade is quite a chore and requires grinding away quite big portion of the blade, more so than bevel down plane blades. Besides for rough work, having low angle plane doesn't provide much benefit. LA jack like this is very good for end grain and more precision work like tackling difficult grain and such. Definitely get spare blades to go with, two extra 25 degree blades and add desired angle of micro bevel. If not, you can do away with one blade by changing micro bevel to suit your wood.

[David Weaver]

this is a good point. I've never used mine for what you'd actually do with a jack plane if you have a selection of planes - hog wood.

I haven't ever had even the remotest inclination to put enough camber on the iron to get it to work like a BD jack plane does easily, you have to remove too much metal on BU plane iron to make that something you want to do much of, especially when it's done easily on a BD plane.

[Prashun Patel]

I have a BD jack and a BD jointer for hogging. I already have the LV BU smoother. On wide or long pieces, I prefer to take-tool-to-wood instead of wood-to-tool. I'm primarily concerned with tear out when I plane. I don't mind a workout, and am therefore considering the HA blade.

The toothed blade will have to wait for the next free shipping deal from LV....

[Richard Dooling]

I don't have one yet - but Santa's bringing me one and I can't wait to try it out. Based on the comments here and the quality of other LV tools I have, I'm sure I won't be disappointed.

Can't leave a comment like this without mentioning the outstanding customer service and the fact that Rob Lee listens to and, and - oh yeah - actually respects his customers!

Same goes for LN.

[glenn bradley]

I've enjoyed it. I bought an additional higher angle blade and the handles. Since you have larger planes already I would skip the handles. They have come in handy for me as my only other real plane is a shoulder plane that I also love.

[tico vogt]

It's an excellent tool for planing end grain (http://vimeo.com/13372490) and I would own one for that purpose alone, regardless of whether you can make it work in other applications. A little tipy for use on a shooting board, so you need to be careful.

[paul cottingham]

If I could have only 1 handplane, the lv low angle jack would be it, hands down.

[Richard Dooling]

Tico,

Would you mind expanding on this observation? Shooting is one of the things I intend to use this for.

Thanks - Richard

[lowell holmes]

I don't use my Bedrock 605 much since getting my BU Jack. While your at it, read Derek Cohens review of the LV BU Smoother. I have both planes with all of the irons. There's not much they don't handle.

I sold a nice 4 1/2 Smoother when I got the BU Smoother.

I use the BU Jack on a shooting board as well. Derek has a nice article about making a hot dog handle for the LV bu jack.

[Jim Koepke]

My LN LA BU Jack gets a lot of use.

The LV equivalent is surely its equal in quality.

My advice, GO FOR IT!!! You'll love it.

In my opinion, there is no reason to try and turn this into a scrub plane. Who needs a scrub plane with an adjustable mouth? Stanley and other makers don't even feel there is need for a blade adjuster.

When some time comes my way a detailed post will be made with pictures and drawings as needed to show my take on cambering blades.

jtk

[Prashun Patel]

Read everything. Pulled the trigger. Gosh, I hate this hobby. I'm addicted.

[paul cottingham]

BTW I shoot with mine all the time.

[Richard Dooling]

It's OK. Just promise yourself that for every tool you acquire you have to let one go. My last plane purchase was a nice #7 bought from a fellow Creeker.

So I gave my brother in law a 1/4" drill bit. Guilt free tools made easy.:D

[Prashun Patel]

Unfortunately, I manage my tool budget like Congress manages the national budget.

[John Coloccia]

Unfortunately, I manage my tool budget like Congress manages the national budget.

God, I hope not. I can't afford to be paying for your tools too.

[Jim R Edwards]

"If I could have only 1 handplane, the lv low angle jack would be it, hands down."

+1

[Richard Dooling]

Well Santa came through alright and I can see just from playing around with this plane that it's going to be a favorite. The adjustable mouth is very nice and makes using one plane for multiple purposes practical.

Very busy yesterday so I was looking forward to getting out in shop today and give it a whirl.

I live in southeastern Virginia. My memories of Christmas mostly include kids riding new bikes Christmas morning. We don't get snow very often and when we do it's usually just a dusting - we don't get real snow. Nothing like 12 inches!!

I know that for those of you in the north this isn't much but for us it's one for the books.

Hmmmm. What to plane, what to plane, what to plane? That banister looks a little wonky.


175227175228

[Mark Baldwin III]

God, I hope not. I can't afford to be paying for your tools too.

Ha! You almost made my beer come out of my nose :eek:

[Rick Erickson]

Ha! You almost made my beer come out of my nose :eek:

Shavings actually shot out of my nose. Only they came from the LN equivalent.

[Prashun Patel]

Followup: I received my LA jack last week and have been using it a lot. I like it. What I REALLY like is the high angle blade that I ordered. I put this in my BU smoother and have been very happy with it.