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View Full Version : Aftermarket blades for Lie Nielsen low angle block plane



Patrick Carpenter
06-12-2017, 12:35 PM
I found this old thread and I'm wondering if anything ever came of this idea for a hand forged, laminated after market blade for LN planes.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?216552-Swedish-Steel-for-LN-Aftermarket-and-Traditional-Tapered-Blades

The only one I currently own is a 60 1/2 and I've been thinking about switching over to Veritas just for PMV-11 (which, to be clear I've never used) unless I can find a good aftermarket solution. I know Tsunesaburo makes a laminated blade for 60 1/2 type planes but I'm not sure if it's a) any better than what I have now b) made to work with LN planes. The idea Stan describes in his thread seems like a great idea.

Kurt Cady
06-12-2017, 12:46 PM
will be following this closely. I LOVE the LN 60.5, just fits my hand perfectly. But I also love the PMV11. Been thinking of getting a LV DX block plane, just haven't been to a show to try one out.

Allen Jordan
06-12-2017, 1:24 PM
I am interested to hear about them. As a hobby blacksmith, I don't see how hand forging and heat treatment by eye would ever improve a blade's quality over standardized processes... there will always be little variations in a manual heat treatment resulting in quenches a little too hot or cold (leaving larger grain structures than are ideal, or not phase changing all of the steel properly). And then if tempering is also done by eye, just watching the oxidation color progression is also inexact and would result in rockwell hardnesses that vary from blade to blade.

And forging requires multiple heats, all of which slightly decarb the steel... and "packing" grain structure by forging only ever applied to wrought iron and impure steels of old that had a bit of a grain structure from slag inclusions. Forging itself imparts nothing special to the steel that would mystically add to its strength.

One thing that would be great is the lamination of a high-carbon edge to a softer steel backing. That would provide a fair bit of vibration dampening while still having a good cutting edge.

Patrick Chase
06-12-2017, 1:48 PM
will be following this closely. I LOVE the LN 60.5, just fits my hand perfectly. But I also love the PMV11. Been thinking of getting a LV DX block plane, just haven't been to a show to try one out.

You might want to try the "old" LV LA block with PM-V11. It's the same basic configuration and steel as the DX, but 1/4" wider and $50 cheaper. I guess it depends on how much rounded edges and swoopy curves are worth to you.

lowell holmes
06-12-2017, 2:13 PM
I have three LN block planes and feel no need for after market blades. After you get translucent shavings, what else is there? I prefer to work wood rather than keep experimenting.

Patrick Chase
06-12-2017, 2:39 PM
I am interested to hear about them. As a hobby blacksmith, I don't see how hand forging and heat treatment by eye would ever improve a blade's quality over standardized processes... there will always be little variations in a manual heat treatment resulting in quenches a little too hot or cold (leaving larger grain structures than are ideal, or not phase changing all of the steel properly). And then if tempering is also done by eye, just watching the oxidation color progression is also inexact and would result in rockwell hardnesses that vary from blade to blade.

And forging requires multiple heats, all of which slightly decarb the steel... and "packing" grain structure by forging only ever applied to wrought iron and impure steels of old that had a bit of a grain structure from slag inclusions. Forging itself imparts nothing special to the steel that would mystically add to its strength.

This will get me flamed, but: IMO it's one of those things that you either believe in or you don't, and no amount of discussion is likely to convert anybody. I treat it as a "dead topic" and move on.

Forging certainly impacts grain direction, and there are circumstances under which that is highly relevant, but abrasion resistance typically isn't one of the driving parameters in those applications.

Patrick Carpenter
06-12-2017, 3:03 PM
The "old" one is what I'm after. The DX looks sweet just... I don't know, maybe a little too sweet. And it costs more.

Mike Brady
06-12-2017, 4:16 PM
Ron Hock has or had an O-1 blade that fits the LN 60-1/2 perfectly. Call him.

Patrick Carpenter
06-12-2017, 5:49 PM
Ron Hock has or had an O-1 blade that fits the LN 60-1/2 perfectly. Call him.
Nice! I wondered about that. I had him make a scraper blade out of O1 and I love it. Am I imagining things or did LN used to offer a choice of A2 or O1 for their block planes?

Patrick Chase
06-12-2017, 7:20 PM
Nice! I wondered about that. I had him make a scraper blade out of O1 and I love it. Am I imagining things or did LN used to offer a choice of A2 or O1 for their block planes?

They did offer O1, and then they discontinued it, and then they offered it again (http://www.popularwoodworking.com/woodworking-blogs/chris-schwarz-blog/lie-nielsen-adds-o1-steel-back-into-its-line), and then they finally killed it again for all but some specialty planes.

You might want to give them a call though, as they've been known to offer stuff that isn't in their catalog as a special order. For example the 5-1/4W hasn't been a catalog item for years, but when last I checked they had retained the tooling and were offering it upon request.

Kurt Cady
06-12-2017, 7:42 PM
You might want to try the "old" LV LA block with PM-V11. It's the same basic configuration and steel as the DX, but 1/4" wider and $50 cheaper. I guess it depends on how much rounded edges and swoopy curves are worth to you.

have one. Too wide for my hand. The LN fits like a glove