L-N 10-1/4 opinions?

[Patrick Chase]

Does anybody have the L-N 10-1/4 (a.k.a. Bench Rabbet) and if so what are your opinions? I searched and the last similar topic I found was from 2010 and didn't get many replies.

My requirement is for a bevel-down (for reasons I won't get into here) Jack-sized rabbeting plane. I already have Veritas Skew Blocks (L+R) and Skew Rabbets (L+R) so I have a pretty clear idea what I'm getting into.

[Jim Koepke]

Not a whole lot of people have a use for such a plane.

I have a Stanley 10-1/2 that came to me at a price I couldn't turn down. There is seldom a reason to get it off the shelf.

I am sure your work is quite different if this is something you can see using often.

jtk

[Jerry Thompson]

I got a LV 10 1/4 as a gift. I have used it twice when I had to get up into a 90d area and take off some wood. I don't exactly remember what I used it on the 2nd time.
It sure does the job but I have had few jobs that called for it.

[Don Dorn]

I had one and got rid of it. The only reason was the ability for the handle and tote to tilt and I had some difficulty keeping that in place. LN sent me some shims but it just didn't work out. That said, I do use that plane more than I thought with it usually on existing items where one needs to get right to the edge of something. In it's place, I bought a Stanley #10 from Patrick Leach and like that much more with it being quicker and easy to sharpen (by hand) and the handle isn't movable.

[Mike Brady]

FWIW: Don't forget that there is an LN low-angle rabbet plane, based on the LA jack body. This plane does not have the off-set handle option but it is easier to set up than a bench plane. It's kind of like a giant shoulder plane.

[Jim Koepke]

Because of this thread I went out to the shop yesterday and set up my Stanley #10-1/2. Right now it is sporting a Hock blade with the original Stanley chip breaker.

It actually did a decent job of cutting a rabbet once it was set up.

It was also a bit more comfortable to use than my Record #778. Though the #10-1/2 wasn't designed with a fence, some previous owner drilled and tapped a couple of holes in the sole to make a fence possible. I made a quick fence out of some scrap and viola, nice straight rabbet on a piece of scrap.

jtk

[Patrick Chase]

FWIW: Don't forget that there is an LN low-angle rabbet plane, based on the LA jack body. This plane does not have the off-set handle option but it is easier to set up than a bench plane. It's kind of like a giant shoulder plane.

Veritas has a well-regarded plane like that too. As I said, I'd prefer a BD plane in this specific case though.

[Jim Koepke]

Veritas has a well-regarded plane like that too. As I said, I'd prefer a BD plane in this specific case though.

Patrick,

Do you have a specific use(s) in mind for a #10-1/4? This is more a rhetorical question since you mentioned your other rabbet planes and a clear idea of what you are doing.

My curiosity is also whether you are pondering a new plane over a Stanley #10.

A new LN plane does have many advantages besides not taking a chance on something from ebay. Tilting handles and nickers come to mind besides the better materials and quality of the modern product.

In my opinion, if you have the budget for a specialized plane that will help you with your projects, go for it.

Besides, a good Stanley #10-1/4 might cost more than the new plane due to collector value.

jtk

[Brian Ashton]

It's funny that people limit the use of these types of rabbit plane. They're perfectly at home for all planing needs that require a plane that length, not just planing tight up against a shoulder. I have one i bought years ago and it gets used often for regular work. I find it well balanced and the narrower blade makes it easy to push.

People often miss label them as specialised planes when actually they're dual purpose.

[Patrick Chase]

Patrick,

Do you have a specific use(s) in mind for a #10-1/4? This is more a rhetorical question since you mentioned your other rabbet planes and a clear idea of what you are doing.

My curiosity is also whether you are pondering a new plane over a Stanley #10.

A new LN plane does have many advantages besides not taking a chance on something from ebay. Tilting handles and nickers come to mind besides the better materials and quality of the modern product.

In my opinion, if you have the budget for a specialized plane that will help you with your projects, go for it.

Besides, a good Stanley #10-1/4 might cost more than the new plane due to collector value.

jtk

I waited to reply to this because it goes to some very subjective preferences, so my usual analytical approach to posts doesn't work so well.

The "why L-N" part is easy: This would be given as a gift, and I don't want to subject the giver to having to learning the nuances of used plane purchasing. Also and as you say, the original Stanleys have been priced up quite a bit, to the point where they're not such a bargain. Somebody shelled out $1.2K+ for a 10-1/4C at a Brown auction last year! (though a lot of the premium in that case was "C"-related).

The reasons for targeting this one are:

I like to work with hand tools, and I often do "weird" projects (structures, toys, toys that are structures, etc) that require long rabbets and even very wide grooves/dadoes. Granted these aren't exactly fine woodworking, hence the extreme subjectivity. I have run across cases in furniture-building where I would have have preferred a longer open-sided plane with a cap-iron for tearout control, but those are admittedly not common.

As others have pointed out the 10-1/4 is useful for many of the same applications as an ordinary jack (if we ignore shooting, that is, or allow hacks like what Derek did to turn the Veritas BUJR into a shooter) though in my case that isn't really a consideration. I'm not exactly short on jacks.

Finally, the giver wants to do a plane...

[Jim Koepke]

This would be given as a gift, and I don't want to subject the giver to having to learning the nuances of used plane purchasing.

Sounds like someone is asking you what plane you would like them to give you.

My problems are never this pleasant. :D

jtk