Derek Cohen
03-24-2016, 3:09 AM
Many years ago - 15 or more? - I purchased my first new plane. A LN #103. Actually, it was intended to be the purchase of a #102 but I did not have my reading glasses that afternoon! :) And it took me about 5 more years to realise this, which only occurred because I purchased a LN #60 1/2 and sat them side-by-side .... just goes to show that the common angle block plane does an excellent job of end grain with a sharp blade!
Anyway, the #103 had a large mouth. I understand that the #102 had a small, tight mouth. I assumed that LN had used the same casting and the higher bed angle increased the mouth size on the #103. Perhaps yours is different.About a month ago I decided to close up the mouth. Why? Because it is easier to set the blade for a fine cut - I judge by using fingertips, and a large mouth with a blade far from the mouth end is more difficult to assess.
This process is extremely easy and rather quick, so this is a heads up to those who with to do the same, not only with a #103 from LN but other makes and fixed mouth planes as well.All one does is add thin brass shim. There is no fixed number of layers. It depends on the size of your mouth. In my case I folded the brass shim 4 times and then attached it with epoxy (easy to remove with heat if one wants to reverse the process).
This is how my #103 looked after this was done ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/Lie%20Nielsen/LN%20103/LN103-2a_zpsykbbtf0z.jpg
And the mouth ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/Lie%20Nielsen/LN%20103/LN103-1a_zpsuxrwlahs.jpg
Regards from Perth
Derek
Anyway, the #103 had a large mouth. I understand that the #102 had a small, tight mouth. I assumed that LN had used the same casting and the higher bed angle increased the mouth size on the #103. Perhaps yours is different.About a month ago I decided to close up the mouth. Why? Because it is easier to set the blade for a fine cut - I judge by using fingertips, and a large mouth with a blade far from the mouth end is more difficult to assess.
This process is extremely easy and rather quick, so this is a heads up to those who with to do the same, not only with a #103 from LN but other makes and fixed mouth planes as well.All one does is add thin brass shim. There is no fixed number of layers. It depends on the size of your mouth. In my case I folded the brass shim 4 times and then attached it with epoxy (easy to remove with heat if one wants to reverse the process).
This is how my #103 looked after this was done ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/Lie%20Nielsen/LN%20103/LN103-2a_zpsykbbtf0z.jpg
And the mouth ...
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/Lie%20Nielsen/LN%20103/LN103-1a_zpsuxrwlahs.jpg
Regards from Perth
Derek