What's the difference between LV Veritas BUS and LAS?

[John Stankus]

I am considering getting one of these as my Christmas present from my wife(neither of us are into surprises anymore:) ), and I am a bit confused on the differences between the Bevel Up Smoother and the Low Angle Smoother.
As near as I can tell the BUS (@$219) is 1/4 inch wider blade, but is not milled to be able to use it for shooting and the LAS (@$189) is milled for shooting. Is there something else I am missing, I would think the extra machining would be more than the wider blade and body. Or should I just go with the Low Angle Jack with the 2 1/4 blade and milled for shooting for the same dollars as the BUS.

Thanks

John

[Jim Koepke]

If you want a plane to use for shooting, my opinion is the LA jack will be your best choice.

A short plane like a smoother is not an ideal plane for shooting board use. It can be done, but a long toe helps with building a bit of momentum before the blade hits the edge.

I like my #4-1/2 for smoothing at times, but sometimes a smaller plane works better. This is mentioned since it has a wider blade like the BUS whereas the #4 is more like the LA smoother.

jtk

[Jim Carson]

I think you hit the differences on the head. The BUS is purely a smoother. If you're looking to use a plane for shooting, get the LAJ, the greater mass and a 25deg. blade make a lot of difference.

[Jim Leslie]

I just got the LAJ and find that it works very well for shooting.

[Jim Neeley]

John,

The advantage of the LAS is it's beveled for shooting.

The advantage of the BUS is that it uses the same blade as the LA Jack and BU Jointer. For people who buy 2 or 3 of those three models over time, the blades are interchangeable, so you can hone the blades to different angles and then match the plane you want to the blade angle best for the cut and go to work. Alternatively you can use a single (or fewer) angles and have a spare sharpened blade ready to go.

Otherwise it's just cutting width.

I hope that helps.

Jim

[Curt Putnam]

I have all three planes of the system and am very happy that I do. As was mentioned, the same blades (irons) work in each - which provides great versatility. Of the 3, the only shooter is the LAJ which is an incredible all-around plane. It was the system aspect that sold me on the BUS over the LAS. I'm glad I did because there is now the the #3 sized BUS (which can also shoot.)

In addition to the wider blade as compared to the LAS, the BUS has much more mass, which can be important depending on the wood and its condition. You really should check out Derek Cohen's blog for reviews and comparisons of the planes. They were invaluable to me. The real answer, of course, is to get them all. :)

[glenn bradley]

Yet another LV LAJ fan that uses it for planing and for shooting. If you are after a smoother, I would go that way. I use power and hand tools and like to get multiple uses out of tools so the LAJ was a good fit for me. YMMV.

[Don Dorn]

Count me among those who like the LVJ for shooting. I had the LAS, but as Jim said - it wasn't the best solution. Since I have good smoothers, I peddled it here on the creek. The LVJ is a fantastic plane and very versitile, but I like it best for shooting as it's easy to control and has the mass to get the job done quickly.

[John Stankus]

I didn't have a particular need/use in mind, I'm just hard to buy for for Christmas. The bevel up/low angle planes just sounded interesting. The Jack might be a good option for my first low angle plane.

John

[Derek Cohen]

I am considering getting one of these as my Christmas present from my wife(neither of us are into surprises anymore:) ), and I am a bit confused on the differences between the Bevel Up Smoother and the Low Angle Smoother.
As near as I can tell the BUS (@$219) is 1/4 inch wider blade, but is not milled to be able to use it for shooting and the LAS (@$189) is milled for shooting. Is there something else I am missing, I would think the extra machining would be more than the wider blade and body. Or should I just go with the Low Angle Jack with the 2 1/4 blade and milled for shooting for the same dollars as the BUS.

Thanks

John

Hi John

When one starts out on the path to degradation ... er ... handplane collection and use ... there is an increasing preference to have specialist planes. At the start of the journey we look for the Swiss Army Knife. It is tempting to see BU planes as falling into the camp of the Swiss Army Knife. We all start there. Eventually, however, you move on. Then this is what you find ...

The Bevel Up Smoother (BUS) is larger and heavier than the Low Angle Smoother (LAS). Both are capable of the best performance anyone could ever wish for in a smoother. However they get you there differently. The BUS is a dedicated smoother (and it cannot be used for anything else). That is all it does. And it does it with control and a sense of effortlessness. The lighter LAS will get you there, but is requires more downforce (take this as relative to the BUS and not other planes). However it offers much more feedback than the BUS, feels more nimble in the hand. It is also not a dedicated smoother. It may be used on a shooting board as well. It does a pretty good job there. Not as good as the Low Angle Jack (LAJ), which is significantly heavier.

The LAJ is a Swiss Army Knife (as jack planes are intended to be). It is fantastic as a shooter (i.e. on end grain). It is also excellent as a plane to use across the grain when flattening a panel. These two operations ideally require two separate blades (a straight 25 degrees for the shooting board, and a cambered 25 degrees for the cross grain work .... but you can use just one if necessary). The LAJ also makes a decent short jointer (but too short for most jointing work) and it is a just-OK smoother (although it is capable of planing the most interlocked timber). It is not ideal as a smoother as it is just too long. Smoothers are short planes - the shorter the better - as they aim to remove as little thickness as possible, and instead only smooth the surface. The longer the plane, the more likely it is to flatten as it planes away wood.

For this reason also consider the recently released Small BUS. This is ideal for smaller work, but it is takes the "feel" of the LAS to greater heights - but keep in mind that these lie on the opposite end of the spectrum to the BUS.

Reviews (reading for Christmas Day!) ...

BUS: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/The%20Veritas%20Lee%20Valley%20Bevel%20Up%20Smooth er.html

LAS: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/The%20Veritas%20Low%20Angle%20Smoothing%20Plane.ht ml

SBUS: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/TheVeritasSmallBUSmoother.html

LAJ: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/VeritasLAJack.html (written in 2004)


Regards from Perth

Derek