LN #4 45 or 50 or 55?

[David Wadstrup]

I've seen a lot of discussion here regarding LN and their higher angle frogs of late. I really don't want to beat a dead horse, but I have a question. Or rather, I'd like to take a poll. I received a LN #4 for Christmas yesterday with a 50 degree frog. My question is:

Should I exchange this for the version with the standard 45 degree angle frog, or stick with the 50?

I should mention that I do have other smoothers -- the LV BU Smoothers, big and small, and a wooden coffin -- and so am able to set these up with more steeply honed blades if necessary. The LN #4 I received is a bit redundant, but I really have been interested in trying out the BD planes. And from what I've heard, this plane can out perform the BU smoothers. I guess what I'm trying to get across is that I'm not looking to make this new one as versatile as possible. It doesn't need to cover all of the bases. So, what frog is the best generally? Does the benefit of the higher angle outweigh the extra work pushing it? Will the extra work pushing it even be noticeable? What would you do in my situation?

[Sean Hughto]

If you are going to use it as a general use smoother, the 50 is great in my opinion. If you were going to use the 4 as a smaller general purpose plane, a 45 might be good. If you wanted a special smoother for use in extremely challenging woods - swirling grains and the like - the 55 might be a good choice. Keep it sharp and you'll be happy.

[David Weaver]

Just keep the 50 and use it. It's not that different than 45, and there'll be little difference in use unless you only finish plane softwoods with it.

If we blindfolded you when you use it, you might not ever really notice much, especially if you weren't advised of shaving thickness.