LV Low Angle Jointer is out

[Gary Herrmann]

If anyone is looking...

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=52414&cat=51&ap=1

Looks like there is a deal on the jointer plus the fence for a month or so.

I assume the LA jointer would be machined to the same level of precision as my LA smoother.

Anyone bought or used one yet?

[Bob Noles]

YIKES.... and here I am trying to climb from the bottom of the slope.


That is one nice looking plane for sure.

[Rob Lee]

If anyone is looking...

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=52414&cat=51&ap=1

Looks like there is a deal on the jointer plus the fence for a month or so.

I assume the LA jointer would be machined to the same level of precision as my LA smoother.

Anyone bought or used one yet?

Actually - the tolerances now held are tighter than stated on all planes... :D

Surface grinding on the jointer soles takes 30 or more passes, with the final passes at a fraction of .001".... one plane at a time.

The jointers are beauty, eh!

Cheers -

Rob

[Alan Turner]

Interesting. I have none of the low angle planes, but I recall reading that some fellows buy two irons, one to hold at 25*, and one to sharpen more steeply. I did not see a second iron option on the link. Rob -- Is one available?

[Tony Sade]

Alan-All three of the bevel up planes can share the same three blades, as I understand it-25, 38, & 50 degrees. Go to the "bevel up planes" page of the catalogue and check out one of the other planes. You'll see the other blade choices there. Don't know why they're not on the page with the jointer.

[Rob Lee]

Alan-All three of the bevel up planes can share the same three blades, as I understand it-25, 38, & 50 degrees. Go to the "bevel up planes" page of the catalogue and check out one of the other planes. You'll see the other blade choices there. Don't know why they're not on the page with the jointer.

Hi -

Will have that addressed shortly - all 4 blades should be listed; the 25, 38, 50, and toothing blade....

Cheers -

Rob

[Gary Herrmann]

"Actually - the tolerances now held are tighter than stated on all planes... :D

Surface grinding on the jointer soles takes 30 or more passes, with the final passes at a fraction of .001".... one plane at a time."

Is that on all your planes now or just the bench planes?

[Derek Cohen]

Anyone bought or used one yet?

I have been using a pre-production version for about a month now.

This is just a phenomenal plane! I am so impressed. With the adjustable mouth it can go from a thick to a thin saving in seconds. And with a high angle blade I have planed some of the most difficult woods as well as a dedicated smoother. The mouth is about 1" further back than my Stanley #7 (Type 11), which gives it a larger footprint for a plane of the same overall dimension, and so it acts like a longer plane. And, of course, bevel up planes are just soooo much less fiddly to set up than bevel down planes.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Doug Shepard]

Just FWIW - I just ordered one this AM (along with their Veritas Scrub plane) and LV currently has them on back order. If their website is accurate, it's only on B.O. until 9/20 (5 days away), but I know how those things tend to get pushed back. Looks like the jointer is getting enough positive buzz, they're having a little problem keeping enough of them on the shelf.

[Rob Lee]

Hi Doug -

Thanks for the order!

The date you were given is pretty good...we're running 2-4 days behind orders right now.... there's always a spike when one's introduced.

Cheers -

Rob

[Doug Shepard]

Hi Doug -

Thanks for the order!

The date you were given is pretty good...we're running 2-4 days behind orders right now.... there's always a spike when one's introduced.

Cheers -

Rob

Geez - How's that for customer service:)

[Rob Lee]

Geez - How's that for customer service:)

Hey - That's just an answer....we haven't shipped your plane yet... :D :D

Cheers-

Rob

[Joe Meazle]

Just got mine and it is sweet. I put a little extra hone on the 38 degree Iron that I got with it. I was making full width shavings that you can read through in no time. Brought a shaving in to the office for a little show and tell this morning. No one seemed to care. I was thinking that they owe for looking at all of those baby/grandbaby and vaction pictures. guess not huh?

Joe

[Doug Shepard]

...
The date you were given is pretty good...we're running 2-4 days behind orders right now.... there's always a spike when one's introduced.
...


Well Rob was right. Like clockwork on the 20th (the date their website projected the backorder to be available) I got a shipping confirmation email and a big box was on my porch when I got home today. This is one very nice plane!! Here's my initial impressions:
Putting a straight-edge on the sole, it appears to be pretty flat. There's a tiny bit of light in the middle but nothing too bad. I've got a better straight-edge I'll check with tomorrow - it just wasn't handy at the time. Then again, the S-E that I checked with was an LV one, so one or the other is possibly a little off.
I like the mouth adjustment mechanism better on the L-N planes, but the LV mechanism works well too. The lateral set screw arrangement is a nice feature too. The weight and balance feels good - not so heavy as to give you Popeye forearms, but enough mass to glide through cuts without skipping. Without even bothering to hone the blade, I set it for a medium to light shaving and closed the mouth up. Looking around for a piece of anything with a rough sawn edge I came across a piece of macacuaba and dove right in. Once I got past the unevenness from the saw marks, I was getting long full width shavings with very little effort. Can't wait to see what happens after spending some time actually lapping/honing the blade - actually blades. I ended up getting the other 2 higher angle ones as well, so I've got 3 to do. Four if you count the iron for their scrub plane too, but that's another thread.

The other Eureka moment came when I looked closer at the free jointer fence that came with it. I posted a while back about how to make a shooting board for putting bevels on some longer pieces. I've been mulling about on putting one together and was focused so much in that direction, I didn't stop to realize I could avoid one altogether by attaching a wedge on the LV jointer fence. It's a lot better solution that what I was trying to come up with.

The only thing about the plane that I really don't like is the box. I tend to store my planes inside plane sacks, inside the box. I much prefer the type with a lid that slides over the bottom portion. The ones that LV is using really dont seem to lend themselves for long-term storage use. But that's a pretty piddling complaint and I can certainly get over it.

[Mark Singer]

I just got mine....it really feels and works great!

Rob....another winner!!!!

[Gene Collison]

I just got mine....it really feels and works great!

Rob....another winner!!!!

Mark,

Terrific plane isn't it? All you need now is the BUS and you'll be set!

Gene

[Gene Collison]

Hey - That's just an answer....we haven't shipped your plane yet... :D :D

Cheers-

Rob

Rob,

I love the plane, but I would have liked a dust pickup fitting on it so I don't have to sweep up the pile of shavings. :D :D

Gene

[Michael Adelong]

Hello everyone. I have a stoopid question. Is this plane for edge jointing only?

Thanks.
Michael

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Michael

Of course you can use the BUJ for more than edge jointing boards. It makes a wonderful bedside table if you invert it and rest it on legs (Tis is a good excuse to keep it beside you as you sleep). The adjustable mouth is great to dice carrots (keep in trim for all the exercise you will get planing). And best of all the shiny sole makes a terrific shaving mirror (we really don't want to be mistaken for Norm).

Today I used the BUJ to joint three boards, then flatten them after glue-up. I used a high angle setup (50 degree bevel giving a 62 degree cutting angle) as I was working with Jarrah. Man, this was hard going as these particular boards ended their previous life as old, old floorboards and were some of the hardest wood I have ever planed.

I am still working on it, but it is starting to look good. Going to become the top of an entry hall table.

Here is a picture, taken as I collect data for a future review.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mark Singer]

I plane a couple of door edges....its a dream for long straight square edges...great mass and balance!

[Doug Shepard]

Anybody else having this problem with the LV Jointer? I mentioned earlier that I liked the mouth adjustment mechanism on the LN's better. Now that I've been using the LV for a while, I really like the LN mechanism better. The mouth adjustment screw keeps working loose on mine. I don't notice it until the mouth starts jamming up with shavings due to the screw projecting too far out. It's not a real big deal to fix, just a nuisance. Since the screw doesn't actually thread into the moveable sole to move it, but just works as a travel limit, there's only a few threads through the casting that appear to be holding the screw. The moveable insert stays in position due to the locking knob, but the adjustment screw keeps working loose.
Other than that I love this plane.

[Gene Collison]

Anybody else having this problem with the LV Jointer? I mentioned earlier that I liked the mouth adjustment mechanism on the LN's better. Now that I've been using the LV for a while, I really like the LN mechanism better. The mouth adjustment screw keeps working loose on mine. I don't notice it until the mouth starts jamming up with shavings due to the screw projecting too far out. It's not a real big deal to fix, just a nuisance. Since the screw doesn't actually thread into the moveable sole to move it, but just works as a travel limit, there's only a few threads through the casting that appear to be holding the screw. The moveable insert stays in position due to the locking knob, but the adjustment screw keeps working loose.
Other than that I love this plane.

Doug,

I haven't had that problem with mine yet, maybe I haven't used it enough. Why don't you try tightening the screw against the movable sole after closing the mouth, seems like it would stay put if you did that. Otherwise if you don't close the mouth hard against it, it may be already loose. Don't know if there is enough room but maybe a light duty spring under the head may keep it from turning too or a drop of thread locker light duty type.

One problem I have had with mine is that when I recieved it, mine was far from flat, the movable sole was sitting proud. I took it apart, it was loaded with heavy oil on the mating surfaces. Easy fix!

Gene

[Doug Shepard]

Gene
Thanks for reminding me there's more than one type of Loctite. I was originally thinking that, but had visions of not being able to turn the screw easily after applying it. I'd blanked out on the fact that there's more than one grade. I'll take a closer look at how it works the next time I get it out and see if your other suggestion does anything to help the situation.

[Derek Cohen]

Doug wrote: "The mouth adjustment screw keeps working loose on mine. .... there's only a few threads through the casting that appear to be holding the screw."

I have not had any problems on mine. I loosen the hold-down screw, adjust the mouth size, retighten the hold-down screw... and it stays put. I wonder if the thread on yours is slightly stripped?

Regards from Perth

Derek