LN 112 Large scraper plane

[Carl Beckett]

Mr Patel recently posted a question about how many of us use a cabinet scraper (or card scraper held in a cabinet scraper holder - whichever semantics you prefer).

I use this with good results. But I also own both the small LN scraper, as well as the larger scraper plane, the 112.

I have to admit, I have never been able to get the 112 to perform well for me. Its time to figure it out - I have to believe its a useful tool, and worthy of more than just sitting in a drawer or worse yet, posting on ebay (now dont send me a bunch of PM's offering to buy this - I aint selling Im just going to learn how to tune and use the dang thing!)

So whats my problem(s)? I either get dust shavings, chatter, high force required to push the thing, or it just digs in.

The smaller one I use a lot and have no problems. Ditto on the bare cards, and the cabinet scraper. Its just this large LN that is giving me grief.

So those of you that have it and use it - tell me, what are the key things to consider when trying to get it tuned up and cutting nicely?

[Andrew Gibson]

I'm interested in it if you want to sell... only half kidding I have one as my next purchase as soon as the finds present themselves.


After reading the mentioned thread I happened to get my #80 and now love it.
LN has a video on youtube regarding the setup and use of the 112, and all their scraper planes for that matter... if you have not seen it, it might help.

[James Taglienti]

Carl i have the same issue with my stanley 112... I have got many other scrapers and scraper planes and devices but the 112 in particular doesnt seem to work well for me

[David Weaver]

Sharp edge and light cut on the big scrapers. If you try to take a full width 4 thousandth shaving, it'll feel like you pushed it into a wall.

I personally like a burr on them, but after the edge has been polished. And the burr is rolled with something that also has a polish.

that said, I dumped my large scraper. I just find the small one much more practical for work where you may want to scrape a piece a couple of days after it was leveled. with the large scraper, if the piece moves, it's a real bear. The small one (the LN 212 i think it is) does just what you want a scraper to do - it follows the material and removes a small layer of tearout. And the small A2 iron is hard enough to hold the edge well - it will run on a burr a surprisingly long time.

[Mike Brady]

I had problems with my 112 scraper until someone from L-N showed me how to set the tool up. As mentioned by Andrew above, they have a YouTube video in two parts that explains the steps to getting the 112 to work well. Sorry we can't include direct links here. All you have to do is think of scraper plane as taking place of your hands holding a scraping blade. The angle that allows you to get shavings by holding your 112 iron in your hands (aprox. 15 degrees forward of verticle) needs to duplicated when you put the same iron in the plane. Usually just the weight of the iron resting loose in the plane's "frog" will yield a good working cut depth when you have tightened the thumbscrew that holds the iron in place. Don't use a hook until you have the basics mastered. Once you get an understanding of the 112's setup, you will find this plane to be one that works when all of your other planes have failed to produce a surface without tearout.

[David Weaver]

I think you can link as long as it's fostering discussion and not self promotion or an obvious attempt to skirt advertising efforts. There certainly have been other youtube videos posted here. IIRC the japanese one with the gimlets and the small chest of drawers wasn't that long ago.

[john brenton]

For the brief period that I used a scraper plane, I did as David described and honed the edge to 8k before rolling a slight hook. I think I also put an extremely slight camber on it...so slight that it might not have even been there. I know I rounded the corners though.

To set the iron I put the sole on a piece of glass and set the edge on that, partially tightened the nut, and very lightly tapped the iron down until I got the shaving I wanted. Of course that only works really well if the sole is flat.

I sold it because I didn't want to get dependent on it, and I really didn't think I needed it...the shavings it took were just gorgeous though.

[Carl Beckett]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I am inspired to review the video link and practice some more. Would have been this weekend but was down without power here (and not enough natural light in my shop to work without power. I was wishing that I had more light because I had a nice block of time Sunday afternoon that could have been spent making shavings.

I think I may have put too aggressive a hook on it, am going to start from scratch.

Stay tuned for more on how it goes.

[David Weaver]

For the brief period that I used a scraper plane, I did as David described and honed the edge to 8k before rolling a slight hook. I think I also put an extremely slight camber on it...so slight that it might not have even been there. I know I rounded the corners though.

To set the iron I put the sole on a piece of glass and set the edge on that, partially tightened the nut, and very lightly tapped the iron down until I got the shaving I wanted. Of course that only works really well if the sole is flat.

I sold it because I didn't want to get dependent on it, and I really didn't think I needed it...the shavings it took were just gorgeous though.

It's a nice trick tool, but if you get a smoother that you really have set the way you want it to be set, it's nicer to just use a smoother. The reason I mentioned polishing the edge and rolling a burr is that the finish from doing that will be really nice, and it'll work sort of like a smoother plane in use (in terms of the evidence left behind in the quality of the surface) - nice continuous shavings, too.

And camber, yes - nice to have camber to complement the same style of use (no lines) as a smoother with camber - camber can (should) be less than a smoother, though, since the iron is almost at 90 degrees to the work surface. A normal smoother camber that's gradual across the width of the iron will leave the thing cutting only in the middle and you can see the evidence of that in raking light with a sheer finish.

but I guess that's stuff to worry about after it's cutting nice.

Carl - one more aside. Roll the hook only a gradual amount and hold the iron in your hands at about the angle it sits in the plane and see if it grabs the wood. Gradually increase the hook as you roll it until it feels like it is biting. Doing that is much faster than testing it in the plane.

Charlesworth's trick is to make a jig so that you present the burnisher to the iron at a set angle every time, and you don't really need to test it - it'll work every time. I don't know if the LN freebie tells you that, but if it does, it's worth cutting a gauge block at the specified angle to guarantee success.

It's somewhat rewarding to get scrapers set up correctly to use (and coming up with a routine that gets them that way easily every time), but like everything else, if it's a gamble or tedious, you'll decide not to do it at some point.

[john brenton]

I don't work much with really figured woods that absolutely require a scraper, and when I do I use the card scraper. I found myself doing a crummy job on the smoothing knowing that I was going to hit it with the scraper plane afterwards.

As far as rolling the burr goes, I found that with card scrapers and thicker scraper irons alike, a light touch is the way to go. When I first got a scraper I put it in the metal vise and would really bear down on it. These days I just do a light little rub after consolidating the edge. I feel for the sharpness of the edge angled up just a hair. I heard someone say that you should get some of the oil off your ear and apply it to the burnisher before burnishing. I do it...just because I have ear oil to spare.

[Mike Holbrook]

I have been thinking about getting some device that uses a scraper blade: one of the model 112s, the Veritas Cabinet Scraper or maybe a Stanley 80. Apparently many people find the Stanley-Veritas #80 style scrapers easier to use. Do the 112s produce a better surface or have some other advantage that might justify the additional expense and learning curve?

[David Weaver]

* Some people like something that feels like a plane (walt quadrato told me that one time when he was describing some folks who couldn't use a #12, apparently, but had no issues with the #112)
* they have a longer sole, which should make less chance of digging a divot, which you can do a little with a #80
* If you haven't replaced the iron in a #80 with a 50s hardness A2 iron or something equivalent, the LN 112 and the same type of A2 iron from veritas hold the burr a lot longer
* and most importantly, the adjustment for the iron angle makes getting them dialed in perfectly easier, and when the burr starts to lose its ability to cut, you can advance the iron a bit and get more out of it before having to go redo the burr.

[Mike Brady]

I have been thinking about getting some device that uses a scraper blade: one of the model 112s, the Veritas Cabinet Scraper or maybe a Stanley 80. Apparently many people find the Stanley-Veritas #80 style scrapers easier to use. Do the 112s produce a better surface or have some other advantage that might justify the additional expense and learning curve?

I think its is worth mentioning that the Veritas #80 performs signifiantly better than the original Stanley. It is a heavier tool, with a bigger footprint and much better steel in the cutter. Its adjustments for radiusing the blade are better too. For those who may not want to invest in a scraping plane. the Veritas #80 provides an alternative for under $100. The only thing that I would have liked better would be if Lie-Nielsen had made it.

Here's a trivia question regarding this plane: How did Chris Schwarz's name come to be mentioned in the patent documentation?